"I am very proud of my playing career and will devote the same work ethic to my coaching career,” - @otterN9NE (1/2)
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 25, 2017
Former Windsor Spitfire Steve Ott is retiring from the NHL and taking an assistant coaching job with the St. Louis Blues — a team he played with for parts of three seasons.
The 34-year-old centre has signed a three-year contract.
Ott played in 848 NHL games amassing 288 points and 1,555 penalty minutes. In his 14 seasons in the NHL he played with Dallas, Buffalo, St. Louis, Detroit and most recently Montreal.
Ott is set to play in this Saturday's CHL Alumni Fan Day Game — as part of the Memorial Cup festivities — at the WFCU Centre.
Steve Ott #29 of the Detroit Red Wings scores an empty net third period goal on November 29, 2016. Detroit beat Dallas 3-1. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced the move earlier today.
"Steve was a competitor on the ice as a player and I expect him to bring that energy in this role," says Blues Head Coach Mike Yeo. "He was highly respected as a player and a person among his teammates and I believe he will be a huge asset to our staff."
"I am very proud of my playing career and will devote the same work ethic to my coaching career," says Ott. "The Blues organization is very special to me and my family and I'm excited to take the next step in my hockey career with this franchise."
Steve Ott of the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)