Doug Armstrong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doug Armstrong
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Armstrong in 2014
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| Born | September 24, 1964 Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
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| Occupation | NHL executive |
Douglas Armstrong (born September 24, 1964) is a Canadian ice hockey expert. He works as the President of hockey operations and general manager for the St. Louis Blues. This team plays in the National Hockey League (NHL). Before joining the Blues, he was also the general manager for the Dallas Stars.
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Doug Armstrong's Hockey Journey
Starting with the Stars
Doug Armstrong began his career in professional hockey with the Minnesota North Stars team in the 1990–91 season. He stayed with the team when they moved to Dallas in 1993 and became the Dallas Stars.
He helped the Stars win the Stanley Cup in 1999 as an assistant general manager. This is a huge achievement in hockey! On January 25, 2002, he became the main general manager for the Stars. One of his first big decisions was hiring Dave Tippett as the head coach. Doug's father, Neil Armstrong, was also famous in hockey as a linesman and is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
During his time as general manager for the Stars, Doug made some smart moves. He helped draft talented players like Trevor Daley, James Neal, Loui Eriksson, and Jamie Benn. He also made a trade that brought Mike Ribeiro to the team, which was great for their offense. Doug left the Stars in November 2007.
Leading the St. Louis Blues
On May 29, 2008, Doug Armstrong joined the St. Louis Blues team. He started as the director of player personnel. After two years, he became the general manager in 2010 when the previous GM retired.
One of his first big moves for the Blues was getting goalie Jaroslav Halak from the Montreal Canadiens. This was a key player for the team. In 2013, Doug was named the NHL General Manager of the Year, which shows how well he was doing! He was also a runner-up for the award in 2019.
As the general manager for the Blues, Doug has brought in many important players. These include stars like Martin Brodeur, Ryan O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, Paul Stastny, and Ryan Miller.
In the 2018–19 season, Doug's Blues team had an amazing comeback. They climbed up the standings and then won their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in 2019! They beat the Boston Bruins in a thrilling seven-game series.
Under Doug's leadership, the Blues have won their division three times (2011–12, 2014–15, 2019–20). They have also made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs ten times. On February 15, 2022, Doug earned his 500th win as the Blues' general manager. This made him one of only 25 general managers in NHL history to reach this milestone with one team.
Helping Team Canada
Doug Armstrong has also played a big role in international hockey. He has been part of Hockey Canada's management team. He helped them win gold medals at the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014. He also helped Canada win gold at the World Championship in 2007, 2016, and 2023. In 2016, he was part of the team that won the World Cup Championship.
After winning the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, Doug became the first person in management to achieve something called the "Double Triple Gold Club." This means he won the Stanley Cup twice (1999 and 2019), Olympic gold twice (2010 and 2014), and World Championship gold twice (2007 and 2016). In 2021, it was announced that Doug would be the general manager for Team Canada's 2022 Olympic team.
