GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Coyotes have hired St. Louis assistant GM Bill Armstrong as their next general manager.

Armstrong arrives in the desert after spending the past two seasons as the Blues' assistant GM and director of amateur scouting. He replaces John Chayka, who resigned on the eve of Arizona's first postseason appearance in eight years.

"We are thrilled to name Bill as our new GM," Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo said in a statement Thursday. "Bill is smart, honest and hard-working and he knows how to build a winning team. He brings the right mix of hockey knowledge, business acumen and leadership qualities that we need in order to achieve our goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to Arizona."