Remember Me?

The player's face to the left might be somewhat familiar to you, but you'd be excused if you had forgotten it was James Neal. Neal's been playing in Springfield, Massachusetts since the turn of the calendar as the Blues waived the veteran winger on January 2, 2022. He cleared waivers on January 3, and the Blues sent him to their AHL affiliate in the Springfield Thunderbirds at that time after scoring just two goals and two assists over 19 games with the Blues this season. Playing in his first AHL games since suiting up with the Manitoba Moose for five games in the 2008-09 season, would James Neal have an impact on the Thunderbirds' season? Would his veteran presence help the kids? Can he rediscover his scoring touch that seemed to elude him in stops with the Flames and Oilers?

Neal would take some time before reporting to the Thunderbirds, but it's a good thing he did because it seems like he's rediscovered the fun in game. His first AHL in 13 years would be in Hartford against the Wolfpack on February 11, 2022 where he scored a pair of goals in a 4-2 Springfield win. It seemed like the old James Neal who could light the lamp from all over the ice was back.

"A lot of guys were probably shocked that I would come down to the AHL," Neal told Ryan Smith. "But I felt like it wasn't time to throw the towel in. I feel like I can still be an impact player with the way I've played in the (Stanley Cup) playoffs. I feel that the Blues are Stanley Cup contenders."

Neal would have a solid season in Springfield, scoring 14 goals and 26 points in 28 games for the AHL club while helping Springfield to a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division. He logged a pile of ice-time alongside Sam Anas and Matthew Peca, and he recorded a hat trick against the Hershey Bears on March 4 - the first AHL hat trick of his career - with the winner coming in overtime. With Nathan Walker being recalled to St. Louis, head coach Drew Bannister awarded Neal with the assistant captain's "A" on March 25, a letter he's been wearing since that day as the Thunderbirds have leaned on him for leadership as much as they have for offence.

"It’s been easy," Neal told the AHL's Patrick Williams of the adjustment to his new team. "The guys are great. The coaching staff has been really good. It's been an easy transition and fun playing."

Springfield entered the playoffs as the second-seeded team in the Atlantic Division, matching up with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the opening round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Neal recorded an assist in Game Two's 6-2 victory and a second assist in Game Three's 7-6 victory as the Thunderbirds swept the Penguins out of the playoffs. Neal wasn't on the scoresheet much, but he was doing the little things right: solid defensive awareness, playing on the doorstep on the power-play, and finishing checks. They'd need that effort going into the next series against the first-place Charlotte Checkers.

Neal had no points in Game One as the Thunderbirds skated to a 6-0 win, but he'd be a major factor in Game Two as the Thunderbirds looked to put a stranglehold on the series with a second win.

James Neal tips home Brady Lyle's point shot on the power-play with 4.4 seconds to play as Charlotte's Zac Dalpe was sitting in the penalty box for roughing, and the Thunderbirds prevailed in a 4-3 victory to go up 2-0 in the series against the Checkers. It was Neal's first goal of the playoffs and his second point of the night after he assisted on Lyle's second-period power-play goal, and it seems the Thunderbirds got a big performance out of Neal when they needed it after they were outshot in this game by a 50-23 count!

With Game Three set for Friday, there's a good chance that James Neal will play in the Eastern Conference Final. Neal's been to two Stanley Cup Finals, but has yet to capture a Stanley Cup in his career. At 34 years-old, he may not get many chances to win beyond this season, so it would be nice to see Neal win after missing out twice in his career. For a guy who has scored 296 goals in 869 National Hockey League games along with 33 more goals in 110 postseason games, scoring his first goal in this year's Calder Cup Playoffs couldn't have come at a better time.

"For some reason, I don’t think we had our legs tonight because we were a little off," Neal said to Christopher Berry of MassLive.com. "With that being said, timing, goals, and staying with it proved vital."

Winning at any professional hockey level takes players to step up in various ways, and it seems the Springfield Thunderbirds have players who are doing so in spades this spring. James Neal is one of those players, and he's proving that it's a mistake to forget about him in these Calder Cup Playoffs!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!