Blues' Steen retires after 15 seasons

Veteran St. Louis Blues forward Alexander Steen has called it a career after 15 NHL seasons, the team announced Thursday.

"This has been an emotional process," Steen said in a release. "But as I look back on my years in hockey, I would like to thank our organization, our city, our fans, and my teammates as I am so proud of all the teams I was part of."

Steen has one more year at $5.75 million on his current contract. The Blues have already placed him on long-term injured reserve because he was injured during the NHL's buyout period, meaning the team can exceed the salary cap by $5.75 million this coming season, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

Steen's decision to retire is linked to "multiple levels of degenerative herniated discs of his lumbar spine," according to St. Louis. The 36-year-old was limited to 55 regular-season games in 2019-20 and only made four postseason appearances.

The Blues acquired Steen from the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2008-09 season. The 24th overall pick of the 2002 NHL Draft played 1,018 career games, registering 622 points. He won a Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019 and claimed a silver medal with Sweden at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.