ST. LOUIS, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Veteran defenseman Al MacInnis of the St. Louis Blues Friday retired after a 23-year NHL career.
MacInnis, 42, who is best known for his blistering slapshot, had 340 goals and 934 assists in 1,416 career NHL games. His point total of 1,274 ranks third all-time among defensemen, trailing only Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (1,579) and Paul Coffey (1,531).
"We are going to miss his leadership on and off of the ice, which has brought him tremendous success throughout his career," said St. Louis Coach Mike Kitchen in a statement.
MacInnis, originally chosen by Calgary in the first round of the 1981 draft, helped lead the Flames to a Stanley Cup title in 1989, when he earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
He spent the last 10 years in St. Louis, where he registered 127 goals and 325 assists. He earned the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman in the 1998-99 season.
