St. Louis Blues fans by the tens of thousands gathered downtown Saturday to watch their team celebrate its first Stanley Cup victory.
The rain let up just as the parade began at noon. Floats, which featured individual players and their families, started at 18th Street and moved slowly down Market Street toward Gateway Arch National Park.
Fans’ excitement over winning the Cup brought them to downtown long before the parade began. Some, such as Jeff Pleimann of Oakville, arrived Friday night and claimed a spot for about 50 family members and friends.
“I’ve watched every game, we’ve had a party every game, all four series,” Pleimann said. “It was important that we all be together in one spot.”
Overcast skies and occasional rain didn’t stop the celebration. Retiring Blues national anthem singer Charles Glenn performed before the rally and several Blues players spoke, including captain and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.
“It’s been a long, wild ride. I mean, we’ve been working pretty hard to get to this point,” Pietrangelo said. “You think about it, but you don’t really know what it’s like until it comes.”
The Blues beat the Boston Bruins in the seventh and deciding game of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night.
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