BLUES

GEOGRAPHY Part 1 of 6

MAPPING YOUR BLUES

Alex Pietrangelo has been a mainstay “We traveled a lot for hockey when I was as a member of the St. Louis Blues growing up, and we’d also go on vacation defensive line since the beginning of the once in the summer. But, hockey during 2010 season. Pietrangelo also had eight the season meant travel all the time,” and nine-game stints with the Blues in Pietrangelo remembers. “My family would 2008 and 2009. The NHL All-Star has travel up north to a cottage every summer come a long way since growing up in the for a couple weeks, and that was a big small farming community of King City, vacation for us.” , Canada. “It has been a yearly thing, but it’s been Before becoming a full-time member of a little bit harder the last couple of years the Blues, his hockey career featured because everyone in my family is growing several stints with teams, mostly based up and busy, but the is to continue in Ontario, including the Toronto Junior to try and do it,” he adds. “But, the Canadiens, the IceDogs, the memories you have of family gathering Niagara IceDogs and the . He every year at the same time — especially even traveled south to Illinois to play with when you have such busy lives — the Peoria Rivermen in 2009. is important.” Pietrangelo also played with Team Canada Pietrangelo has become a fixture in the as a junior and senior, winning a Gold St. Louis community, but still considers Medal as a junior in 2009 and a Gold Medal King City his home. His hometown has in the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. just two schools and a population of less than 10,000, so you won’t find any NHL As a member of both the Blues and city the Blues visit that reminds him much Team Canada, and even as a junior of home. As you might imagine, during hockey player, Pietrangelo has become the off-season he’ll frequently travel back accustomed to a difficult travel schedule. to Canada, but he’ll also make summer And for Pietrangelo, traveling for hockey trips to the Caribbean, he says. started at a very young age. “Canada will always be my home,” Pietrangelo comments. “I grew up there, and that will always be my home. ACTIVITY: Everyone I know is still there, no one has MAPPING YOUR BLUES moved out, and I’ll never forget them. Toronto is only about an hour from home, Where was your favorite Blues player born? so when we go there, that’s as close as Are any other players born in the same country? Let’s find out. Check the Blues it gets.” roster to see where each player was born. by Mike Kern There are quite a few Canadians, aren’t there? Using a world map, place a symbol for each player in the country of his birth.

In which hemisphere were they all born? Why do you think that is? For more Mapping Your Blues activities, go to nie.post-dispatch.com/blues Next week: