ST. LOUIS — It’s been 748 days since the St. Louis Blues announced a succession plan from general manager Doug Armstrong to Alexander Steen.On Tuesday, it became official when Steen, 42, was introduced as the 12th GM in Blues history. Armstrong’s contract as GM will expire at the end of the day, and Steen will be fully in charge of the day-to-day operations beginning with the start of the league’s free agency period on Wednesday.In 2008, Steen came to St. Louis in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Lee Stempniak. In 2019, he was part of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, and then after climbing into the top 10 of several career categories — games played, goals, assists and points — he retired in 2020 because of a back injury. In 2026, it all culminated with an induction into the Blues Hall of Fame.And now Steen becomes the steward of the club he cherishes.“It’s big for me,” he said. “The team and the city has become a big passion of mine. To get to St. Louis and get to know everybody, I feel the chemistry (between) my personality and the city was evident from the start. Then, when you grow all of these relationships — whether it’s internally in the organization or externally with the people around town — it becomes that much more special. In 2019, when we were able to hoist the Cup, that was a very emotional time.“So it’s a very meaningful position for me, and I’m extremely honored and excited to have this role in the organization. I’m very much looking forward to serving it in the best possible way.”Alexander Steen takes over as Blues GMJeremy RutherfordThe change brings an end to Armstrong’s 16-year reign in the GM chair. In 2024, he agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Blues, and he remains the president of hockey operations.However, Steen will have the final say on the club’s hockey decisions.What has the learning process been like for Steen? How have he and Armstrong worked together during it? What’s his vision for the team? Here’s a Q&A with the new GM.(Note: Responses have been edited lightly for length and clarity)How does today feel different from when this was announced?Steen: A big difference. I felt after the first year like I had accomplished a lot and knew roughly how I’d feel after two years. When we first discussed (taking over as GM), we were doing a lot of prep work during that time. I had been involved in a lot of different areas. So when the announcement came, we had already started a lot of conversations. You kind of got a feel, and as you progress, you get a better understanding.It’s been an intense two years. I’ve thrown myself into as much as I can, and Doug and I have built an exceptional relationship. That makes it easy to make decisions and have conversations, even when there’s things that we agree or disagree on. Afterward, having an opportunity to debrief with Doug on things like trade deadlines has been extremely beneficial.