Steve Ott was an assistant for the Blues for nine seasons before taking over as coach of AHL Springfield in January. James Carey Lauder / Imagn ImagesJune 10, 2026 10:00 am EDT Updated ST. LOUIS — Steve Ott is sticking around as coach of the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield on a two-year extension, the Blues announced Tuesday.Ott, 43, was an assistant coach on the Blues’ staff for nine seasons before the club put him in charge of the AHL team Jan. 19, replacing Steve Konowalchuk.The Thunderbirds were 13-18-4-2 when Ott arrived, and he helped guide them to the playoffs with a record of 18-13-2-0 for the remainder of the regular season. They upset the Charlotte Checkers and Providence Bruins in the first two rounds of the postseason before falling to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the Atlantic Division final.
There was some uncertainty whether Ott would return to Springfield’s bench for the 2026-27 season because he’s openly acknowledged he’s interested in being an NHL coach.This offseason, the Los Angeles Kings have hired Peter Laviolette, and the Vancouver Canucks have hired Manny Malhotra, leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers as the only vacancies.Ott’s remaining in his role will help with continuity between the Blues and Springfield, which could be important with Alexander Steen succeeding Doug Armstrong as general manager July 1.Ott and Steen were teammates with the Blues from 2014 to 2016, and from his time as assistant coach, Ott is familiar with many of the prospects in the team’s system, and he only grew closer to them as their coach in Springfield.Ott might last only one season before moving on to the NHL, but with a two-year contract, the Blues have secured a best-case scenario considering the success he had after taking the job.This story will be updated. Jun 10, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
