The trades that took place around the NHL draft in late June are old news now. For Blues fans, they know that right wing Jamal Mayers will no longer be with the team, after being dealt to Toronto for a third-round draft pick.

For the players, however, it's a different story.

While Mayers is excited about his opportunity in Toronto, where he grew up, he recently placed his St. Louis home for sale and said "putting the sign in the lawn really makes it real."

Mayers was the longest-tenured Blue on the roster, some 595 games after making his NHL debut with the club in 1996.

"With the quality of person he was, you were always hoping he improved on the ice and that's what he did," Blues general manager Larry Pleau said. "He's been good for the Blues... he gave us a lot of hockey."

Mayers, who had two years left on a $4 million he signed with the Blues last year, has come to grips with the trade.

"In my heart, I don't feel like the Blues didn't want me," he said. "I think they had to go make a move and that's what they had to give up. There's no hard feelings."

Mayers leaves behind a business venture in St. Louis -- the Hockey Academy of St. Louis, which will continue to run despite his limited attention. And he leaves behind many friendships that were built over 12 years.

"I think he did an unbelievably good job of representing St. Louis," said Bryce Salvador, a former Blue and one of Mayers' best friends. "He was pretty visible and everybody in St. Louis knew who he was. It's a credit to him and the way he handled himself."

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.