ST. LOUIS _ Hundreds of Blues fans _ some drunk, some hung over, some somewhere in between _ were sandwiched under the back balcony at OB Clark's in Brentwood on Thursday, spotting their beloved Blues _ some drunk, some hung over, some somewhere in between.
Most of the Stanley Cup champs were easy to point out _ Ryan O'Reilly with the Conn Smythe Trophy, Alexander Steen with his gaping, gap-toothed smile, even Joel Edmundson with aviator sunglasses and a blue T-shirt cropped above his bellybutton.
But there was this other guy up there, hanging around in a suit.
"Who's that?" an onlooker asked.
It was Ville Husso, the guy who could've been Jordan Binnington.
Husso was actually ahead of Binnington on the Blues' goalie depth chart, but Husso was hurt. Who's to say if Husso had been healthy he wouldn't have become the city's Cinderella? But, in a historic twist, Husso's injury allowed Binnington to get his shot ... and become an unmistakable St. Louis legend.
"It's an unbelievable story," Vegas Golden Knights goalie Malcolm Subban, Binnington's longtime friend, said by phone Thursday. "But at the same time, I was just waiting for his opportunity _ I saw what he could do when he was young. I'm not surprised with what he's done. It's been a dream, and I'm happy it came true for him."
Binnington's tale is now one for storybooks and scripts. Fourth-string goalie takes over for a toiling team. Gets a shutout in first-ever start. Spearheads an impossible turnaround. Wins Stanley Cup Game 7 with epic performance. He's Kurt Warner for the Rams. Fellow No. 50 rookie Adam Wainwright for the Cardinals. Roy Hobbs for the Knights.
The unflappable Binnington always responded after a loss, best seen in Game 7 when the St. Louis savior made numerous saves, acrobatic and dramatic. With about 11 minutes left and St. Louis up only 2-0, Binnington outstretched his right leg on the ice to stop a Joakim Nordstrom shot, while Binnington's torso lunged forward. If they ever make a statue, that's the image.
"He makes an incredible right pad save and gets up like it's nothing," Steen said. "He is so dialed in. His attitude has been incredible. His work ethic, his professionalism. He's a young guy, but he is mentally tough as nails."
Like his older brother, P.K., Malcolm Subban played defense until around the age of 12.
"And Jordan was the only goalie I hated to play against _ he was so big," Subban said of his old schoolmate. "The thing he's always been able to do so well is use his size. He's always been a big guy, but I think there are some guys who are big and they don't know how to play big. But he uses it to let the puck hit him. He's not all over the place. There's not too much extra movement."
On May 2, 2009, the day of the Ontario Hockey League draft, both boys were 15 years old. Even though they were in different cities that day, they said they'd follow the draft online together via Skype.
"He got picked (in the second round) _ and he waited for me," Subban said. "And the whole time he was like, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're going this late.' Watching some of the other guys go, and him thinking I should've gone higher and stuff. ... It was definitely a couple hours, I'd say.
"I was 11th round. I was the 218th pick. Us sitting there, refreshing the page. ... But it goes to show how good of a friend he is, and that's why we've been friends for so long and so close. He's been there for me when I needed him, and vice versa. He's good to talk to if something isn't going right with hockey. We've always kept up during the year. OHL, AHL and NHL, too.
"That's a moment you don't forget _ he's always been a good friend, a loyal guy."
Binnington believed in Binnington. So did Subban. But the Blues believed in Husso. He's a couple years younger, big upside. And really, it's possible Husso could be on the Blues as a rookie next season, though as Binnington's backup. But this season Husso's ankle injury kept him off the ice. So the Blues dumped backup Chad Johnson (remember him?) and called up Binnington. The night before in Philadelphia, some Blues heard that old song "Gloria." And then against the Flyers Binnington was glorious. Suddenly, the storybook began _ and came with a soundtrack.
"He absolutely was a stud all season, all playoffs," said Blues defenseman Colton Parayko, who wasn't too bad himself this postseason. "It's so special to do this, and he was such a big part of it. Ah! I love these guys."
Later in the afternoon Thursday, as the crowds swelled outside OB Clark's, Binnington was spotted. And he had made his way into the crowd itself. Dozens of cell phone cameras captured the moment. One angle seen on social media showed a fan hoisting a Blues jersey behind Binnington _ the uniform No. 1 and the name plate: STANLEY. Binnington wore a black hat, black T-shirt and a smile as wide as a goal crease. "Binnington," they chanted. Beer, he chugged.
He is a living legend in St. Louis, a town he's lived in for only six months.
