Didn’t take Steve Thomas long to find a new job.
Thomas, released from Jon Cooper’s staff in Tampa Bay earlier this month, has agreed to join the St. Louis Blues as an assistant coach to Ken Hitchcock in St. Louis, the club announced on Thursday.
It’s the latest in what’s been a busy summer of change for the Blues’ staff.
Hitchcock was re-signed to a one-year deal following the club’s playoff exit to San Jose, but announced it would be his final season of coaching. Assistants Kirk Muller and Brad Shaw then departed -- Muller to Montreal, Shaw to Columbus -- and GM Doug Armstrong filled one of the vacancies by hiring Mike Yeo, who will take over head coaching duties in ’17-18.
And now, the Blues get another well-seasoned hockey guy in Thomas.
The 52-year-old had spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the Lightning, where he helped guide the club to back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals and a trip to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. He worked primarily with the club’s forwards.
Prior to his coaching career, Thomas appeared in 1,235 NHL contests and was regarded as a clutch playoff performer.