Scott Gomez was the first St. Louis Blues player to step on the ice at Madison Square Garden for practice Wednesday.
Gomez shook hands with the ice crew and went to work with the Blues, his fifth team since he was traded in 2009 by the Rangers. A 35-year-old forward and two-time Stanley Cup winner, Gomez is part of a core of veterans on a Blues squad near the top of the Western Conference standings at 11-3-1 heading into Thursday’s game against the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers (11-2-2).
Under Coach Ken Hitchcock, the Blues are coming off two straight 50-plus-win seasons that ended with first-round playoff exits.