Doug Armstrong stepped down as GM and management group lead of Hockey Canada's men's national teams. The candidates to replace him have impressive resumes and dealt with very high pressure.
After a decade of serving as the GM of Canada's men's team, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong has stepped down.
Filling in the shoes of Armstrong won't be an easy task.
As GM, Armstrong won gold with Team Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and claimed silver at the Olympics. He also won a gold medal as the GM of Canada at the 2023 World Championship, and he led the group that assembled the management group for the championship-winning 4 Nations Face-Off squad in 2025.
Armstrong wasn't afraid to make bold decisions during his tenure. On multiple occasions, he left skilled and talented players at home in favor of building balanced teams that could play in different situations. The 3-on-3 overtime loss to the Americans in last month's gold medal game prevented Armstrong from winning every tournament he managed.
Hockey Canada will enter a new era that will soon see Sidney Crosby retire and now have a new GM. Here are five candidates who could serve as Team Canada's next GM.
Jim Nill, Dallas Stars
There might not be a better candidate for this role than Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill.
Nill has won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award three straight times and has transformed his Stars squad into a powerhouse through draft selections and trades.
The Stars play a balanced game, with little to no holes in their roster.
Nill's NHL experience is vast, and although he hasn't won the Stanley Cup as an NHL GM just yet, he won four as an assistant GM of the Detroit Red Wings.
He also won a gold medal as GM of Team Canada at the 2015 World Championship and served as the associate GM at the 4 Nations and an assistant GM at the Olympics. He's been heavily involved in the creation of the recent Canadian rosters, giving him plenty of insight into how the process works.
Julien BriseBois, Tampa Bay Lightning
Alongside Nill, the other best candidate for Canada's GM vacancy is the Tampa Bay Lightning's Julien BriseBois.
Since stepping in as GM of the Lightning in 2018, BriseBois led the Lightning to two Stanley Cups and another finals appearance. Additionally, he's kept the Lightning competitive despite salary cap constraints and an aging roster.
BriseBois, 49, is a decorated manager despite never taking home a GM of the year award. Like many great GMs, BriseBois has seen several people under his watch earn promotions elsewhere in the NHL, most notably Mathieu Darche with the New York Islanders.
Like Nill, BriseBois has been part of Hockey Canada's recent roster-building, serving as an assistant GM. BriseBois doesn't have experience as GM of Team Canada at the World Championship, but that's because his team is always in the playoffs.
Kyle Dubas, Pittsburgh Penguins
Kyle Dubas is no stranger to working in high-pressure environments where criticism is at its highest level.
Dubas served as the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs for five seasons, handing contracts to John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly.
Although his tenure with the Maple Leafs ended sourly, he built arguably their most competitive rosters.
Now with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Dubas is rebuilding the Penguins' prospect pool while keeping the roster competitive for Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Miraculously, he's found a way to do so.
Dubas is also beginning to build a track record with Canada, working as the director of player personnel for Canada at the 4 Nations and the Olympics. He was also GM of Team Canada at the 2025 World Championship.
Dubas' resume is impressive at just 40 years old, but it might be a bit too early for him to take over as Canada's best-on-best GM.
Kelly McCrimmon, Vegas Golden Knights
It's hard to find a GM who has had a bigger influence in the NHL recently than Kelly McCrimmon has.
For a long time, the standard way to build an NHL roster was through the draft, but McCrimmon scrapped that idea and has used his draft picks and prospects to acquire proven veteran talent, and it's paid off.
McCrimmon brought a Stanley Cup to Vegas in only his fourth season as GM and has built Cup-contending rosters since.
His fearlessness in doing what he thinks is best, while facing scrutiny head-on, is something Canadian GMs must do.
What could deter the Canadian brass from selecting 65-year-old McCrimmon is his lack of experience with the senior men's national team.
Don Sweeney, Boston Bruins
Don Sweeney was the third assistant GM on Canada's Olympic team, and his track record deserves consideration.
In his 11 years as the GM of the Boston Bruins, Sweeney has led the team to a Stanley Cup final appearance and the best regular-season record in NHL history, winning the GM of the Year award.
As Dubas did, Sweeney manages a team in a fierce market, making him capable of handling the criticism he might face.
Armstrong chose Sweeney as Canada's 4 Nations GM, and that turned out well. The 59-year-old has built a positive reputation within Hockey Canada overall.
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