Blues assistant Sydor steps down, replaced by Van Ryn

ST. LOUIS -- Blues assistant coach Darryl Sydor, who spent last season as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues, has decided to leave the team to spend more time with his family. He has been replaced by Mike Van Ryn, the team announced Wednesday.

"After almost 30 years in professional hockey, I am confident that now is the right time to step away from the game," Sydor said in a team press release. "Hockey has given me more than I could have ever dreamed for, but my family is the most important thing in my life, and I want to focus all of my attention on them."

Van Ryn, 39, played three seasons for the Blues after being drafted in the first round by the New Jersey Devils in 1998. He also played for the Panthers and Maple Leafs in an eight-year NHL career.

Van Ryn comes to the Blues after serving as head coach of Tucson of the American Hockey League, where he led the Roadrunners to a 42-20-6 record and first place in the Pacific Division last season. He also has been head coach of the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, team development coach with the Arizona Coyotes and an assistant coach with the AHL's Houston Aeros and OHL's Niagara IceDogs.

"We are very excited to have Mike joining our staff," Blues coach Mike Yeo said in the release. "I spoke with a number of people about the position but it was clear that Mike’s energy and philosophies were the best fit for our team."