Blues hire MacInnis as vice president of operations

ST. LOUIS -- Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Al MacInnis was named Vice President of Hockey Operations for the team Tuesday.

"His knowledge and awareness of the game are well respected in the NHL. He is a first-class person and will play a major role in our quest to build a winner in St. Louis," Blues president John Davidson said in a statement.

MacInnis ranks third all-time among NHL defensemen with 340 goals, 934 assists and 1,274 points.

A native of Port Hood, Nova Scotia, MacInnis was drafted by Calgary as their first choice, 15th overall, in the 1981 draft.

He spent 13 seasons with Calgary, including two Stanley Cup Finals in 1986 and 1989. After a 1989 Stanley Cup victory, he received the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason's most valuable player.

The Blues acquired MacInnis in 1994. He spent 10 seasons in St. Louis, playing in 613 games. He is ranked the first all-time among Blues defensemen in goals (127), assists (325) and points (452).

While in St. Louis, he was in seven NHL All-Star Games and won his first James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 1999. During his final season in 2003-04, MacInnis played just three games for the Blues before suffering an eye injury.