Former Beaver Valley Nitehawk Barret Jackman isn’t singing the blues after signing a contract with the team he has spent his whole NHL career with.
The St. Louis Blues signed the Fruitvale native to a contract reported worth close to $10 million over three years. Jackman, currently the longest-tenured athlete among the major sports teams in the city, was to become an unrestricted free agent as of July 1.
The 31 year old was originally drafted by the Blues in the first round, number 17 overall, of the 1999 NHL Draft.
“St. Louis is our home and my family and I are excited to be staying,” Jackman told NHL.com. “I am proud of the progress we made this season but our fans deserve a championship and our team will not be satisfied until we achieve that goal.”
Jackman dressed in 81 games for the Blues last season recording one goal, 13 points and 57 penalty minutes while tying for second on the club with a plus-20 rating and leading the team overall in blocked shots (153) and shorthanded time on ice per game (3:26).
The 6-foot, 205-pound defenseman has spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the Blues compiling 20 goals, 139 points and 843 penalty minutes in 598 games while also becoming the club’s only Calder Trophy winner in 2003.
Jackman is currently tied for 10th in franchise history in games played, ranks seventh in penalty minutes and 10th in points among Blues defensemen.
“Barret has been a solid leader for our club, on and off the ice, and we’re happy to have him in the fold for the next three years,” general manager Doug Armstrong said.
“He’s a staple of the organization and the community and his positive influence on our young core has and will remain an invaluable asset.”