Blues fire Craig Berube, name Drew Bannister (upd: no longer interim) head coach

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

I also live in Saskatchewan and know his story. Seattle isn’t closer or any better flight connections to Regina itself, but through Calgary it might be a bit easier. There was a time that Regina to Minneapolis was the core route from there, but it’s been cancelled for some time.

Ah…well geography was never my strong suit . All I know is it was mentioned he wanted to be closer lol.

 

[brentashton]

Ah…well geography was never my strong suit . All I know is it was mentioned he wanted to be closer lol.

All good Pal. Still unhappy that Chief got shitcanned. The man is solid.

 

[Kimota]

I can’t chalk this up to a case of circumstances only.

He’s the only coach in St Louis history to bring a SC championship to the city.

It could be argued that they had better opportunities and teams to do it and yet no one delivered. He also had the team in the playoffs 4 of the 5 full seasons he was the HC.

Something that Scotty Bowman, Quenneville, Hitchcock, Keenan, Al Arbour, Emile Francis, Jacques Martin & Demers, Brian Sutter and many others couldn’t do in their 50+ years of existence at the time.

Armstrong‘s roster stupidity in losing Dunn, especially Pieterangelo, Schwartz and others has a lot to do with this.

The roster was key for sure. Frankly Berube was never great before St Louis. And cannot be compared to any of those guys. It reminds of Bylsma with Pittsburgh or when the Devils fired the coach before the playoffs and hired Larry Robinson and they went on winning the cup. It's just a right place at the right time kind of thing. And you have to have a GM that understand his boys and what they needed at the time.

 

[brentashton]

The roster was key for sure. Frankly Berube was never great before St Louis. And cannot be compared to any of those guys. It reminds of Bylsma with Pittsburgh or when the Devils fired the coach before the playoffs and hired Larry Robinson and they went on winning the cup. It's just a right place at the right time kind of thing. And you have to have a GM that understand his boys and what they needed at the time.

I cant diminish it the way you do. I like Craig a lot and think he contributed greatly to the St Louis community legacy.

Oh well, move on.

 

[Kimota]

I cant diminish it the way you do. I like Craig a lot and think he contributed greatly to the St Louis community legacy.

Oh well, move on.

I am not denying his legacy. What he and the Blues accomplished was a great thing in that moment. But there are great coaches that will never win it. Dominik Ducharme went to the final with us the Habs. And he was gone after a year.

 

[brentashton]

I am not denying his legacy. What he and the Blues accomplished was a great thing in that moment. But there are great coaches that will never win it. Dominik Ducharme went to the final with us the Habs. And he was gone after a year.

Sorry. You lost me when you said great coaches and then referenced Dominique Ducharme as an example.

Oooof.

 

[Shagrat59]

He had a great run with them. Sucks to see him go, but coaches get axed pretty quickly if their team isn't meeting expectations. He can cruise on that contract money for a couple more years.

 

[Bleedred]

As someone who has no real insight on how the organization is run or how ownership feels about Armstrong and how long his rope is or isn't, I can totally see him getting fired next.

Like at season's end or even earlier, provided things don't turn around.

 

[Kimota]

Sorry. You lost me when you said great coaches and then referenced Dominique Ducharme as an example.

Oooof.

That's the point! I meant if a lousy coach can go to the finals that means you don't have to be great to win the cup as coach.

 

[LuckyDay]

but he's such a nice guy. Friend to Shorty and Cheech.

Just ignore that this was placed in every local American new hour during their sports slot all week as a reason to not watch hockey.

 

[Koivu11]

 

[Beerz]

I can't believe the Blues went with Bannister when Stanley Cup Champion Craig Berube is still out there.

Must not of done an exhaustive search

 

[Rcknrollkillnmachine]

Drop the ball on hesitating to sign up coaching genius Travis Green. For shame.

 

[Mike Liut]

The Blues are entering year 3 of a 5 year rebuild. Bannister is a good choice at this point in their rebuild.

 

[STL fan in MN]

How do you know your coaching hire is super low key?

Poor guy doesn’t even get his own thread. Just tack it onto the Berube fired thread.

But seriously. He’s…fine. He’s paid his dues in the OHL and AHL. Likely a stop-gap option. Army made mention in his end of season presser that there was a coach still in the playoffs he was hoping to talk to. Some speculated it was Brind’Amour but I’d bet the farm it was former Blues assistant Jim Montgomery. But once Pastrnak scored in OT to end that series, that door closed. Bannister earned an opportunity and if someone like Montgomery becomes available in a year or two, I bet Bannister’s contract isn’t too expensive to eat to hire the guy they really want.

 

[SImpelton]

This is a big mistake.

When the real problem is something untouchabe or unmovable, fire the coach.