'Gloria,' Jim vs. Pam and much more: The Top 10 Viral Stories of 2019

From the St. Louis Blues' historic turnaround to some celebrity fans mixing it up to some outrageous goals and more outrageous celebrations, 2019 was a wild one, filled with moments that burned up social media accounts everywhere.
Short Shifts takes a look at our Top 10 viral stories from the year, including a few honorable mentions.

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1. Play Gloria!

The St. Louis Blues went from the worst team in the NHL to Stanley Cup champions in a matter of months and they did it all to the sweet soundtrack of Laura Branigan's 1982 smash hit "Gloria."
It's
kind of a long story
But from Blues fans making a
pilgrimage to the Philadelphia bar
where it started to Branigan's manager, who is
preserving the singer's legacy
posthumosly, "Gloria" and the Blues were
everywhere in 2019
.
But it's not the only thing that inspired the team along the way. The journey of then-11-year-old
Laila Anderson, a Blues superfan
who has battled a rare inflammatory disease known as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, went
everywhere with the team
: at games, at events and even at the
victory
parade
. And she's
back at games again
this season.
And yes,
Laila got a ring
. And yes, the
rings said "Play Gloria"
on them.

2. Jim and Pam, Frienemies Forever

You hate to see an imaginary couple bickering, but that's how it went down during the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
Actors Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski, most famously known as Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert from the long-running sitcom "The Office," were in an
all-out feud during the series
between the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins.
Fischer, a native of St. Louis, obviously was pulling for the Blues. Krasinski, from Boston, is a big-time Bruins fan. Things got chippy, fake TV ex-fiances got involved (we saw you, Roy!), it was tough.
Steve Carrell, who played the couple's boss on the show, is from Concord, Massachusetts and
got in the mix showing his allegience
to the Bruins.
As usually happens in a TV sitcom marriage,
the wife got the last laugh
and boy did she enjoy it.

3. Capitals celebrate Nationals

The Washington Nationals had some big skates to fill after winning baseball's World Series in 2019. The 2018 Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals partied like few have before, so it made sense for the two squads to get together and celebrate.
Come for the
shirtless Zamboni ride
, stay for the locker room karaoke.

4. Re-Lax, Svech

Andrei Svechnikov did something the NHL never had seen when he scored a lacrosse-style goal. Then he did it again.
The Carolina Hurricanes forward first wowed everyone when he
picked up the puck and tucked it in the net
against the Calgary Flames in October. Less than two months later, he
did it again against the Winnipeg Jets
.
We can only imagine what Svechnikov's got in store for us in 2020.

5. Price Lends Helping Hand

Some things are bigger than hockey, like Carey Price's relationship with Anderson Whitehead.
Price first met Whitehead in February in Toronto after the 11-year-old's mom died of cancer last year. The Canadiens goalie
offered a warm hug and some kind words
to a kid who needed it.
At the 2019 NHL Awards,
Price handed Whitehead some big-time gifts
, including a trip to the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis. He also got him
tickets to another game in Toronto this season
.

6. Boro-Cop

Some players rest or sight-see on their days off on the road. Mark Borowiecki saved the day during his in Vancouver in December.
The Senators defenseman helped
stop a robbery during Ottawa's road trip in Western Canada
in December by knocking a man off his bike after he'd broken into and stolen a backpack from a car in the Vancouver's Gastown District.

7. The Mite Stuff

Jackson Friedlander reminded us of the most important lesson in October.
After scoring twice, and being named Mite of the Nite during the Washington Capitals game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Friedlander gave
maybe the greatest post-game interview ever
where he discussed his favorite Capitals player and of course his tarantula Michael.
His interview was so good it piqued Kelly Clarkson's interest, and Friedlander made a surprise appearance on her talk show Dec. 11.

8. Rooks for the Books

This offseason it was hard not to be excited about the top two NHL draft prospects, Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils and Kaapo Kakko of the New York Rangers.
The
debate about who will end up being a better player
is ongoing, of course, but in the meantime, the two rookies did everything they could to endear themselves to their respective fan bases.
Hughes gave out a jersey to a fan who had one custom made with what
would turn out to be the wrong number
while "working" at the team store in Prudential Center. Kakko
would deliver his jersey personally
to a fan who couldn't wait to get his in the mail.

9. Ice Moonwalk

Sam Tracy's celebration was so good, he had to teach it to some San Jose Sharks.
The youth hockey player captured the heart of the internet by
doing the moonwalk after scoring in a shootout competition
during the first intermission of the San Jose Sharks game against the New York Islanders.
Tracy's moves were so good that Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier took notice and invited him to
Sharks practice for a tutorial
.
Here's hope we'll get more Sam Tracy, and more dancing goal celebrations, in 2020.

10. Power Couple

Cheers to one of the most athletic relationships on Earth. Devils defenseman P.K. Subban and Olympic champion skiier Lindsey Vonn
announced their engagement in August
.
It was all part of a whirlwind offseason for Subban, which saw him
traded to the Devils
after spending three seasons in Nashville. Subban, as he does,
adjusted quickly
and even
mixed it up with new division rival Gritty
.
Honrable Mentions
- 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O'Relly wasn't exactly nervous on the eve of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. He was chilling out in a music store and ended up
buying a young Bruins fan a guitar
.
- A save is a save, right? World class soccer goalie Petr Cech moved to hockey this year,
honored Dominik Hasek on his mask
and then went out and
won his debut
.
- Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, one of hockey's funniest personalities, retired after 19 seasons
in a way that only he could
.
- This year wasn't without controversy, and social media lit up when Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Letestu
chugged a mustard packet
on the bench during a preseason game. Some were disgusted, some
touted the virtues of mustard to prevent cramping
. It was a whole thing.
- Who needs Elvis when you have Ryan Reaves? A Las Vegas couple
renewed their wedding vows
with ordained minister Reavo presiding of the ceremony.