St. Louis Blues Make Massive Change, Hire Former Bruins Head Coach Jim Montgomery

Former Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has already found a new home.

The St. Louis Blues announced on Sunday morning that they relieved Drew Bannister of his duties and hired Montgomery as the franchise's 28th head coach. It's a five-year contract, according to the release.

BREAKING NEWS: Drew Bannister has been relieved of his coaching duties. Jim Montgomery has been named the 28th head coach in franchise history. https://t.co/72NdjNpjaw #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 24, 2024

Bannister was in the middle of his second season as St. Louis' head coach, taking them to a 30-19-5 record in 2023-24 before a 9-12-1 start to 2024-25.

Montgomery, meanwhile, was fired by Boston on Tuesday after a lackluster 8-9-1 start to this season. The Bruins have won their last two game since his firing.

Despite Boston's crummy start this year, Montgomery led the black and yellow to a 120-41-23 record over his two-plus years as head coach—including a historic 65-12-5 team in 2022-23 that set the NHL record for wins (65) and total points (135) in a season. The 55-year-old won the Jack Adams Award that season, given to the NHL's coach of the year.

The last time the Bruins fired a head coach, Bruce Cassidy was quickly swept up by the Vegas Golden Knights and won the Stanley Cup the following season. We'll see if Montgomery can accomplish the same feat.