St. Louis Blues forward Alex Steen announced his retirement on Thursday due to a back injury sustained last season.

The Blues said Steen has "multiple levels of degenerative herniated discs of his lumbar spine."

"This has been an emotional process," Steen told stlouisblues.com. "But as I look back on my years in hockey, I would like to thank our organization, our city, our fans and my teammates as I am so proud of all the teams I was part of."

The 36-year-old scored seven goals and posted 17 points in 55 games last season. He was without a point in four games during the NHL's Return to Play.

Steen is a veteran of 15 NHL seasons, appearing in 1,018 games with the Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs and winning the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019.

He was entering the final season of his contract, carrying a $5.75 million cap hit on the four-year, $23 million deal he signed with the Blues in 2016.

Steen, who won the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019, ranks fourth in Blues history in games played (765), ninth in goals (195), sixth in assists (301) and fifth in points (496).