ST. LOUIS — After months of waiting, hockey is finally back on Wednesday night.
The Blues are expected to be one of the top teams in the league this season, in the abbreviated 56-game schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season will start Wednesday night at 8:30 when the Blues visit the Colorado Avalanche.
On Tuesday, the team announced who will be taking the ice to begin the campaign.
The active roster is as follows:
Forwards
#9 - Sammy Blais
#10 - Brayden Schenn (A)
#12 - Zach Sanford
#13 - Kyle Clifford
#17 - Jaden Schwartz
#18 - Robert Thomas
#21 - Tyler Bozak
#49 - Ivan Barbashev
#57 - David Perron
#68 - Mike Hoffman
#70 - Oskar Sundqvist
#90 - Ryan O’Reilly (C)
#91 - Vladimir Tarasenko (A) (Injured)
Defensemen
#4 - Carl Gunnarsson
#6 - Marco Scandella
#29 - Vince Dunn
#41 - Robert Bortuzzo
#47 - Torey Krug
#55 - Colton Parayko (A)
#72 - Justin Faulk
Goaltenders
#35 - Ville Husso
#50 - Jordan Binnington
The Blues are also allowed a taxi squad this season. The following players will make up that contingent:
#1 - Joel Hofer (G)
#25 - Jordan Kyrou (F)
#28 - Mackenzie MacEachern (F)
#53 - Austin Poganski (F)
#61 - Jacob de la Rose (F)
#77 - Niko Mikkola (D)
The Blues' planned AHL affiliate for this year in Springfield, Massachusets, opted out of the season, so the team will be sharing an affiliate in Utica, New York, with the Vancouver Canucks.
The following players will be assigned to Utica:
Sam Anas, Evan Fitzpatrick, Jon Gillies, Dakota Joshua, Tanner Kaspick, Hugh McGing, Curtis McKenzie, Jake Neighbours, Scott Perunovich, Evan Polei, Mitch Reinke, Steve Santini, Nolan Stevens, Tyler Tucker, Nathan Walker and Jake Walman.
The Blues begin their season on Wednesday night on the road against Colorado. They open up at home on Jan. 18 against the San Jose Sharks.
The Blues will allow a limited number of frontline workers to attend the home opener.