Born in Trail, BC, Barret Jackman played his junior hockey with the Beaver Valley Nitehawks of the KIJHL and the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL. During his time with the Nitehawks, Jackman captured a league championship as well as the Cyclone Taylor Cup, which is awarded to British Columbia’s top Junior B team. He went on to play with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League where he played 234 games and was drafted in the 1st round (17th overall) of the 1999 NHL entry draft to the St. Louis Blues.

In his rookie season (2002-2003), Jackman finished with a +23 rating and was among the leaders in NHL rookies for average ice time per game. As a result, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2003, designating him as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year for that season. He was sidelined with a shoulder injury during much of the 2003–04 season and only played 15 games, a somewhat disappointing follow-up to his stellar rookie year.

During the NHL lockout of 2004-2005, Jackman stayed in St. Louis and played for the Missouri River Otters. He returned to the Blues for the 2005–06 season. For the 2006–07 season, Jackman set career highs in assists and points and was also a member of the 2007 Canadian IIHF World Championship team that won gold in a 4–2 win against Finland.

In 2012, Jackman was re-signed by the Blues to a three-year contract extension, and in 2015 was released to free agency. Shortly after, he signed with central division rivals, the Nashville Predators on a two-year contract. In the 2015-16 season with the Predators, Jackman was a staple on the blue line, adding 5 points in 74 contests. He appeared in all 14 post-season games before the Predators were eliminated in the Conference Semi-Finals by the San Jose Sharks.

Jackman officially retired on October 4, 2016, after signing a one-day contract with St. Louis to retire as a member of the Blues. Jackman continues to work for the organization as a development coach, and lives in St. Louis with his wife Jenny and 2 children.