Armstrong Steps Down, Focuses on Family

0:00Welcome to NHL News Today. Two minutes of updates that matter to NHL fans, hit subscribe and stay connected. Doug Armstrong, the 61-year-old hockey executive, is wrapping up two big roles. He's stepping down as General Manager for Team Canada after they took silver at the Olympics and Milan last month. He's also leaving his General Manager spot with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, handing it over to Alexander Steen. After this week at the NHL General Manager meetings, Armstrong explained he's aged out of the Team Canada job. The pressure was intense, and it took too much time away from his wife, Kelly. He plans to focus more on family now and won't interfere with picking his successor, though he's open to advice calls if asked. Meanwhile, the Blues are in rebuild mode after trading Captain Braden Shen to the New York Islanders and defensemen, Justin Falk, to the Detroit Red. Wings back on March 6th. They were well out of playoff contention then, and Armstrong met with players to smooth the transition to Steen as the new leader.

1:02Armstrong will stick around as president of hockey operations with a three-year deal. He'll lead the team through the 2026 NHL draft, where they have three first round picks. Steen and Scouting Director Tony Feltren will have big input, but Armstrong makes the final calls. Looking ahead, Armstrong reflected on his long career, including a Stanley Cup win with the Blues in 2019. He sees executives as temporary players in the game, but values the camaraderie among the 32 GMs. For now, his priority is supporting Steen, the team, and paying back time to his family. This story is made possible by our sponsor, See the episode description. When you need a moment alone, just lay back and listen, s-o-l-i-soli-pillow.com.