Timothy Leif "T.J." Oshie,
**If you read this you should tweet me @taypeeeee and tell me and you will make my day, week, month, life, etc.!!**
From the time you were drafted 24th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2005, my life was forever changed. When the Frozen Four came to St. Louis in 2007, I was just a short little 5th grader with a big heart for St. Louis hockey. Going to the games and seeing people wearing green "Oshie #7" jerseys and knowing you were going to be a Blue Note made me so excited I could hardly contain myself. All of us St. Louis fans have loved you from the time you had frosted tips blonder than Lance Bass and Justin Timberlake in NSYNC, to when your baby girl Lyla was born with gastroschisis and all we could do was pray for her (although we always knew she was tough enough to pull through), to when you ended up even having your own cereal called Oshie O's. In 2008, my family went to a game for my sister's birthday and that was the first time I'd seen you play in person wearing a Blues jersey. From that moment on, I knew it was gonna be a while before I had a new favorite player. I think most of St. Louis could agree with me on that.
The summer before my 8th grade year, I got to meet you at the St. Louis Mills (pictured below ~WoOo BeSt DaY Eva), and I literally was trembling because I was so anxious, nervous, and excited to meet you. In Nov. 2010, when you broke your ankle, I was literally traumatized (you think I'm kidding). At least 3 months without watching my favorite player?! Torture. But that just made every Blues fan so much more excited for you to be healed and to get back out there on the ice! In August 2011, I had seen you tweeting fans and I got really excited so (sorry in advance) I faked it and said it was my birthday so you would tweet me too and I think I about jumped out of my seat when you actually tweeted me. But then I had to explain to everyone that it wasn't actually my birthday when people started wishing me a happy birthday...awkward.
I vividly remember sitting in my Spanish II class my sophomore year of high school, and my friend showed me a picture and said, "Hey look, this is T.J. Oshie's girlfriend..." I literally think my jaw dropped because I had never seen a more stunning person in my life. Lauren, I think every girl in STL looks up to you just as much as young hockey players look up to T.J. The way you carry yourself is so classy and elegant. You pull off platinum blonde hair better than anyone I have ever seen and we have loved the photos you have shared of Lyla and you and T.J.'s relationship throughout the years. You guys make the perfect couple and family and we will miss you just as much as we are going to miss T.J.! You are a beautiful role model and mother figure for many girls out there and we thank you for that!
Another proud moment for us fans- in 2008-09 you had the NHL Goal of the Year vs. the Vancouver Canucks at home. Your love of the game just really affected all of us fans in St. Louis. We all knew how much you enjoyed playing this sport and you were living the dream playing in the NHL and for the St. Louis Blues and that made our town's love for the game grow even more. Even back when I was in middle school, I would see pictures of you and Patrik Berglund out and about together outside of hockey. At your wedding, we've seen pictures with Barrett Jackman, David Backes, and Alex Pietrangelo sharing one of the most special days of your life. These guys have served as not only your teammates but your family and people you will be friends with for the rest of your life. Because of the bond you guys shared, we were able to get a sneak peek of how good of a locker room guy you were and the type of person you were. Your character and personality is what every hockey fan wants to see on their team. You and the guys always looked like you were having the time of your life...it was contagious...and that made us even more excited to be STL Blues fans.
I think our most proud moment was during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, when Oshie was the reason we had a thrilling win against Russia in a shootout. But all in all, I think T.J. Oshie was a fan's player. We loved his tendency to reach out to fans like the adorable little girl who broke everyone's heart when she was crying because T.J. was being traded. Not only did he call her, but he also sent her a care package with a Caps jersey with his new number on it. He's a family guy who always looks out for his loved ones, and he's going to make a lot of fans in Washington proud to be a Caps fan. We wish you the best T.J., and we will always be thankful for your years spent as #74 for the St. Louis Blues. Washington Capitals, you're about to be Oshied.
