Trio inducted into Blues Hall of Fame, Chase honored with 'True Blue' award

ST. LOUIS -- Al Arbour, Barret Jackman, and Alexander Steen became the fourth class inducted into the St. Louis Blues Hall of Fame and Kelly Chase was honored with the annual True Blue Award at Missouri Athletic Club on Monday.

"We are honoring four men tonight who fought and showed what it means to be a St. Louis Blue," said Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie Federko, who was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame with the inaugural class in 2023.

Steen, who spent 12 seasons with the Blues from 2008-20 and was part of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2019, played 765 of his 1,018 NHL games with the Blues. He had 496 points (195 goals, 301 assists) and 32 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 82 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Steen, 41, will take over as general manager starting next season for Doug Armstrong, who will assume the role of president of hockey operations.

“It was the best thing that ever happened to me," Steen said of being traded to the Blues. "The game has given me so much, pretty much everything I have in my life. When I got here to St. Louis, it felt like such a good fit for my personality... When I got here, 'Chaser' pretty much said, 'This city is on your team.' Everybody here gave me a chance and an opportunity and I'll be forever grateful for that."

Blues coach Jim Montgomery said, “I’m going to brown nose a little bit here to my future boss here, ‘Steener,’ a guy that was instrumental in the 2019 Stanley Cup, instrumental in the years of success under [Ken Hitchcock], one of ‘Hitch’s go-to players, so another guy that understands what it means to wear a ‘Bluenote’ in this city.”

Jackman, the No. 17 pick by the Blues in the 1999 NHL Draft, spent 13 seasons in St. Louis and played 801 regular-season games (181 points; 28 goals, 153 assists); he won the Calder Trophy in 2003.

“It kind of becomes your identity after a while," Jackman said. "Getting drafted by the Blues and (playing) with Al [MacInnis] and [Chris Pronger], [Keith Tkachuk] was traded there and then you grew up watching [Brett Hull] scoring goals, I couldn't do that, but the first time you put on a 'Bluenote' at the draft, it was special. "

Arbour was a charter member of the Blues and first captain in their history in 1967 and played his final four NHL seasons in St. Louis which included runs to the Stanley Cup Final in each of their first three seasons from 1968-70. He retired from playing and was named Blues coach from 1970-73, taking over midseason in 1070-71 before coaching the New York Islanders for 19 seasons in two stints from 1973-94. Arbour passed away on Aug. 28, 2015.

“Al Arbour, a Hall of Fame coach,” Montgomery said. “One guy early that Scotty Bowman leaned on and probably learned from Scotty. It just talks about the lineage and the importance of the tradition of the ‘Bluenote.’”

The trio joins 2023 inductees Red Berenson, Scotty Bowman, Glenn Hall, Garry Unger, Federko, Bob Gassoff, Hull, Dan Kelly, MacInnis, Barclay Plager, Bobby Plager, Pronger, Sid Salomon Jr./Sid Salomon III and Brian Sutter; 2024 inductees Pavol Demitra, Mike Liut and Tkachuk, and 2025 inductees Wayne Babych, Curtis Joseph and Jim Roberts.

Chase, 58, continues to fight the affects of being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2023 where he underwent intensive treatment, including a successful stem cell transplant from his brother in 2024. It led to remission but also some challenges, including complications from Graft-versus-Host Disease affecting his vision and hearing.

Chase, who played for the Blues from 1989-94, then again from 1997-2000 (345 regular-season games) and has the second-most penalty minutes in Blues history (1,497) behind Sutter (1,786).

“He’s one of the most resilient guys I’ve ever met,” Blues forward Jake Neighbours said of Chase. “The things he’s gone through over these last couple years and how he continues to be part of the community, show up to games, do things for us, do things for former players, alumni, it’s really, really special. He really is someone who cares about others way more than he cares about himself. Just always trying to lend a helping hand and super-special person to this city and this organization, continuing to do it through his battle with cancer has been admirable.”