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Hockey & The Blue Angels Both Win In Missouri

  • March 31, 2017

On Monday March 27, Blues goaltender Jake Allen took his position in the net as nearly 20,000 fans packed the seats at the Scottrade Center, in St. Louis, Missouri, to watch the St. Louis Blues defeat the Arizona Coyotes 4-1.

The goaltender has been flying high recently as the Blues are 11-1-1 in their last thirteen games, but this time, this game, was different. This time Allen had the United States Navy Blue Angels in the net with him.

Emblazoned on the goaltenders helmet were two Blue Angel Boeing F/A-18 Hornet planes, the Blue Angels shield, a Blue Angels ribbon across the chin and a large Blue Note, the symbol of the St. Louis Blues. The blue and yellow colors used by the Blue Angels matched perfectly with the blue and yellow of the St. Louis Blues uniform.

A match made in Missouri.

“We’re excited with how Jake’s mask shows the pride that the Blue Angels, the Blues and Boeing have in St. Louis,” said Walter Rice, Boeing’s Military Aircraft Communications Director. “A number of Boeing employees who are Navy veterans helped with the concepts that led to the artwork on Jake’s mask. It’s a great way to honor this community’s commitment to naval aviation.”

The mask was designed with the help of employees at Missouri-based Boeing Defense, Space & Security, a company that has a long-time partnership with the Blues and manufactures the F/A-18 Hornets the Blue Angel pilots fly.

The F/A-18 is a twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter jet developed by The Boeing Company’s Defense, Space & Security division. Boeing has developed the F/A-18 at its Missouri facility since its merger with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. And McDonnell Douglas built the F/A-18 in St. Louis from 1978 to 1997.

So you could say the Blue Angels were made in Missouri. In fact, we do say that.

Columbia, Missouri, native Ramsey Luos is an Aviation Ordnanceman First Class with the U.S. Navy, and a Crew Chief with the Blue Angels team, and says he feels very proud to work on the Missouri-made aircraft.

“Each day that I open the canopy and climb up the ladder I see that identity plate with Missouri on it and it gives me a boost of motivation and pride for the Show-Me State where I was born and raised.” Said Luos.

“It gives me a very strong sense of pride that there are folks in my community that attend the same sporting events, schools and that are shopping at the same local grocery stores as I was, who have a hand in building such a tremendous aircraft. My mom works for one of the production companies that builds avionic components for aircrafts and knowing that gives me great pride and connection to the F/A-18s, and to my fellow Missourians that work day in and day out to create such an amazing aircraft.”

Missourians across the state take great pride in the work done here. Missouri talent makes the Ford F-150 and Transit, the Chevy Colorado, EA-18 and F-15 fighter jets, along with a huge array of military ordinance, and the high-tech batteries powering NASA’s Curiosity rover currently on the surface of Mars. Along with much, much more.

And on Monday night that pride was shared by the Blues goalie and nearly 20,000 fans.

“It’s a great tribute to the Blue Angel pilots who have the honor of flying and performing across the country,” Allen said.

 

For more information about Missouri check out our website, or contact Steve Johnson, CEO of Missouri Partnership, at 314.725.2688 or via our contact form. We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have, and show you how Missouri Partnership can help with your business expansion and investment needs.

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