The St. Louis Blues have gripped the city’s hockey fans, but none more than Scott Berry. When the team begins its first Stanley Cup Finals since 1970 against the Boston Bruins on Monday it’s safe to say Berry will be the biggest cheerleader.
Berry was on a business trip in January, according to the Action Network, and even though the team was in last place, decided to put a bet on them. He was staying at the Paris where the odds were 250-1 to win the Stanley Cup. He thought he could get better odds somewhere else, but saw at the Bellagio they were only 150-1.
“I sprinted back to the Paris and put down everything I had planned on spending on gambling — $400,†Berry said. “To win $100,000 sounded really good.â€
To Sell or Not to Sell
Berry watched in awe as the team climbed up the standings. When he made the bet they had the lowest point total in the NHL. They began to climb up the Central Division standings. By February 1 they were out of last place, and in March they had become eligible for the playoffs. They ended the season tied with Winnipeg for second place.
They began marching through the playoffs, first defeating the Jets, who they were slight -111 to -109 favorites to beat. They did so in six games, and then went on to play Dallas. The Stars had a 3-2 lead, but St. Louis won the next two games to take the series in seven games.
ESPN reported that before the final game in the Stars series, Berry was offered $20,000 for his wager through the website Propswap, which allows ticket holders to put their bets up and have others bid on them.
Berry held onto the slip and watched the Western Conference Finals. San Jose and the Blues were tied at two, but St. Louis went on to take the next two games, outscoring the Sharks 10-1.
Now Berry has gotten a $40,000 offer, but so far hasn’t sold, telling ESPN that he believes in the team.
“Preseason, I knew they had a good squad,” Berry said. “But I’m no pro. My brother and father are a little more risk-averse than I am. They probably thought I was idiot.”
Bruins Favored to Win Cup
The final step in winning the organization’s first Stanley Cup might be the most difficult. They are a +150 underdog to take Lord Stanley’s Cup, while their opponent, the Boston Bruins are the -170 favorite.
The Bruins are also picked at -160 to win the first game, while the Blues are +140. St. Louis players, though, are confident going into Monday’s first game.
“We stuck together, we kept believing in each other,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “We had some good, hard, honest conversations, and we all knew we needed to be better from top down. We looked each other in the eye, we looked in the mirror and we did that. A lot of people doubted us this year, but this group was resilient; and I really am proud of the guys because as hard as it is, it’s been fun to look back and see where we are now.”