November 24th 2024.
It was a surprise to many when Drew Bannister was let go as the coach of the St. Louis Blues, barely a year into his role. His replacement, Jim Montgomery, was back in the NHL just five days after being fired by the Boston Bruins.
On Sunday, the Blues announced the firing of Bannister and the hiring of Montgomery as his replacement. This sudden move, a quarter of the way through the season, puts a seasoned coach at the helm of a team that is going through a period of change and hoping to continue their pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
Speaking to reporters in a video call, President and general manager Doug Armstrong explained that he had not planned on making any changes until Montgomery became available.
"It was more of an opportunity to bring in someone of Jim's caliber," Armstrong said. "We have had previous experience with him and truly believe he is the right coach for this team, both now and in the future."
Armstrong wasted no time in parting ways with Bannister, who had been promoted from the American Hockey League's Springfield team to take over as head coach last December, after the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube stepped down. Despite winning 30 of their last 54 games, the Blues missed the playoffs under Bannister's leadership.
This season, the team struggled with a record of 13 losses in their first 22 games. They were also ranked in the bottom third of the league in power play and penalty kill, while facing numerous injuries.
"It was a challenging situation for him to walk into," Armstrong acknowledged. "As a first-time NHL head coach, he was learning on the go and making mistakes, just like we all were. However, when the opportunity to bring in Monty arose, I was ready to make a change."
Montgomery, 55, is now responsible for getting the best results out of the current team, something he has achieved in his previous coaching roles. Every team he has coached for a full season has made it to the playoffs, with his .659 points percentage ranking among the best in NHL history.
"He brings a wealth of experience and is at the prime of his coaching career," Armstrong praised. "He's the full package, or at least we hope he is."
Montgomery's previous stint as an NHL head coach with the Dallas Stars ended abruptly in 2019 when he was fired for unprofessional conduct. However, Armstrong believes that this experience has shaped him into the coach he is today.
"He has gone through both on and off-ice experiences that have defined him," Armstrong said.
Montgomery was given a second chance in the NHL when the Blues hired him as an assistant coach in September 2020. This showed Armstrong's confidence in him, and he now has a five-year contract as the head coach of the Blues.
The quick turnaround between being fired and re-hired is not uncommon in the NHL, with Montgomery becoming the 23rd coach to be fired and then re-hired midseason since January 2023. It was a similar situation for Bruce Boudreau in 2011, who was fired by the Washington Capitals on a Monday and then hired by the Anaheim Ducks later that week.
With multiple coaching changes in the league over the past few years, Armstrong believes that Montgomery's arrival will make a difference for the Blues.
"We have a top-level NHL coach, and now it's up to all of us to do our jobs and support him," he said.
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