The St. Louis Blues have fired coach Drew Bannister and hired Jim Montgomery as his replacement, just five days after Montgomery was let go by the Boston Bruins.
Blues president and general manager Doug Armstrong made the announcement on Sunday. He is expected to speak with reporters via video call in the afternoon, while Montgomery will join the team in New York on Monday.
Bannister had been with the Blues for less than a year after replacing Craig Berube, the coach who led the team to the 2019 Stanley Cup win. Bannister had his interim status removed after last season, but the Blues have lost 13 of their first 22 games this season.
Montgomery spent two seasons as an assistant coach under Berube in St. Louis before coaching the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins. The Bruins fired him early in the season after losing 12 of their first 20 games.
The Blues signed Montgomery to a five-year contract.
Armstrong’s quick decision to move on from Bannister and commit to Montgomery for the long term is part of his effort to keep St. Louis’ championship chances alive.
Last summer, Armstrong made moves to improve the team by signing restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to offer sheets, trying to lure them from the defending Western Conference champions, Edmonton. He also made several other player acquisitions to reshape the roster.
By hiring Montgomery, Armstrong is bringing in an experienced and successful coach. The 55-year-old former player has a regular-season record of 180-84-33, which gives him a points percentage of .659, one of the best in league history.
