It has been some turbulent days for the St. Louis Blues and their supporters. Earlier this week, Craig Berube was fired as head coach after six seasons.
Berube led the Blues to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2019, but he was released after having a 13-14-1 record to start the season.
After the announcement, Blues star Jordan Kyrou was asked about his relationship with Berube, to which he responded:
”I’ve got no comment. He’s not my coach anymore.”
Berube also praised their new interim coach, Drew Bannister, claiming it’s a chance to get their culture back and for a fresh start.
But leading a franchise to their first Stanley Cup is special, and Berube is a hero in St. Louis.
Kyrou’s comments about the former coach didn’t sit well with the fanbase, and when the team played their first game since Berube was fired, they let Kyrou know what they thought about it.
When Kyrou’s name was announced in the starting lineup ahead of the puck drop against the Ottawa Senators, he was booed by the fans. When the puck was dropped, occasional boos could be heard when he touched the puck as well.
It was obvious that it affected Kyrou, as he looked shaken up and emotional during the game. And after the 4-2 win over the Senators, he was in tears as he apologized to the fans for his comments.
”I definitely heard those,” Kyrou said about the boos, drying tears.
”That’s not easy, obviously, but I see where they’re coming from. It’s definitely tough. I love playing here. I love playing for these fans.”
Kyrou realized that his comments hadn’t sat well just hours before the game on Thursday.
”Sorry if it sounded in a bad way at all,” he said. ”I’m just really trying to focus on the future here and focus on what I can do to help get the wins for the boys.”
Kyrou also took the opportunity to give praise to his former coach. During his postgame presser, his tears welled up several times, and he needed pauses to collect himself.
”It’s the toughest game I’ve played, to be honest,” he said. ”I love playing here. It’s tough to hear the fans booing me here.”
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