Armstrong, Steen at OB Clark’s

Armstrong, Steen at OB Clark’s

good first press conference out of the way yeah told him the hard part’s over I watched uh I watched from the distance you did great thanks you were good he was excellent yeah you know the one thing I was thinking about was you know why I think a lot of players were to ask you why you know you’ve you’ve won a cup you’ve certainly LED one of the best celebrations town has ever had in fact in fact right here right to the day 5 years ago oh yeah to the day what do you remember about that day start out uh I remember uh you know it started off with me and and Patty and and oai and then it just started growing and yeah I just remember it was just so cool to be uh like the whole parking lot was full of people inside was full of people it was like uh it was a little bit of what I envisioned like everyone together with it yeah so it was a it was a great experience now what brings you back to want to get back to work uh so soon I guess hockey’s always kind of been well it’s been my biggest passion in life I you started hanging around the rinks when I was uh young with my father and and NHL dressing rooms and it’s just always been a part of part of me I think uh the day I had to retire and and not be active in it was that was tough be back in in h a situation where where uh I feel like I can contribute and and uh yeah do my part how difficult is it for you to explain to players who reach out about wanting a scouting position or a coaching position quite frankly the work that it takes and the work that it’s involved and there’s really no offseason and that’s what Alex obviously is going to be heading into now yeah I think everybody looks at a little bit differently uh you know I started out probably 10 years ago trying to bring a lot of EX players on staff but it’s like an internship uh they get to work the 6 months for free to see if they like it uh and I also knew him very well from our his playing days my management days you build those relationships over time and uh but yeah there’s a lot of guys that think they want to be in hockey then they start seeing the hours uh it’s a little different when did you know when he was playing that there’s something about this kid that not only as a player but he’s got potentially a future in management or coaching after he’s done you start to gain combined Scar Tissue over over successful seasons and non-successful playoffs you you start to poke and prod each other like he made me a better manager he pushed me he he asked questions and wanted answers on why and how and I pushed him I think I tried to get him to think outside uh his comfort zone with the players and support support the coach support and he was always a great supporter of the coach but you you know to win you have to have sacrifice and you know we had some meetings probably starting in 156 that were uncomfortable for both of us that made me work harder to make sure he could reach his goals and as as he was reaching his we were reaching ours together are you relishing the fact that that he you’re going to be in his shadow across the way here yeah absolutely one of the greatest general managers in NHL history and to be able to you know even this past year be able to call and ask questions on on thought process or um you know a meeting or anything like that has been very valuable and moving forward it’s going to be even more valuable I was talking to another GM last year a young one Daniel Brier in Philadelphia and we had our run-ins as players I’m sure you’ve had your run-ins as players as well but we were talking in Philly and I think it was Chris Kerber who asked in the question you know you go to these GM meetings is a little are you a little intimidated you know how is that for a young GM stepping in and and he said I would say the most intimidating GM without a doubt who do you think he said he said you no way he did I I didn’t blame him I thought either you or Stevie y one of the one of the two and he said Stevie y wasn’t even close second not even a close second that’s awful and I said what was it about him and he said he just has this history of winning and just had great great presence and I talk about the mentorship but you know Daniel Brier said to me army the hardest thing that he’s having to do now is know that you have to break ties with former teammates how do you prepare him to now step on the other side and one day have to make some tough decisions with not only players you play with but quite frankly really good friends well I I think it starts with who he is as a person he always thought about the team first and we’ve talked about that that if if you make every decision is is best for the team you it might not be popular but that’s just just the nature of the Beast if you if I didn’t have utmost confidence in him and know him that he’s going to do the right thing for the St Louis Blues franchise and people and ex players they lose a friendship over it really wasn’t a friendship anyways that’s a good point that’s a good point maybe discuss your first trade and And the emotions that went into the trade and and certainly the the emotions after the trade whether you made the right decision or not yeah I remembered I my first two trades one was with L larella and one was Glenn sather so I figed I’m going to jump in I might as well Jump Right In The Deep End and uh yeah it’s it’s that that’s that part and and you know Bob gy said it great like you like you assistant is the best job at anything you know assistant coach assistant manager you throw your hot Sports opinion you go home when you sleep like a baby you know but but when you actually have to go through it and know you’re altering as I said I go back to Bob Clark altering someone’s life are you willing to do that why are you doing it uh and there’s a lot of angst and and I think I shared this with so stetina the the hardest part for manager is the time that you trade somebody till the time the replacement player gets there because there’s a void you know the player that you you’ve respected moved on and there’s nothing there then as soon as you shake somebody’s hand and welcome them to the organization and the players welcome to the organization everything just seems to calm down and so um that that’s something that that he’s going to experience and again if he’s going to do a great job but if they’re people and and make their right decisions for the right reasons and everything will work out are you prepared for all the Army isms you’re going to be hearing over the next few years he dropped a landmine earlier today you ever question you ever just stopped me like what what huh what are you talking about I’ll usually ask him if I didn’t understand it just flat out yeah yeah how is this team going to progress moving forward to be built to become a championship team again one day we have a plan and their job is to disrupt our long-term plan by being really good this year and making uh our Management Group say you know what they’ve done their job support them trade a second round pick trade a former second round pick trade whatever you need to because they’ve earned the right to to push forward and if they do that our management team will respond well you got a lot to learn from him you got a lot of teaching ahead of you the good news is you know my booth in the radio Booth is right next to you so you have any questions if Army’s not there yeah you just kind of you can kind of do one of these or you just come in but if you come in my room see Army’s used to steal in my heater C and I have a heater and we lost it one day and he took it I went in there I took it right back did you yeah oh yeah I took it right back so either if he needs gum or if he gets cold he’ll bug me but you can don’t be a stranger come in if you have any hockey questions or if I’m cold well Alex congratulations and everyone in St Louis super excited for you and looking forward to the upcoming season guys I appreciate it thanks thanks for doing this all

Doug Armstrong and Alexander Steen chat at OB Clark’s after Steen was named the eventual next general manager of the St. Louis Blues.