Steen retires after 15-year NHL career

ST. LOUIS - After 15 seasons and more than 1,000 NHL games, Alexander Steen is calling it a career.
Steen announced his retirement as a player on Thursday due to a back injury he sustained during the 2019-20 season. According to the team's press release, Steen has "multiple levels of degenerative herniated discs of his lumbar spine."

"This has been an emotional process," Steen told stlouisblues.com. "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."

Although he played in three round-robin games this summer, the injury limited Steen to just one game (Game 2) of the Blues' first-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks
The 36-year-old forward finishes his career with 1,018 career NHL games with the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs. Steen recorded 245 goals and 377 assists (454 points) in a 15-season career that included a Stanley Cup championship with the Blues in 2019.
Steen first arrived in St. Louis in November 2008 after being acquired, along with defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo, in a trade that sent Lee Stempniak to the Maple Leafs. Steen ranks fourth in Blues history in games played (765), ninth in goals (195), sixth in assists (301) and fifth in points (496). Only two Blues (Brett Hull and Alex Pietrangelo) have played more playoff games with the franchise than Steen, who appeared in 91 postseason contests.