Confirmed with Link: Ott promoted to Associate HC, Julien hired as assistant, other assistants extended

[Louie the Blue]

Ott promoted to associate coach; Julien joins as assistant | St. Louis Blues

Blues extend contracts for Weber, Alexander through 2025-26 season

www.nhl.com

More in article, but here's the snippet on the coaching staff that's probably most relevant:

St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the team has promoted Steve Ott to associate coach and extended his contract through the 2025-26 season.

In addition, the Blues named Claude Julien an assistant coach and extended the contracts of Assistant Coach Mike Weber and Goaltending Coach David Alexander through the 2025-26 season.

Click to read more...

 

[Drubilly]

Hmmmmmmm

 

[bleedblue1223]

Damn.

 

[Blueston]

I don’t have opinion on Julien specifically, but I am quite pleased we brought in experienced guy to assist what is an extremely inexperienced (in terms of nhl experience behind bench in any capacity) coaching staff. Ott was only guy with more than 1 year. This really helps round out staff that never has replaced what Monty brought.

 

[TheOrganist]

I like this a lot...Julien is pretty highly regarded as a defensive tactician and defensive structure is something the franchise desperately needs revive, personnel be damned.

 

[Majorityof1]

"...the team has promoted Steve Ott..."

I can't do images or emojjiis on my phone, but imagine a gif of someone gagging and choking it down.

And it's not just my dislike of him as a player but I'm not impressed with him as a coach. It's hard to tell with assistants. However our coaching has struggled a lot while he has been here. We keep needing to bring in other, better assistants like Monty or now Julien. We fire all the other coaches and he still clings on like a barnacle. What does he bring as a coach?

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

I'm glad we brought in someone with experience. The writing may be on the wall with the Blues looking toward Ott as HC if Bannister falters.

Not sure how I feel about that.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Claude Julien signing is very interesting

 

[SirPaste]

I think this is a great move, Julien is a great coach and has coached some very good teams, winning a Cup, coached Team Canada, etc. I think he brings a lot of experience and he should help the team tighten up defensively I would think. However I do wonder how he will do in an assistant role after being the guy in charge for so long, he is used to calling the shots so to take a back seat might be a big change for him.

 

[mk80]

Claude Julien bringing 20 years of NHL experience will be very good overall for the coaching staff.

 

[PocketNines]

They hired Julien because he has previously actually witnessed Torey Krug putting the puck on the net from 20 feet away and maybe it's a good luck charm

 

[Xerloris]

I don't think I like OTT being what appears to be a HC in waiting. Julien is a great move.

 

[Brian39]

I certainly don't see a clear message that Ott is the next head coach in waiting.

Julien has 1275 regular season games and another 124 playoff games of head coaching experience. That includes 10 playoff trips and a Cup win. he is 33 wins shy of 700 and he's 64 years old. I'm far from convinced that he decided to do a one-off year as an assistant coach as a favor to Army without having any interest in eventually earning another head-coaching gig.

If our next coach is already behind the bench, I have a pretty hard time believing that Ott has a clear edge on the 16th winningest head coach in league history.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

This is good news. Imagine a team filled with Claude Juliens? A nightmare for any unexperienced referee. And I'm not talking of the opposite team. Look at this image and you will see a concentraded per inch square of character, grit and weight. And mean potatoes too. You can't beat that, no you can't.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

MILK!

MILK!

WAAAAAAA!!!!!!

 

[SirPaste]

I don't think I like OTT being what appears to be a HC in waiting. Julien is a great move.

I don't think that is the case, I think this is more of just a promotion in name only so Ott doesn't get his feelings hurt that Julien is coming in as well.

 

[shpongle falls]

Love this move.

 

[Celtic Note]

What has Ott done exactly to deserve a promotion?

I don't think that is the case, I think this is more of just a promotion in name only so Ott doesn't get his feelings hurt that Julien is coming in as well.

If he needs to be coddled that much, he shouldn’t be an NHL coach.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

I like the Julien move a lot. He’s a good defensive coach. God knows we could use a defensive strategy overhaul. Not to mention, if Bannister should not work out Julien would be a good choice to take over.

 

[Dr Robot]

If Julien is coach in waiting, I’m fine with that. I remember him being a very good coach. Indifferent to Ott but he seems to be well regarded in the organization.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

"Coach in waiting" seems like an internet legend in the making. This is going on at the same time that we're anticipating Steen taking over as GM. Am I supposed to believe he doesn't get to hire the coach he wants?

I like bringing in an experienced guy like Julien. He's not too old to be a significant contributor to this team. It doesn't have to be Julien specifically, but I like having a mind like that added to this staff.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I’m good with Julien being added as Asst Coach. He’s scouted for the Blues the last 2 years.

 

[Majorityof1]

I like the Julien move a lot. He’s a good defensive coach. God knows we could use a defensive strategy overhaul. Not to mention, if Bannister should not work out Julien would be a good choice to take over.

If Julien is coach in waiting, I’m fine with that. I remember him being a very good coach. Indifferent to Ott but he seems to be well regarded in the organization.

Why do we need someone to overhaul our defensive strategy when we just hired a Defensive coach last year, and subsequently kept him in Weber? Shouldn't Weber fix our D strategy? Or better yet, shouldn't he have already fixed it?

Why do we need a coach-in-waiting when we just hired our current head coach a month ago?

I like the Julien move. Especially if Bannister signed off on it. But our coaching situation is beyond ridiculous. We hire inept guys like Van Ryn. Ott, and potentially Weber. Then we have to bring in others to do their jobs:, Larry Robinson, Montgomery, Brad Richards to fix our PP that Ott who just got promoted runs, and now Julien. Hire coaches you trust to do the job, and let them do the job. Stop keeping likable guys with no experience and no success in their positions.

 

[joe galiba]

Why do we need someone to overhaul our defensive strategy when we just hired a Defensive coach last year, and subsequently kept him in Weber? Shouldn't Weber fix our D strategy? Or better yet, shouldn't he have already fixed it?

Why do we need a coach-in-waiting when we just hired our current head coach a month ago?

I like the Julien move. Especially if Bannister signed off on it. But our coaching situation is beyond ridiculous. We hire inept guys like Van Ryn. Ott, and potentially Weber. Then we have to bring in others to do their jobs:, Larry Robinson, Montgomery, Brad Richards to fix our PP that Ott who just got promoted runs, and now Julien. Hire coaches you trust to do the job, and let them do the job. Stop keeping likable guys with no experience and no success in their positions.

Weber is in charge of the defensemen, Julien is good at coaching and implementing defense for a team as a whole, no different than in football having a d-line coach, a lb coach, and a d-back coach along with defensive coordinator, one coach may be responsible for coaching individual stuff and another coaches x’s and o’s for the whole group

 

[Majorityof1]

Weber is in charge of the defensemen, Julien is good at coaching and implementing defense for a team as a whole, no different than in football having a d-line coach, a lb coach, and a d-back coach along with defensive coordinator, one coach may be responsible for coaching individual stuff and another coaches x’s and o’s for the whole group

Fair enough, but the D coach should be in charge of D zone schemes in conjunction with the head coach. Footballl teams have 53 players vs hockey teams have 21. There is a need for a lot more coaches in football due to the differences in roles and size of teams. There are distinct differences between O and D in football where players only play one. Hockey is a completely different game as O flows seamlessly into D and players play both.

And regardless, there is not sport where they hire a coach in waiting the same season as their brand new head coach. That idea is just ridiculous.