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Eddie Belfour Out As Blues Goalie Consultant (updated)

January 14, 2010, 10:07 AM ET [ Comments]
Andy Strickland
St Louis Blues Blogger •1380 ESPN • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Multiple sources have confirmed that goalie consultant Ed Belfour is no longer with the Blues organization.

He was originally brought on board back in August.

Word is Belfour has left the Blues organization on his own as the travel and grind that came with the responsibility turned out to be more than what he was looking to do. The amount of time he was spending away from his family played a role in his decision to step away.

The Blues are tied up in Mid-term scouting meetings this week and I have yet to be able to speak to anyone involved with management.

Many were confused by the idea of hiring Belfour in the first place as he’s never had the reputation of being a good teammate. Not to mention he’s one of the most hated opposing players in St. Louis Blues history. Immediately fans were wondering if Chris Chelios was on his way to join the Blues organization. I’ve spoken to several of his former teammates and I’m having some trouble finding at least one person to say something positive about Belfour other than he was a very fine netminder.

With all this being said I was willing to put his reputation aside if he could make a positive contribution to the Blues staff. As one member of Blues management told me back in August “Everybody deserves a chance”.

During training camp he was about as unapproachable as any athlete I’ve been around. When I asked him if he was excited with his new opportunity he responded by saying “I’d rather be playing.”

In the story I wrote back in August I said the hiring of Belfour only made sense if his heart was truly in it and he was fully committed to helping develop the young goaltenders in the Blues organization.

His main responsibility for the Blues was to work with some of the organization’s top prospects including Jake Allen who led Canada to the World Junior Silver Medal. He also spent some time in Peoria working with the Blues AHL affiliate.

The Blues recently hinted that Belfour’s role would expand to working with the NHL club after Assistant/Goalie Coach Rick Wamsley was re-assigned to take over as Peoria’s Head Coach.

The Blues are now in the process of finding a goaltending coach to work with Chris Mason and Ty Conklin who are both very much in favor of having a goaltending coach on staff.

Both players have given the organization suggestions of a few people they’d be in favor of bringing on board.

Having a goaltending coach around on a daily basis can be very beneficial even for veteran NHL goaltenders. Both Mason and Conklin got along very well with Wamsley who is obviously no longer here. Wamsley was very good in putting his goalies through daily drills as well as identifying strengths and weaknesses through video sessions.

Wamsley was an extra set of eyes for Mason and Conklin as he certainly understood the position having played in the NHL before.

Expect the Blues to name a new goaltending coach, either on a full or part time basis, sometime soon.


More to come,

Andy Strickland

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