The Blues have hired former Wild coach Mike Yeo as associate head coach and will hand him the head coaching job when Ken Hitchcock retires after next season.

"For being 42 years old, he's got a lot of experience," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said in a statement. "He's won a Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh, he's taken an American League team to the finals, and you saw the good job he did in Minnesota in taking that team to the second round. What excites me is his experience, but with his age, he can really relate to today's players and it's an exciting day for our team."