The Springfield Thunderbirds, the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues had a very successful season in 2025-26. After starting out at a historically bad pace, the move to put Steve Ott as their head coach was a main turning point of the season.
Now, in a news release this morning, it looks like Springfield and the future of the Blues' development at the AHL level are going to be secured for the next two seasons. Ott has a new contract extension and will be their head man for the foreseeable future.
Future is set in stone
WIth the emergence of Dalibor Dvorsky from Springfield, as well as stints from Otto Stenberg, Theo Lindstein and Matthew Kessel, the future is blossoming. That is why Blues General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Doug Armstrong moved Ott there in the first place, and now has given him the keys to the kingdom for the next two seasons.
Ott is a proven winner, as a player and now as a head coach following the deep Calder Cup Playoff run this past season. For all intents and purposes, it seems like the Blues now have a succession in place.
Jim Montgomery, who is the Blues' head coach and will be through the 2028-29 season, now has a successor in Ott. There is a year overlap here, but if Montgomery cannot keep this team in a positive direction, that final year can be a transition phase from Montgomery to Ott.
This is a wonderful deal for Ott, and staying within this organization that has given him so much as a player is a great thing to see. The future is bright for the Blues, and it just got brighter with keeping Ott around.
