St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has informed Hockey Canada that he is stepping down from his role as the Canadian men’s Olympic general manager, according to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun.
The 61-year-old Armstrong has held the title since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
“It’s time for a change,” Armstrong said to LeBrun. “I’ve enjoyed every aspect of it. Obviously, you wish you could go out on top. But it would be selfish to want to do it again. It’s such a great experience, and I think more people should enjoy it.”
Armstrong’s resume includes three IIHF World Championship gold medals and two silver medals, while also being on the management staff for Olympic championships in 2010 and 2014.
“I’ve enjoyed Team Canada since 2002 when Bob Nicholson gave me an opportunity to work under Lanny McDonald at the World Championship, which was a thrill of a lifetime because of who Lanny is,” Armstrong said. “It just kind of snowballed from there.”
Armstrong will also conclude his tenure as Blues’ general manager at the end of the NHL season, moving into a president of hockey operations role while Alex Steen takes over as general manager.
“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. “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.”
The two-time Stanley Cup champion sits in the top 10 in both wins (882) and winning percentage (.609) among general managers with more than 1,000 regular-season games under their belts.