ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alexander Steen is in line to become the first Swede to serve as an NHL general manager after the St. Louis Blues announced their front office succession plan Thursday.

Steen was named special assistant to GM Doug Armstrong, with the intent of taking over for him in 2026. The move also came with Armstrong getting a three-year extension as president of hockey operations through 2029.

Owner Tom Stillman said Steen signed a five-year contract to progress through the organization.

“Doug and Alex will work very closely over the next five years with Doug training, teaching, mentoring, developing Alex,” Stillman said. “We are beyond excited about naming Alex our future GM. We’re excited about his intelligence, his work ethic, his knowledge of the game, feel for the game, his leadership abilities, communication skills, the tremendous respect that players, coaches and fans have for him and, importantly, his nonstop dedication to the Blues and the city of St. Louis.”

Armstrong has been with the Blues since 2008 and has served as GM since 2010, building a team that has made the playoffs 10 of the past 13 years and won the Stanley Cup in 2019. Stillman said Armstrong came to him raising the idea of a succession plan.

“For the next couple of years, it’s going to be business as usual," Armstrong said. “Alexander will be with the team. He’ll be out scouting with me. He’ll be on scouting with our staff. And then he will take the reins.”

Steen, who was on the ’19 championship-winning team as part of his playing career that lasted from 2005-21, joined the team's front office as a consultant and development coach last year. He is set to become just the second European GM, after Finland’s Jarmo Kekalainen with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“I’m surrounded by great people, and that’s what you want to work with,” Steen said. “There’s only one way of getting the experience, and that’s going through it. It’s nothing that can be rushed.”

As part of the move, Tim Taylor, for whom Steen worked this past season, was also promoted to join Ryan Miller as an assistant GM.

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