Chris Zimmerman, president and CEO of business operations for the St. Louis Blues, has been named as the recipient of the 2025 Lou Lamoriello Award, as announced today by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The Lamoriello Award is given to a former college coach or player who has distinguished himself in his profession after college. It is named after the former Providence College player, coach, athletic director and NHL executive, Lou Lamoriello.
The award will be presented during this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four, hosted by the University of Vermont and the St. Louis Blues, April 10-12.
Zimmerman, who played hockey at the University of Vermont and was an assistant coach at Babson College, is a proven driver of organizational transformation and impact. Throughout the past 10 years with the Blues, — propelled by his core commitments to growing the game, forging new alliances and strengthening connections — he has redefined the team ethos and infrastructure while fostering a broader culture of collaboration and optimism across the community and partners to spearhead a resurgence of the Blues organization on and off the ice.
“Chris is an exceptional choice for the Lou Lamoriello Award,” said UVM Director of Athletics Jeff Schulman, himself a former Catamount hockey player. ”I know I can speak for the entire University of Vermont community and, in particular, our men’s hockey program in congratulating him on this recognition.
“Chris was a highly respected leader on campus during his time as a Catamount and not surprisingly has gone on to have exceptional success and impact in his professional career. Most importantly, Chris is a caring and generous person and friend who has made positive contributions to every community in which he has been apart. UVM is proud to count Chris among our most prominent alumni.”
Under his leadership, the franchise achieved its first-ever Stanley Cup Championship season in 2018-19, drawing record engagement from partners, sponsors and fans alike and earning the team the prestigious “Team of the Year” award from Sports Business Journal in 2020. He has transformed the organization’s business operations by cultivating new business opportunities, accelerating sales across platforms and bolstering Blue Note Productions, a six-time Emmy-award winning storytelling team that consistently ranks among the top ten in the NHL and has significantly grown the Blues’ brand. This dynamic and innovative approach has also driven local revenue controlled by the Blues up 30 percent over the past five years, marking the strongest financial performance in team history.
A hallmark of Zimmerman’s success with the Blues has been bringing primetime sporting events to St. Louis – including the NHL’s marquee regular season event, the 2017 NHL Winter Classic; the 2020 NHL All-Star Game; the forthcoming NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in 2025, among others. Zimmerman also facilitated legislation that aided in the dramatic, multi-million-dollar renovation to the home arena of the Blues, Enterprise Center, that has further elevated the Blues to prominence and St. Louis as a competitive market for major events.
Zimmerman has helped expand the Blues and hockey’s footprint to cement the St. Louis region as the Heartland of Hockey. He was a key architect of “Hockey STL 2020,” an initiative that successfully introduced hockey to young players by focusing on lowering barriers to access and promoting the benefits of the game. Additionally, he helped lead the development of the Centene Community Ice Center, the top ice sports facility in the Midwest, to establish St. Louis as hockey’s growth hub in the region. The venue regularly hosts major hockey events such as the 2023 USA Disabled Hockey Festival, the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Regional in 2024 and is preparing to host the ACHA Men’s and Women’s National Championships for the third of what will be six times over a seven-year span.
To support accessibility in hockey, he’s overseen the growth of programs like Blues Special Needs Hockey, Blues Blind Hockey, Blues Warrior Hockey for veterans and the North City Blues hockey program, as well as the rehabilitation of the Sankofa Community Center in the underserved Walnut Park neighborhood. Moreover, he has championed the growth of hockey among women and girls, most notably by bringing a 3x3 event with USA and Canada to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis, a two-game series between the countries’ women’s national teams prior to the 2022 Olympic Games, and an upcoming PWHL Takeover Tour game at Enterprise Center on March 29.
The Chappaqua, NY, native currently serves on the board of directors for Blues for Kids Foundation, the Legacy Ice Foundation, CEOs Against Cancer and the St. Louis Sports Commission, in addition to representing the Blues on the Regional Business Council. He also serves as a member of the UVM Athletics Advisory Board.
Prior to his time in St. Louis, Zimmerman’s sports management career included roles leading Nike’s Bauer hockey equipment brand and later Easton’s baseball and hockey business. His NHL experience started as President/CEO of the Vancouver Canucks where led the organization for three years.
