From his patented fist pumps after Blues’ wins to his trips into the stands to greet fans to the fact that he still plays pickup games with the alumni, Tom Stillman has become as popular an owner as the franchise has had in its 52-year existence.



Even more so now after overseeing something that none of us had ever seen: a Stanley Cup in St. Louis.



The Blues, of course, won the Cup on the ice, beating the Boston Bruins in a hard-fought seven-game series in June. But the commitment of Stillman and his 16-member group of local investors annually spending to the NHL’s salary cap helped make that possible. Also aiding was his faith in general manager Doug Armstrong, whose patience allowed the team to climb out of last place in the standings and make history.



Stillman has the unique perspective of being someone in the know on key decisions, yet observing as a fan at heart. So just more than a month after the Blues’ Cup win, we sent him an...