St. Louis Blues General Manager and President Doug Armstrong announced today that a hiring has been made for the European Development Consultant position. In a surprising move, in terms of the long-standing history that this former player has had against this organization, it will be former Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu.
The former Central Division rival will now set himself up as a part of the Blues' player development program, and this is a fantastic move. Many of the upcoming prospects in the pipeline are a part of leagues over in Europe.
Koivu, who was a 16-year veteran with a very large part of it with the Wild, has recently been in a player development role with TPS in SM-Liiga. If you have been a hockey fan of any team, you will remember Koivu as a very memorable player.
Looking at some of the Blues european prospects, there are quite a few names here that could directly use some advice from one of the most decorated NHL and international players of all-time. Namely, there is Matvei Korotky, Dmitri Buchelnikov, and Ondřej Kos.
The Blues have a big summer ahead, and this new hiring of a European Development Consultant could have a direct effect on one of the three first-round draft picks in the 2026 NHL Draft later this month. There could be an international star, not of the CHL or NCAA levels, that could be selected with either the 11th, 15th, or 29th pick.
This is another great addition to a future front office filled with former players. As the Blues team shifts in a younger direction, so does the brass.
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