Could Blues’ Doug Armstrong Take Over As GM Of Another NHL Franchise?

When July 1st rolls around, Doug Armstrong will no longer be the general manager of the St. Louis Blues, as he’ll become the full-time president of hockey operations while Alexander Steen steps in as GM.

Although Armstrong will still be an important part of the Blues organization, it’s a major change for the 61-year-old. Armstrong was named the Blues’ GM in 2010 and has held that role since.

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In addition to serving as GM, Armstrong held the roles of director of player personnel before being named GM, then executive VP of hockey operations in 2010, and finally president of hockey operations in 2013. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more influential person within the Blues organization in the past 20 years.

But it was time for a change, and it’s a business plan that has been in the works for two years, something agreed upon by Armstrong and Blues owner Tom Stillman.

“I told the ownership group at the time that I love to manage, I enjoy the process, but I think there’s a shelf life for everything,” Armstrong said in an interview with The Athletic. “Having the same voice leading the franchise, for me, it had run its course. It wasn’t just the players, but it’s the trainers, the coaches, the marketing department, the finance department. The rhythms needed to change.

“I’ve been in St. Louis 18 years, 16 as a manager. It just felt the time was right to have a new voice come in. When I told Mr. Stillman my feelings, he then talked about what’s next. And I was a big Alex Steen fan.”

‘It’s Time For A Change,’ Blues’ Doug Armstrong Steps Down As Canada’s Olympic Men’s Hockey GM Doug Armstrong has announced that he will step down as general manager of Team Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team.

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Following the trade deadline, Armstrong has finally been able to really sit and think about what he needs to do in his new role. He plans to reach out to Brendan Shanahan and Cam Neely, as well as Jeff Gorton, Jim Rutherford, and George McPhee, who were GMs and have transitioned to president of hockey ops.

Although Armstrong is loyal to the Blues and appreciative of their support, his answers to questions from The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun suggest that the spark and enjoyment of being an NHL GM still exist within him.

When asked about his role as a senior member of the GMs’ executive committee and even just the day-to-day camaraderie with GMs across the NHL, Armstrong said he would miss it dearly and that it will be a difficult adjustment.

While he wouldn’t explicitly say that if a team came knocking, he would leave, there was a sense that he could be intrigued by an offer. He’s not reaching out to teams or making himself available, but LeBrun says he feels he may not be done as an NHL GM.

Nevertheless, Armstrong is excited to work with Steen and believes that working in hockey ops will still allow him to be an influential part of the Blues organization.

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“I’m excited about working with Alex,” Armstrong said. “I think there’s a job there for me. It’s not going to be an honorary job. There’s work I can do to help him. But I do love a lot of the things that managers do — the building of a staff, the crossing with different parts of an organization to behold something that’s sustainable, to working with the athletes, to working with the coaches. But it did run its course (in St. Louis).”

It might not happen this off-season, but it’s something to monitor as NHL teams undergo changes throughout their front offices. With the Toronto Maple Leafs struggling and Armstrong a native of Ontario, the Maple Leafs are a team to keep an eye on.

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