The St. Louis Blues signed veteran defenseman Barret Jackman to a three-year contract on Monday.
The 31-year-old Jackman was the Blues' top pick, 17th overall, in the 1999 NHL Draft. While official terms of the deal were not released, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the deal was for $9.5 million.
The signing will make Jackman the longest tenured athlete in St. Louis sports.
"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," said Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. "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."
A steady stay-at-home defenseman, Jackman registered one goal and 12 assists with a plus-20 rating in 81 games last season.
"St. Louis is our home and my family and I are excited to be staying," said Jackman. "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, the 2003 Calder Trophy winner as the league's top rookie, has compiled 20 goals and 139 points in 598 career games. He has spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the Blues.
