St. Louis Blues Chairman Tom Stillman and President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong today made a major announcement about the future of the organization’s hockey operations.
The longest-tenured and winningest general manager in Blues history, Armstrong has signed a three-year contract extension to continue leading the club as president of hockey operations through the 2028-29 season. The club has also named Alexander Steen as special assistant to the general manager through the 2025-26 season, after which he will be appointed as the 12th general manager in franchise history. The club also announced that Tim Taylor has been promoted to join Ryan Miller as an assistant general manager with the club. Taylor will continue to oversee player personnel while Miller oversees salary cap compliance, contract negotiations and other hockey operations responsibilities.
Armstrong, 59, enters his 15th season as Blues general manager in 2024-25. He has led the Blues to the fifth-most regular-season wins (601) in the NHL during his tenure, including four of the top five regular-season point totals in franchise history. The 2012 recipient of the NHL’s General Manager of the Year Award, Armstrong has also helped the Blues win three Central Division titles and qualify for the postseason in 10 of his 14 seasons, including 2019 when he helped bring the franchise its first Stanley Cup championship.
Blues announce succession plan; Alexander Steen to become GM in 2026
The St. Louis Blues held a press conference on June 13 to announce that Doug Armstrong would remain President of Hockey Operations through the 2028-29 season and that Alexander Steen would take over as General Manager in 2026.
Last season, he accomplished several milestones, including managing his 1,000th game with the Blues on Oct. 24 at Winnipeg and becoming the 11th general manager in NHL history to earn 800 career wins on March 4 at Philadelphia. Armstrong’s 811 career regular-season wins with Dallas and St. Louis currently ranks 10th all-time among NHL general managers. In addition, the Sarnia, Ontario, native and 2014 Olympic gold medalist was named general manager for Team Canada for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Steen, 40, spent the 2023-24 season working in the Blues hockey operations department, serving as a European development consultant. In his role, he has helped the organization in the assessment and development of Blues prospects playing in Europe, including two of the team’s 2023 first round draft picks. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native and Swedish national also served in an advisory role for Team Sweden at the 2024 World Junior Championships, where the team earned a silver medal.
As a player, Steen enjoyed a 15-year NHL career, spanning 1,018 regular-season games. He first came to St. Louis in 2008 after a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs and went on to dress in 765 regular-season games and 91 playoff games in the Blue Note. He is one of only five players in franchise history to appear in at least 12 seasons with the team and currently ranks fourth all-time in games played, 10th in goals (195), sixth in assists (301), sixth in points (496), and sixth in game-winning goals (35). An assistant captain for 10 seasons with the team, Steen’s greatest accomplishment came in 2019 when he appeared in all 26 postseason games to help lead the Blues to their first Stanley Cup Championship. During his career, Steen also represented Sweden in numerous competitions on the international stage, including the 2014 Winter Olympics where he guided the team to a silver medal. Originally drafted 24th overall by the Maple Leafs in 2002, Steen officially retired as a Blue following the 2019-20 season.
Taylor, 55, first joined the Blues as director of player development in 2011 before elevating to his most current role as director of player personnel. During his tenure, Taylor has made a substantial impact on the organization through his efforts to assess, develop and guide Blues prospects at all levels. His efforts played a key role in helping the Blues capture the 2019 Stanley Cup Championship. As a player, Taylor enjoyed a 13-year NHL career, including stints with Detroit, Boston, the New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay. He is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, winning with Detroit in 1997 and Tampa Bay in 2004.
