Alexander Steen to succeed Armstrong as Blues GM in 2026

Alexander Steen will succeed Doug Armstrong as general manager of the St. Louis Blues in 2026, the team announced Thursday.

Steen signed a five-year deal with the Blues beginning in the upcoming campaign. He'll serve as special assistant to Armstrong for the first two years of the pact. Armstrong, meanwhile, had two more years remaining on his contract as GM but signed a three-year extension to stay on as president of hockey operations until 2028-29.

"We are beyond excited about naming Alex our future GM," Blues chairman Tom Stillman said. "We're excited about his intelligence, his work ethic, his knowledge of the game, feel for the game, his leadership abilities, his communication skills, the tremendous respect that players, coaches, and fans have for him."

Stillman revealed that Armstrong approached him earlier this year to begin making the case for a new GM. The latter has held the position for the past 14 seasons, leading the franchise to 10 playoff berths.

"At some point, change is good. ... I love to manage," Armstrong said. "I'm gonna miss it, I guarantee I'm gonna miss it. I love the work, but I love the Blues more. It's my responsibility to do what's best for the Blues, and what's best for the Blues is to support Alex in two years."

Steen won the Stanley Cup as a forward with the Blues in 2019, and he amassed 195 goals and 496 points in 765 career regular-season games across 12 years with the franchise.

"I've always had a passion for St. Louis, and my passion for this sport is so high," Steen said. "This is what I was meant to do, was be around hockey. ... I feel like this is a great opportunity for me."

The 40-year-old served as a team consultant and development coach for the Blues in 2023-24.