Auctioning off the 2019 Blues Stanley Cup Playoff series

The St. Louis Blues made history in 2019 by becoming Stanley Cup Champions for the first time in the team's existence. To say the season, and playoff run, was a wild ride is an understatement. After successfully beating the Jets and Stars in the first two rounds, the Blues battled the Sharks in the Western Conference Finals. If you felt an earthquake in St. Louis on May 15, 2019, it is because the city shook with outrage after the referee missed a hand pass call that led to the Sharks overtime goal.

I woke up the next morning and was inspired to channel my optimism and positive energy back to the team, so I grabbed the first thing I found to paint on. Little did I know, those first few brushstrokes would lead to a series of eleven original acrylic paintings, capped by the Blues captain hoisting the coveted Stanley Cup over his head.

I am thrilled to announce I have partnered with the Blues to auction off the paintings to benefit Blues for Kids, which has the mission to positively impact programs and services that improve health and wellness of youth in the St. Louis area. You may view the Blues' full article here.

The first auction will open online at 3 p.m. on Monday, April 18 and close at 9 p.m. following Tuesday's game. Fans can view the auction by visiting blues.givesmart.com or texting 'blues' to 76278. Six paintings will be on display during the Tuesday, April 19 game against the Bruins, and I will be there, as well, for a Meet the Artist experience.

I invite you to relive that emotional, unforgettable playoff run with my paintings below, in order of creation, and the caption I posted with it on social media:

1. Jordan Binnington
"When it’s 95 degrees out and your team needs some good vibes, you do a 4’x4’ of the star goalie 💁🏼‍♂️ @binniner @stlouisblues #lgb"

2. Patrick Maroon
"Let’s bring some of that Game 7 magic to Game 5! Time to sit back and watch the game!"

3. Jaden Schwartz - scored a hat trick in a Game 5 shutout in the Western Conference Finals against the Sharks.
"Blues are two for two when I paint on game days. Hoping this “Schwartz Hat Trick” portrait helps send us to Boston. LGB!"

4. The Plager Brothers
"Not only were the Plager brothers a legendary duo, Barclay scored the first Blues postseason goal. Just made sense to paint these guys for Game 1 of the #stanleycup finals. LGB!"

5. Vladimir Tarasenko
"@vt9191 sniped one in Game 1. Here’s to a repeat performance and bringing a tied series back to #STL."

6. Brayden Schenn
"#10 has been a workhorse for us all season. A goal in Game 1, 8 hits in Game 2...Expect Schenn to be on 🔥 in Game 3."

7. Ryan O’Reilly (this painting has already sold and is not included in the auction.)
"One of the top defensive forwards, face off men, and beards in the league. Ryan O’Reilly is a big reason we are still playing hockey in June."

8. David Perron
"Back for his third stint with the Blues, veteran David Perron‘s experience has been key this season. Looking for a big Game 5 win tonight!"

9. Colton Parayko
"At 6’6, 230, Colton Parayko is frightening on offense and defense. Can’t wait to see how he measures up to the #stanleycup!"

10. “Chief” Craig Berube
"“Chief” Craig Berube took over the head coaching job on November 19, and led the team from dead last in the league to the last game of the NHL season. Time to write the end of this Cinderella story. #LGB"

11. Alex Pietrangelo “2019 Stanley Cup Champions”
"I’ve been waiting my whole life to create this painting of the Blues’ captain hoisting the Stanley Cup. I held out on painting Petro during the playoff run since I had faith this moment would happen."