Sarnia native Doug Armstrong will serve as general manager of Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, Hockey Canada announced recently.
Armstrong, who currently serves as president of hockey operations and general manager for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL), was also named management group lead for Canada’s National Men’s Team, overseeing the appointment of management groups that will lead Team Canada at various events over the next two seasons.
“There is a wealth of experienced and successful Canadian executives throughout the NHL, and we believe Doug is the best person to lead our National Men’s Team and build our management groups from a talented pool of executives at each event leading up to and including the 2026 Olympics,” said Pat McLaughlin, Hockey Canada’s senior vice president, strategy, operations and brand.
Armstrong will serve on an executive committee with Ryan Getzlaf, who will serve as player relations advisor, Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer, and Pat McLaughlin, chief operating officer and executive vice-president of strategy.
““Doug and Ryan both bring accomplished careers and many years of NHL and international experience to Hockey Canada, and Scott has been instrumental in the success of Canada’s national teams at all levels for more than 20 years,” McLaughlin added.
Armstrong has won two Olympic gold medals as a member of the management group with Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team (2010, 2014), as well as the 2016 World Cup of Hockey championship as general manager.
He was also announced as general manager of Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team for the 2022 Olympics if NHL players participated.
Armstrong has won gold medals at the IIHF World Championship in 2007 (special assistant), 2016 (senior advisor) and 2023 (general manager), and silver in 2008 (assistant general manager) and 2009 (general manager).
He was also part of the Worlds staff in 2002 and 2013.
Armstrong is in his 14th season (2010-24) as general manager of the St. Louis Blues, also serving as president of hockey operations, winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 and the NHL GM of the Year Award in 2011-12.
He recently became the 11th NHL general manager to record 800 career wins, and is the second-fastest to reach 800 win milestone. Armstrong previously spent 16 years (1992-2008) with the Dallas Stars, winning the Stanley Cup as assistant general manager in 1999.