Tremendous Eye for Talent: Coyotes See A Winner in Armstrong

The ultimate mark of success is a championship. Bill Armstrong has a Stanley Cup.
The
Coyotes named Armstrong the 10th general manager
in franchise history Thursday. He joins Arizona from St. Louis, where he won that Stanley Cup last year.
Armstrong was a key factor in building toward the Blues' championship run. He served as the Blues' assistant general manager and director of scouting for the previous two seasons.

"I would like to thank Bill Armstrong for his tireless work and dedication to the Blues organization," Blues' general manager

. "This is an excellent hire by the Arizona Coyotes and I wish Bill nothing but success in Arizona."
Armstrong joined the Blues in 2004 as a scout. He is said to have a keen eye for talent and has proven an ability to build through the draft. Armstrong was promoted to the Blues' director of scouting in 2010.
Over those years, the Blues have developed an impressive crop of players through the draft. They include Jordan Binnington, Jake Allen, Joel Edmundson, Robby Fabbri, Colton Parayko, and Robert Thomas. All played on the Blues' 2019 Stanley Cup-winning team.
Coyotes' Owner, Chairman & Governor Alex Meruelo said Thursday that Armstrong "knows how to build a winning team," while lauding Armstrong's ability to balance hockey knowledge, business smarts, and leadership. Meruelo said those three qualities are what the Coyotes need "in order to achieve our goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to Arizona."
Coyotes' President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez praised Armstrong's ability to assess talent, calling Armstrong's draft record "tremendous."
"We are very excited to welcome Bill to the Coyotes as our new General Manager," Gutierrez said. "We were extremely impressed with his experience, vast hockey knowledge, great ability to assess talent, and his tremendous draft record. Bill is a proven winner who has a strong work ethic and is a good communicator. He is a man of integrity and we are confident that he's the right person to build a winning culture here and lead our hockey operations department into the future."
Armstrong was once a draft selection, himself. He was picked No. 46 overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play a combined 543 professional games at the AHL and IHL level.
His claim to playing fame is
scoring the overtime game-winning goal
for the Oshawa Generals in the 1990 Memorial Cup championship, the Canadian Hockey League title game.
Armstrong hails from Richmond Hill, Ontario, and was named honorary "Mayor for a Day" when he brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown in 2019.

Despite assuming the general manager position, Armstrong will not participate in the 2020 Draft, scheduled to take place October 6 and 7. The Blues and Coyotes reached an agreement prior to Armstrong's hiring determining that his scouting work prior to the announcement is considered to be St. Louis' intellectual property.
Armstrong thanked Alex Meruelo, Alex Meruelo Jr, and Xavier Gutierrez in a statement Thursday, sharing his gratitude for the opportunity.
"We have great ownership that is committed to winning," Armstrong said. "We have a very good core group of young, talented players, and a passionate fan base. I'm excited about our future and the opportunity to build this team into a perennial playoff contender."

Lead Photo Credit: St. Louis Blues // Footer Photo Credit: Chris Tanouye - Getty Images