A front-office promotion in St. Louis has sidelined the fan-favorite forward from Winnipeg’s upcoming alumni festivities as he takes the reins of the Blues' player development.
Chris Thorburn may not be taking part in the Winnipeg Jets' expanding alumni roster after all. A recent announcement from the St. Louis Blues appears to explain why.
After initially being included on the roster for Winnipeg's alumni game vs. Montreal ahead of the 2026 Heritage Classic this October when the Jets unveiled their growing list of alumni participants earlier this offseason, Thorburn's name has later been removed.
A Jets public relations representative later indicated that the former fan favourite was "no longer a 100 percent commit," with the Blues now confirming the next step in his hockey career.
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA Today St. Louis announced a series of front-office promotions following Alexander Steen's transition to general manager, including Thorburn's promotion from development coach to director of player development. The Blues also elevated former Winnipeg Jets captain Keith Tkachuk to advisor to president of hockey operations Doug Armstrong after seven seasons as the club's director of recruitment.
Thorburn remains a familiar face to Jets fans after spending four seasons with the organization following its relocation from Atlanta in 2011. The rugged forward appeared in 255 games for Winnipeg between 2011 and 2015, serving as an alternate captain while earning a reputation as one of the club's hardest-working and most respected veterans.
After finishing his 14-year NHL career as a member of the Blues' 2019 Stanley Cup championship team, Thorburn returned to the organization as a development coach in 2021. His latest promotion puts him in charge of helping guide the franchise's next generation of prospects.
Tkachuk's promotion carries Winnipeg significance as well.
Although he never suited up for the current iteration of the Jets, Tkachuk remains one of the most recognizable players in franchise history after captaining the original Jets before the club relocated to Phoenix in 1996. He played 563 games with the franchise, recording 323 goals and 630 points, cementing himself as one of the organization's all-time greats.
Now, nearly three decades after leaving Winnipeg, Tkachuk continues to climb the executive ranks in St. Louis, joining Thorburn in taking on an even larger role within one of the NHL's most established front offices.
