St. Louis Blues: Alexander Steen calls it a career

After over 1,000 games played, St. Louis Blues forward Alexander Steen has retired from the National Hockey League.

The adventure is over for Alexander Steen who has now retired from the NHL, making it an end of an era for both the player and the St. Louis Blues.

The 36-year old has been dealing with a back injury, which has forced him into making this difficult decision. This is not the way you want to see athletes like Steen go.

But when he looks back on his career, it was a remarkable one.

A Stanley Cup winner back in 2019, Steen accomplished the most extraordinary feat possible in the NHL. While his offensive output has been decreasing since 2013, his leadership skills have remained strong. He was one of those players that did the little things on the ice to help his team win.

A First Round selection back in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, No. 24 overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Manitoba native had a strong rookie campaign back in 2005-06. While it did not bring about the Calder Trophy (Alexander Ovechkin took it with 52 goals and 54 assists), he recorded 18 goals and 27 assists.

In his four years in Canada, he accumulated 126 points (50 G, 76 A) in 253 regular season games for the Maple Leafs.

On November 24, 2008, Steen, alongside his teammate Carlo Colaiacovo, were dealt to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Lee Stempniak. Two years later, Steen would sign a four-year contract extension. He would have two more opportunities to leave the Blues, following the 2013-14  and 2016-17 seasons. But he chose to stay.

If you ask Steen what his best season was, no doubt it would be winning the cup in 2019, a dream every hockey fan has as a youngster.

But his best season, production-wise, came back in the 2014-15 campaign as he lit the lamp 24 times while picking up a stellar 40 assists.

In his 15 seasons in the NHL, Steen and his teams made the Stanley Cup Playoffs nine times. He recorded 36 points (15 G, 21 A) in 91 career postseason games.

For the city of St. Louis, this had been a rather tough offseason before this news. Draftee and 7-year Blue Jake Allen was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens, while team Captain, UFA Alex Pietrangelo signed with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Now beloved St. Louis Blues player Alexander Steen will ride off into the sunset. While it is a somber day for the fans, he gave St. Louis all he had for 12 seasons, going to work every night, making his city proud.

He leaves the NHL with 245 goals, 377 assists, which is good for 622 points in 1,018 games.