John Davidson leaves behind strong legacy with St. Louis Blues

Now that the news surrounding John Davidson's departure from the St. Louis Blues organization has been confirmed by St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Jeremy Rutherford, Blues fans are responding to the end of an era.

Davidson was a staple of the franchise for seven seasons, as he most recently held the title of president and had helped the team elevate itself from a "league-wide joke" to a "widely accepted powerhouse-in-waiting," says SB Nation Blues blog St. Louis Game Time:

Davidson was the face of the franchise from the time he took over until this past season, when he seemed to step back into the shadows a bit, allowing general manager Doug Armstrong to step into the spotlight. Davidson was the person commonly assumed to be behind the personnel moves being made by Larry Pleau as he ended his tenure as the GM and many felt that it was Davidson's direction that saw the Blues finally start to build their team foundation through drafting and developing players, something the team has never done consistently well.

Davidson will not only be remembered as one of the men behind all the Blues' recent solid transactions, but by the way he carried himself as a spokesman of the organization:

Davidson was the man at the podium making most of the best announcements, whether it be high-end draft picks, blockbuster trades or new fan-friendly programs. He was the voice and the face of the franchise – a man that the owners knew would be trusted and respected by the fans.

Last season under Davidson, the Blues earned the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but were eventually eliminated in the second round by the Los Angeles Kings.