The St. Louis Blues have named a former defenseman as the new director of franchise alumni, one who will lead the team's alumni organization in providing various services for every player that wore the Blue Note over the years.
44-year-old Barret Jackman, who spent 14 years in the NHL, all but one with St. Louis, leads an organization that is dedicated to finding the next generation of St Louis Blues players and works with local charities and first responders in the St Louis area.
Jackman, a 6'0 203 pound defenseman is originally from Trail, British Columbia and was drafted by St Louis with the 17th overall selection in the 1999 NHL Draft, making his NHL debut in the 2001/02 season, where he'd play just a single game before playing in all 82 the following season, this time racking up three goals and 16 assists for 19 points. Jackman's highest points totals came in 2006/07 and 2008/09, with 27 and 21 total points respectively.
Jackman may not have been one of the Blues' most prolific offensive stars, but he was a bonafide superstar on the other side of the puck, garnering over 1,000 blocked shots in his 14-year career. His season high came in 2011/12, where he put his body on the line no less than 154 times.
Jackman was also a prolific fighter, logging over 1,000 penalty minutes in his lengthy career, and was known to be the one to start or finish a fight. Jackman's toughness was the kind you rarely see in the NHL today, and he carried that over 13 seasons with St Louis, eventually earning him a spot in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
Jackman played on a defensive line with two other prominent d-men, Chris Pronger and franchise legend Al McInnis, and became the only Blue to win the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top rookie in the 2002/03 season.
Before Jackman became Director of Franchise Alumni, he, along with fellow Blues icon Brett Hull and former TV color commentator Kelly Chase, opened Hippos, a medical marijuana dispensary, in December 2021. The goal was to provide people with an alternative to addictive painkillers, something many hockey players struggle to shake off in today's game.
Jackman takes on the position of leading the Blues Alumni Association from Bruce Affleck, who helped launch the group in 1988 and served as its proud leader until his retirement following last season.
During this time, Blues alumni have raised over $800,000 for amateur hockey, providing scholarships and supporting local youth teams with tournament expenses. Additionally, they have raised over $5 million for charities in the St. Louis area. Affleck also played a key role in the organization and execution of both 'Puck Cancer' Alumni games, helping raise over $1 million for cancer research.
Outside of his business ventures, Jackman also worked as a baseball and hockey coach, including the 16U AAA Blues, where his son Caden plays. He ranks second on the Blues all-time franchise list in games played, which is also the most by a defenseman, while his 1,026 penalty minutes are the fourth most in franchise history.
Jackman is also one of six defensemen in franchise history to score an overtime goal in the postseason, and played 876 career regular-season games with St. Louis and Nashville, posting 186 points (29 goals, 157 assists) and 1,102 penalty minutes.