St. Louis Blues made another coaching change almost a year ago when they fired Craig Berube. This time, however, the Blues fired Berube’s replacement, Drew Bannister, in favor of Jim Montgomery, the recently fired coach in Boston.
NHL News: Boston Bruins Fire Head Coach Jim Montgomery
Five days ago, the Bruins organization released Montgomery, and there was talk of where he could end up. Maybe he would become a team assistant in his hometown. But most thought he would be back behind the bench as the head coach.
No one thought it would be this fast. Drew Bannister got 22 games as the official Blues coach. Remember, when he took over, general manager Doug Armstrong made Bannister the interim coach. When the Blues failed to score six points, Armstrong thought Bannister was not the boy.
So it begs the question and makes you wonder if the Blues wanted Jim Montgomery all along. Given what Armstrong said yesterday, it makes sense if you really think about it.
This goes back to last spring. Also, it doesn’t sound like Bannister is the guy because Armstrong wanted a veteran coach there from the start. But that boy was never found. Whether it was Mike Sullivan from Pittsburgh, Montgomery from Boston, Gerard Gallant, Jay Woodcroft, or Todd McLellan, Armstrong wanted a veteran guy there.
Good to see he got a long term deal with the Blues. you almost wonder if the Blues wanted a veteran coach like Sullivan #we are opening made the move at the end of last year. Guessing on my part but wondering w/ this going. #stlblues @myNHLTradeRumor @FullPressNHL @TheRGMedia
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) November 24, 2024
There had been speculation that the Blues were eyeing Montgomery back in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-round series against the Bruins. Had Boston not won Game 7 in overtime, the feeling was that Jim Montgomery would have been fired, and St. Louis will hire him.
NHL Rumors: Do Boston Bruins Want to Extend Jim Montgomery
The timeline of events makes sense. Drew Bannister was promoted to full-time coach on May 8, three days after the Bruins beat the Maple Leafs. Montgomery has kept his job for now.
Then the minute you want him fired, start working the phones to get him there. So it was clear from the start that Armstrong wanted Montgomery. In addition, Armstrong had specific words about his admiration for Montgomery and what he could do at Sunday’s press conference.
Moutho: “When I woke up on Wednesday morning, there was no desire to make a coaching change. When Jim was let go from Boston, (he) was certainly somebody that I respected, somebody that I liked, somebody that I felt had all the qualities to be a long-term coach of the Blues. (MUCH)
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) November 24, 2024
Army: “This was more of an opportunity to find someone of Jim’s caliber than anything else. This decision was based, I would say, almost 100 percent on having someone of Jim’s caliber found when I didn’t know that was going to happen.” #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) November 24, 2024
It seems that NHL General Managers these days are very honest. Armstrong felt he needed someone like Jim Montgomery to turn the Blues around, but the timing was strange and strange. And, it makes you wonder.
It probably makes you wonder about the previous reports and what I was saying about the seasoned coach. They wanted him back in May and this only confirms that. If Boston lost Monty maybe St Louis Blue in the spring and not now #stlblues @FullPressNHL @myNHLTradeRumor @TheRGMedia
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) November 24, 2024
There were reports that Montgomery and the Bruins were working on a deal. Again, the details of what the deal was or would not be disclosed, but the Bruins did not want to offer him a long-term deal. That begs the question of whether Boston wanted to keep Jim Montgomery as their head coach. And did Montgomery really want to remain silent on the roster and with the coaches?
It sounds like Bannister didn’t shake well with a roster that lost Philip Broberg and Robert Thomas. The scoring has been down lately, but this roster and group of players nearly made the playoffs last season.
NHL rumors: St. Louis Blues, and the Chicago Blackhawks
Was it the coach’s fault, or was last year’s general manager’s intent found out and he rushed in to get the guy he wanted? Sounds like the latest to have Jim Montgomery and Claude Julien on the bench.
If the reports are correct, Bannister just kept the seat warm until Doug Armstrong could get Jim Montgomery. She did, and now she has had her boy for five years.
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