The St. Louis Blues returned from the 4 Nations Face-Off break as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. After resuming the regular season on Feb. 22, they were 12 points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference. Since then the Blues have gone on a 16-2-2 run including 10 straight victories. They sit seven points ahead of the final wild card position.
A myriad of factors could be responsible for their improved form such better defense, increased power play conversions, or improved goalie performance, but there could be another reason. And it’s a little more superstitious.
Starting Feb. 22 against the Winnipeg Jets, a replica figurine of the Jobu bobblehead from the 1989 hit movie Major League appeared in the Blues’ locker room. Fans of the comedy classic remember the Cuban voodoo-practicing Pedro Cerrano installing him in his locker, complete with incense, rum, and cigar offerings to help Cerrano hit a curveball and get the Cleveland Indians out of losing funk.
“Have to wake up the bats!” Cerrano told his manager to justify Jobu’s presence in the film.
Eventually, Cerrano found confidence in himself and his own abilities, saying “F*** you, Jobu. I do it myself.”
The Blues’ Jobu seems to have woken up the team’s sticks since his mysterious arrival. St. Louis has scored a league-best 76 goals and picked up 34 standings points.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Matthew DeFranks, “he just showed up” is the the common answer among the players about Jobu’s origin and it seems they don’t care to figure out how because he’s become their good luck charm.
“Love Jobu,” centerman Brayden Schenn told DeFranks. “He’s a good guy, good to be here with us.”
“Honestly, he just kind of chills there,” centerman Dylan Holloway added. “It’s a good omen for us, and everyone likes having him around.”
Jobu is apparently responsible for the Blues’ 5-2 victory over the Capitals on Feb. 27. He made the trek to Capital One Arena, his first road trip, as part of the team’s four-game win streak during the Feb. 23 through March 1 stretch.
Defenseman Philip Broberg had six goals in 127 career NHL games going into that night’s action. He left the first period with two more, maybe thanks to Jobu.
Whatever has been enhancing their play, Blues general manager Bill Armstrong is loving it and just wants his guys to keep staying loose as the Stanley Cup Playoffs quickly approach.
“I’m happy for the guys,” he told The Fight podcast on Tuesday. “Those things happen when you feel good about yourself and you feel good about your teammates… What’s great to see from my perspective is the environment they’ve created where they can have this much fun doing things that are a little outside the norm.”
The Blues are no strangers to getting hot late and riding superstitions into the playoffs either. In 2019, the team earned an NHL-best 50 standings points exiting the All-Star break and debuted a new team goal song, Laura Branigan’s 1982 hit “Gloria,” on its way to the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup championship.
Perhaps Jobu will be the team’s new “Gloria” in 2025.
“He’s one of the leaders in the locker room, that’s all I’ll say,” defenseman Cam Fowler said. “He’s been a part of this run for us … A little bit of Jobu magic that’s helped keep this thing alive.”
