The St. Louis Blues announced Friday that Alexander Steen had undergone a successful surgery on his left shoulder, injured while visiting the Coyotes on February 20th. Steen went hard into the boards in the offensive zone while battling for a loose puck.
Although he was only on the ice for a total of 2:13, he still registered a goal and an assist in the five shifts he did take. He missed the next 15 games to rehab the shoulder, and returned with six games left in the regular season. He played into the postseason, and helped the Blues beat the Blackhawks and Stars on their way to the Western Conference Final against the San Jose Sharks.
[quote_box_center author=”Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong”]Alexander suffered the original shoulder injury in February 20th in Arizona. He rehabbed and worked hard to get back and be a big part in the team’s run to the Conference Final. Alex is one of the most dedicated players in the NHL when it comes to fitness and we’re thrilled things went well today.[/quote_box_center]
The surgery was performed by Dr. Rick Wright and Dr. Matt Smith of Washington University Orthopedics, and Steen is scheduled to be re-evaluated in four months. The entire healing process is expected to take between 4-6 months, which puts Steen’s return to the ice just one week ahead of the start of the 2016-17 NHL season. It’s probably a good guess that he’ll miss the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which begins on September 17 in Toronto. He was selected to represent Team Sweden in the tournament.
Steen was originally Toronto’s 24th overall pick in the 2002 draft, but he didn’t made his debut with the Leafs until the 2005-06 season (45 points in 75 games). He spent the next two seasons in Toronto before being traded to the Blues during the 2008-09 season.
His NHL scoring totals amount to 197 goals and 284 assists in 746 regular-season games with Toronto and St. Louis, and 10 tallies and 24 points in 51 playoff games with the Blues.
Born in Winnipeg, but also a citizen of Sweden, the 5’11”, 212-lb Steen has represented Team Sweden at several international tournaments. He played in two IIHF World Junior Championships and one World Championship before winning the silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Visit our THW Newsdesk for the latest all-day everyday hockey news from around the world, and follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook Page, and join the debates in our Facebook Group.