ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues liked enough of what they saw with Dillon Dube with Springfield of the American Hockey League last season, they decided to bring him back.

The team announced on Wednesday they signed the 27-year-old to a one-year, one-way contract for $850,000.

Dube originally joined the organization on an AHL professional tryout with the Thunderbirds on Dec. 10, 2025 and played in 46 regular-season games last season, sharing second on the team with 20 goals and ranking fourth with 37 points.

"We've gotten to know him a lot better throughout that time frame," Blues general manager Alex Steen said. "He and his teammates built a foundation and a compete level that kept pushing each other and pushing forward, and at the end of the year, it built up a strong foundation to really push some big teams out of the playoffs. Those guys are himself, (Zach) Dean, (Aleksanteri) Kaskimaki, (Dylan) Peterson, they're showing that that gap is starting to close more and more. 

"What we're trying to accomplish that I mentioned to a few of you yesterday is we're big, big believers in that internal competition and I think we're raising the bar on that and I think we're creating a lot more of that with these moves today and we're happy where the team is positioned and excited to move forward."

Dude also had eight points (five goals, three assists) in 12 Calder Cup playoff games for Springfield, helping lead the team to the Atlantic Division Final. 

Dube (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) has played in 325 career NHL regular-season games with the Calgary Flames and had 127 points (57 goals, 70 assists).

The second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft is trying to earn his way back into the NHL after he and four other former Canadian World Junior hockey players were acquitted of sexual assault charges by Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia on July 24, 2025.

The Blues are not overlooking what happened with Dube in the past and have done their due diligence on the situation and feel the player made a positive impact in Springfield in his time there.

"We're well aware of that," Steen said. "The thing that's impressed us with Dillon is his openness towards it. We brought him in December, so we've had opportunity to get to know him. Obviously the coaching staff and his teammates have shared what their experiences with him are. He wants to be a positive influence, he's had a positive influence on that team or a positive impact. He approaches it with sincerity and humility.

"Since I got here in St. Louis, the organization's always been a second-chance organization and it's an opportunity and we feel confident giving it to him to fight for a spot on our team next year.

"He's open about things that he's gone through. His attitude, his humility towards it. When you get to know him more and more, his interactions with his teammates and his players, he wants to bring out the best version of himself on a daily basis and he actively tries to bring out the best version of his teammates as well."

There has already been opinions wavering on both sides on the matter, including those that don't approve considering the past allegations.

"I appreciate everyone's perspective on the decision," Steen said. "I obviously respect that not everybody's going to agree with it, but we've gotten to know Dillon over the course of the last nine months. He's been a part of the organization down in Springfield since December. Since I've been here, the organization has been a second-chance organization and in our opinion, we're confident in giving him this opportunity."

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