Blues Fire Head Coach, Hire Jim Montgomery

Jim Montgomery had to wait just five days to get another head coaching job after being fired by the Boston Bruins, some would say unjustifiably.

Jim Montgomery signed a five-year deal to become #stlblues head coach. Drew Bannister had this season and next year remaining on his deal.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 24, 2024

The St. Louis Blues fired former head coach Drew Bannister and hired Montgomery on a five-year deal. Bannister had until the end of next season left on his deal. Bannister had the Blues start the season with a 9-12-1 record while Montgomery was 8-9-3 with the Bruins.

Montgomery used to be the assistant coach in St. Louis.

This hiring for the Blues lined up perfectly and the team that has been struggling and hanging around the middle of the pack the last few seasons got a stellar coach. He coached the Bruins to a 120-41-23 record over the past two seasons+ and coached the Dallas Stars to a record of 60-43-10 in his first stint as a head coach in the NHL.

The Blues had made some moves in the offseason to transition a little bit and attempt to still stay relevant. There are some good pieces on the team, but injuries have hurt them. The Blues could be a playoff team and are hoping that Montgomery's presence will inspire the team to play harder and compete more. This is the effect that many, if not all coaching changes bring on a team. The Bruins are already 2-0-0 since Montgomery was fired and a new voice was at the helm.

With Montgomery's success, the Blues are in good hands as there should be no question that he will be sticking around and given a long leash as the new head coach in St. Louis. It won't be easy, but I believe that the Blues will fight their way back into the mix for a playoff spot the rest of the way.

Photo credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images