The St. Louis Blues have fired coach Drew Bannister and hired Jim Montgomery as his replacement just five days after the 2022 Jack Adams Award winner was let go by the Boston Bruins.
Blues president and general manager Doug Armstrong announced the stunning change Sunday. He is expected to address reporters on a video call in the afternoon, while Montgomery is joining the team in New York on Monday.
Bannister had been on the job in St. Louis for less than a year since succeeding 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube and getting the interim tag removed after last season. The Blues have lost 13 of their first 22 games this season.
Montgomery spent two seasons as an assistant on Berube’s staff in St. Louis between coaching Dallas and Boston. The Bruins fired him less than a quarter of the way through the season after they lost 12 of their first 20 games.
The Blues signed Montgomery to a five-year contract.
Armstrong moving on quickly from Bannister and making a long-term commitment to Montgomery is the longtime NHL executive’s latest move in the hopes of keeping St. Louis’ championship window open. Last summer, the Blues signed restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to offer sheets to lure them away from defending Western Conference champion Edmonton, and Armstrong acquired several other players to remake his roster on the fly.
Handing the reins to Montgomery puts a seasoned, successful coach in charge behind the bench. The 55-year-old former player is 180-84-33 in the regular season — a points percentage of .659 that ranks among the best in league history.
Story by Steven Whyno, Associated Press
