the St. Louis Blues officially bid goodbye to their head coach, Craig Berube, after a disappointing 13-14-1 start earlier this week.
The firing came in the wake of the Blues’ 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, their fourth consecutive in the ongoing season.Taking Berube’s place at the helm of the team for now is Drew Bannister.
The Blues have relieved Craig Berube of his coaching duties
Drew Bannister, head coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds, has been named the interim head coach pic.twitter.com/cWKph5JoY1
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 13, 2023
Experienced in coaching the Blues’ American Hockey League affiliate in Springfield, Mass., Bannister already seems familiar with the Blues’ tactical setup and style of play.
Craig Berube, lauded for coaching the St. Louis Blues to win their first-ever Stanley Cup in 2019, was suddenly shown the door after six seasons.
This move has raised many eyebrows throughout the NHL.
Oddly enough, Berube had just inked a three-year extension on February 9, 2022, keeping him at the helm of the team through the 2024-2025 season.
Berube’s stint with the team spans 381 regular-season games, where he secured a promising record of 206-131-44.
In fact, with a commendable .598 points percentage, he places second in franchise history, equating with Joel Quenneville and following only the iconic Ken Hitchcock (.650).
However, St. Louis has faced quite a challenge this season, struggling to keep pace despite reasonably tempered expectations.
After the defeat at the hands of the Red Wings on Tuesday, the team’s record fell to a concerning 13-14-1, earning them a mere 27 points.
As of now, they’re just a point shy of a wild-card playoff spot in the ferociously competitive Western Conference.
“I’m not concerned about where we fit in the standings, quite honestly, as, ‘Do we build that foundation back to where it was in the past and can we start building something to put us in the same spot where I view Colorado and Dallas now, with experienced players that have the pedigree and the perception that they should be winning championships?’” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said in October. “We have been there for the better part of a decade. We’re not there today, and my goal was to build this foundation to get back there as quick as possible.”
Aged 49, Bannister’s coaching resume is impressive. Over the past three seasons, he has led the Springfield team to an impressive 93-58-19 regular-season record.
He has successfully guided the Thunderbirds twice to the playoffs, even leading them to an Eastern Conference victory and a Calder Cup Final in the 2021-22 season.
Apart from his coaching acumen, Bannister’s NHL playing experience adds another feather to his cap.
As a defenseman, he played 164 games across the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and the New York Rangers.
For now, Bannister sets sights on the Blues’ game against the Ottawa Senators, marking his much-anticipated debut as the Blues’ interim head coach.
