Hockey Canada has announced that St. Louis Blues general manager (GM) Doug Armstrong has been named as Team Canada’s GM for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. For the first time since the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the NHL and its players will be returning to the biggest international stage, and Armstrong will be at the forefront of Team Canada’s roster construction.
Others who will be part of the executive committee include Ryan Getzlaf as a player relations advisor, Scott Salmond as the senior vice president of high performance and hockey operations, Katherine Henderson as the president and chief executive officer, and Pat McLaughlin as the chief operating officer and executive vice-president of strategy. Getzlaf, Salmond, McLaughlin, and Armstrong met with the media.
Armstrong’s Role for Team Canada
After being removed as GM of the 2022 Olympic team due to the state of the global pandemic and the lack of NHL involvement, Armstrong was disappointed but expressed today that with the passion the players have when it comes to Olympic participation, it was difficult to see them come so close and not be able to live that dream. Though the question asked was about him, as a true leader, Armstrong stated the importance of the players.
“When you work for Hockey Canada, to use a baseball analogy, we start on third base, but we still have to get home. That is our job, to get from third to home. With the talent we have, not only on the ice but in coaching, management, training staff, and support staff, it is a great opportunity to work with these guys and make Canada proud”.
Doug Armstrong, Team Canada’s GM for 2026 Olympics
Armstrong will be GM of Team Canada for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but until then he has his work cut out for him. Armstrong will need to select a manager for the 2024 World Championship team and wishes to do so within the next 10 days (by March 25). As for the 2025 NHL 4-Nations Face-Off, Armstrong stated that he hopes to have his GM selected for that team before the 2024 playoffs begin.
The coaching staff is chosen by not only Armstrong but also the GM he selects to lead each of these teams. He stated that not only do they want to win the World Championship and 4-Nations Face-Off, but he also wants to use them as scouting opportunities for the players and coaches available to him for the Olympics.
Related: Canadiens Projections for the 2026 Winter Olympics
When asked about the most challenging part of the selection of players for the 2026 Olympic team, Armstrong joked that he has 30 million assistant GMs making so many mock teams for him to scour. He added that his goal is not just to select the best players, but to select the players to make the best team. He stated that he cannot guarantee a win at the Olympics, but he can guarantee the work ethic that his team will have.
Getzlaf Acts as a Liaison for Players at the Olympics
After being captain of an NHL team for 12 years, winning a Stanley Cup, and capturing five gold medals while playing for Team Canada (two of which were at the Olympic level,) Getzlaf is one of, if not the best person available to connect the players to the management group.
Sign up for our NHL Prospects & Draft Substack newsletter
Missing out on the 2018 Olympics was a disappointment for Getzlaf, but he stated it would be a great opportunity to see the best players in the world who have wanted to compete for Canada at many different times.
When asked if he felt a disconnect between players and management in the past, Getzlaf stated “I wouldn’t say I felt a disconnect, I think that Hockey Canada has always treated us well, and when we got to these tournaments we knew what was expected of us [as players].”
Getzlaf knows these players and wants to bridge the gap between the players and the management and provide the players with what they need. The difference between the modern players versus those with the old-school mentality is a factor in his role.
Team Canada Looks Forward to Positive Future
It has been too long since the NHL players were at the Olympics, and 2026 will be the first opportunity to see true best-on-best hockey in over a decade. Armstrong was adamant that time is a gift and they will use it wisely and prepare as much as they can in the time they have.
With two Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, three World Championship gold medals, and a World Cup gold medal, there aren’t many people more decorated than Armstrong. He has what it takes to get this team to a championship, and there is an abundance of evidence to support that.
