The St. Louis Blues fired head coach Drew Bannister and hired Jim Montgomery, just five days after the 2022 Jack Adams Trophy winner was fired by the Boston Bruins.
Blues president and general manager Doug Armstrong made the announcement on Sunday. A video conference with reporters is planned for Sunday afternoon and Montgomery is expected to be in New York on Monday.
This is a five-season contract.
Bannister was the Blues’ head coach for less than a year. He succeeded Craig Berube, who was fired last December. The Blues have lost 13 of their first 22 games this season.
Montgomery was Berube’s assistant with the Blues from 2020 to 2022. He managed the Dallas Stars before, then the Bruins after. The Massachusetts club dismissed him after 12 losses in 20 games this season.
This decision by Armstrong is the latest of several to keep the Blues competitive. Last summer, he made hostile offers to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway of the Edmonton Oilers and acquired several other players.
Montgomery has a 180-84-33 season record in the National Hockey League (NHL).
