It’s been a little less than 24 hours since the St. Louis Blues, 101.1 ESPN and FanDuel Sports Network made a joint statement that sent shockwaves through the St. Louis community… and the sports world as a whole.

Longtime radio play-by-play voice Chris Kerber and analyst Joey Vitale will be advancing to the television booth as part of a new simulcast model with 101 ESPN, the team’s radio partner.

The move by the team and television network includes new hosting roles for the Blues LIVE pregame and postgame shows as well as in-game reporting duties. As part of the restructuring, the contract for John Kelly as the television play-by-play voice was not renewed.

The move ends Kelly’s 20-year tenure as the Blues’ play-by-play voice, one of the longest tenures in the NHL.

And it’s a move that has been met with widespread scorn and criticism.

Jeremy Rutherford, the official Blues beat writer for The Athletic, posted in part to X saying, “… on the heels of new uniforms being about tradition this is a slap. Nobody worked harder/cared more than John Kelly. Regional networks are going thru challenging times but nothing that should create this wrong.”

Kelly’s longtime broadcast partner with the Blues, Darren Pang, who is now with the Chicago Blackhawks also expressed his remarks on X, feeling as this was the wrong move as well.

“I’ve got no “Holy Jumpins” (Pang’s signature call) with this decision to remove John Kelly from the St. Louis Blues and FanDuel Sports Network Midwest broadcasts. He is an icon. He is a total pro. He treats people with respect, like his dad did before him. I am very disappointed and sad for the great fans of StL.”

While the Blues described the move as a “strategic realignment,” many fans and critics have chalked to move up to cost-cutting. It makes little sense to have announcers call a game for both television and radio; one is a visual medium while the other is audio. There are different approaches to each medium in regards to sporting events.

Keep in mind, none of this is criticism directed towards Chris Kerber and Joey Vitale. Kerbs and Vitale have been longtime staples of St. Louis as well, and in their own rights and regards, have become synonymous with the Blues coverage on the radio. Especially during the miraculous 2019 Stanley Cup run.

But Kelly, like his father Dan Kelly before him, have been the true voices of the St. Louis Blues. The Kelly family epitomizes St. Louis hockey, and both has forever legacies in the sport.

Kelly released a statement on X Friday afternoon that read in part:

“My late father, Dan Kelly, helped pioneer the game of hockey in St. Louis, and having the opportunity to carry on that legacy in this city has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” he said. “The outpouring kindness over the years has been truly humbling. This fanbase is one of a kind.”