St. Louis Blues extend general manager Doug Armstrong’s contract

Doug Armstrong has quietly built an impressive team in the St. Louis Blues. He now has a four-year extension as his reward.

The St. Louis Blues announced Wednesday they have reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension with general manager Doug Armstrong. This news was first reported by Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. Armstrong’s new deal includes a club option for a fifth year.

Although the Blues and their fans are still chasing the furiously elusive Stanley Cup, they have been extremely successful under him. Armstrong is in his 10th season with St. Louis and has been the general manager since 2010 after starting as the Director of Player Personnel in 2008.

The Blues have the fourth-best regular season record at 337-185-56 since the 2010-11 season. They’ve also made the playoffs for six straight seasons. Armstrong was named the NHL General Manager of the Year in 2012.

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

A Sarnia, Ontario native, Armstrong is responsible for many impressive moves at the helm of the Blues. He brought in Ken Hitchcock, who was head coach until late last season when he replaced him with Mike Yeo. Controversial at the time, his move paid dividends as the Blues went on to drop just 10 of their final 32 games. They eventually lost to the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators.

His most recent victory was the acquisition of Brayden Schenn, who’s been lights-out for St. Louis since his arrival from Philly. Snagging him during the draft so the Flyers could move back into the first round, he was a desperately needed top-caliber center. Paul Stastny was also a key addition made by Armstrong.

The Blues GM drafted Vladimir Tarasenko, who is arguably the best right wing in the entire league. He also drafted Jaden Schwartz in 2010, who before his injury and placement on IR December 10th was tied for the 9th most points in the NHL.

Armstrong had a prolific career before joining the Blues. Having spent 17 years with the Dallas Stars, he was the Assistant GM in 1999 when they won it all. Just three years later, he replaced his boss Bob Gainey as GM towards the end of the 2002 season. Ironically, Blues and NHL legend Bret Hull replaced him in 2007.

While in charge in Dallas, Armstrong cemented his legacy by drafting skaters like Jamie Benn and the “real deal” James Neal. He and Steve Yzerman are the only NHL executives who have been on the management staff for a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold Medal, and World Championship team.

Given his extremely impressive record as a leader and continued success with the Blues, it would be no surprise to see Doug Armstrong’s name on the Stanley Cup as a general manager in the next four years.

Next: 3 Bold Predictions For The Blues

St. Louis host the reigning Western Conference champion Nashville Predators on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at the Scottrade Center.