Does Ryan Smith naming Chris Armstrong alternate governor change anything? Probably not — for now.
New Utah NHL team owner Ryan Smith made his first big move Wednesday, hiring Chris Armstrong as the alternate governor of the team.
As alternate governor, Armstrong (who is not related to current general manager Bill Armstrong) will be the top hockey mind to Smith and his ownership group. It also gives Bill Armstrong a higher-up to report to after a few years without one in Arizona.
But what does that mean for Bill Armstrong's future in Utah, despite the fact he's expected to stay on as GM for now?
Here's three possible outcomes:
Option 1: Wider collaboration
Because Chris Armstrong has represented multiple NHL players in the past, he may have (and will probably need to have) a larger say in who the team snatches up, especially in free agency. It would be a needed help to Bill Armstrong, who had limited resources in Arizona, yet had over $43 million in cap space to work with.
Option 2: "What would Bill do?"
This seems more likely, given Bill Armstrong has been general manager since 2020. Despite representing NHL players in the past, Chris Armstrong would do well in letting Bill show him the ropes for at least until the NHL draft in Las Vegas in June. From there, they'll know what kind of team they want to build.
Option 3: Clean house
This would obviously be the nuclear option — one I thought the Smiths would do the minute the team relocated. Firing Bill Armstrong would really be a chance to start clean — but would they? He knows the organization and the business of the league, so maybe this doesn't sound as attractive now.
All told, it will be interesting to see what the hire of Chris Armstrong does in shaping Utah's front office for their inaugural season.
But it's clear that if Bill Armstrong's leash wasn't short enough, it got much shorter now.