St. Louis Blues head coach Drew Bannister is without a job.
The team announced Sunday morning that it had relieved Bannister as its coach and replaced him with former Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery.
“We’re excited to have Jim [as] part of our staff for this year and four more,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said during a press conference Sunday. “It’s a good day for the Blues.”
Montgomery signed a five-year deal with the Blues. He had been at the helm of the Bruins since 2022. This move marks the return of Montgomery to the franchise. He had served as assistant coach from 2020 to 2022 and played for the team in the 1990s.
Armstrong said he had no intention of replacing Bannister until news broke that Montgomery was out of job, adding that Montgomery is someone he’s long respected and admired.
“[He was] someone I felt had all of the attributes to be a long-term coach for the Blues, and it started down that process,” Armstrong said. “This was more of an opportunity to get someone of Jim’s caliber more than anything else.”
Bannister served as the team’s interim head coach before officially taking over the post in May. He had replaced former head coach Craig Berube. Bannister said then that he was eager to step into the role.
“I think when you start coaching, you look at the levels where you start and where you need to get to," Bannister said. "And certainly, this is the pinnacle of hockey and there’s only 32 of these jobs."
The Blues have not had a successful start to the season, losing 12 times while winning nine and totaling 19 points in 22 games. The team's record didn’t give Armstrong confidence that the Blues would be heading to the playoffs.
“A young coach learning with young players: It wasn’t an easy situation for [Drew] to walk into,” Armstrong said. “I thought he did a good job. He was making mistakes. We were all making mistakes. Drew was learning as we went on. And as I said, I was more than prepared to go through the peaks and valleys with Drew until Montgomery became available.”
He reiterated that the decision was largely because of Montgomery’s availability and record, calling him a “top NHL coach.”
“I do believe [Montgomery] can coach this team and also can coach the team when it reaches its ultimate level of competitiveness,” Armstrong said. “He’s done that. [Montgomery] has worked with younger players in the USHL and in college. He’s had good success in Dallas, good success in Boston.”
Montgomery will be the team’s third head coach this year.
The news isn’t the only leadership shake-up in the St. Louis sports world.
According to ESPN's sources, St. Louis City SC might have a new manager. The outlet reports Olof Melberg has signed a multiyear deal with the team. He’s currently the manager of the large Swedish team IF Brommapojkarna.
Melberg’s contract with IF Brommapojkarna is set to expire Dec. 1.
St. Louis City SC has not commented on the potential appointment.
