ST. LOUIS -- Alexander Steen's tenure as St. Louis Blues general manager was formally announced on Tuesday to replace Doug Armstrong, and the Blues have announced a series of front-office changes to complete the staff on Wednesday.

Recent Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Keith Tkachuk has been promoted to advisor to the president of hockey operations. Tkachuk held the role of director of recruitment for the Blues since 2019 after previously serving as an amateur scout from 2014-18.

"I love it," Tkachuk said recently regarding his previous role as director of recruitment. "I love being around the guys. You feel like you're part of the team and I love doing that. I couldn't stay home, my golf game's terrible right now so I don't want to play golf every day. But I love being around the Blues, I really do and I love doing what I'm doing. I love to go out and watch hockey, the drafts. It's one of my favorite things to do."

Steen is surrounding himself with guys he's most definitely familiar with.

"Happy for 'Walt.' The Hall of fame induction is special," Steen said. "They bring so much to the table. How much I admire their experiences, the way they approach the game."

Chris Thorburn has been promoted to director of player development. Thorburn, who finished his 14-year NHL career with the Blues during the Stanley Cup-winning season of 2018-19, rejoined the team as a development coach in 2021.

"'Thorby's done a heck of a job this week," Steen said of prospect camp. "You guys have been able to see how he interacts with the prospects and how the staff is connected and that's all thanks to his ... he's so enthusiastic, he's got a massive heart. He cares for the prospects like they're his own kids and he wants to see them succeed. I'm really happy for him and he's had a helluva week."

Also, Robert Bortuzzo joins the Blues front office in a full-time capacity as a pro scout after one season serving a variety of roles for the team, including as a part-time scout. Bortuzzo, whose 10-year Blues career was highlighted by the team’s Stanley Cup win in 2018-19, concluded his 14-year NHL career in 2024-25 with the Utah Mammoth.  

"Obviously Robert, I know very, very well," Steen said. "He's eager and excited to be involved on this side of the game. They're people I trust immensely. I'm looking forward to growing that relationship more and more."

The Blues previously promoted Elliott Mondou to assistant to the GM, and have also promoted Alex Starovoytov to full-time scout after serving as a part-time scout since 2019; Madison Greenough has been promoted to senior data engineer after being hired as a hockey data engineer in 2023, and Jazzmyn Carter has been promoted to senior coordinator of hockey operations after joining the organization as a hockey operations coordinator in 2021.

The Blues also added Shane Malloy as director of strategic planning and Dr. Ted Barile as team chiropractor.

Malloy has developed an expertise within the hockey industry in the application of statistical principles and performance risk to predict player performance. Specializing in predictive data analysis with over 25 years of hockey scouting experience, Malloy’s work has helped organizations make informed decisions about the salary cap, budgeting, performance management, market inefficiencies reporting, trade evaluation, draft picks, and department activities.

Barile also serves as the team chiropractor for MLS NEXT Pro’s St. Louis City2 soccer team.

Tkachuk and Malloy will report directly to Armstrong, the team's president of hockey operations, while each of the other positions will report to Steen.

Don't be surprised if in the near future at some point that Paul Stastny, a former Blue and one of Steen's best friends, joins the organization in some capacity also. 

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