Bannister set to make NHL coaching debut

Starting Thursday, Drew Bannister will take over behind the St. Louis Blues bench.

Bannister, who has spent the last three seasons as the coach of the AHL-affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, will be making his NHL coaching debut as he takes over for Craig Berube on an interim basis.

Berube was relieved of his duties after a 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.

“What I’m looking for is increased passion and increased accountability,” Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong said Wednesday during a press conference at Centene Community Ice Center. “[Bannister] said, ‘I’m up for the challenge, I’ve coached my whole life to get this opportunity and I’m going to make the most of it.’”

Bannister, 49, will be taking over a Blues team that has dropped four straight games and is 13-14-1 on the season. As of Wednesday afternoon, the team is one point out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

In three seasons with Springfield, Bannister helped the Thunderbirds to a 93-58-19 record in the regular season in addition to three consecutive playoff appearances, including in 2021-22, when the team won the Eastern Conference and reached the Calder Cup Final.

Prior to coaching the Thunderbirds, Bannister worked in the Ontario Hockey League, which included three seasons as an assistant with Owen Sound and three seasons as head coach of the Soo Greyhounds. He has also served as the head coach of the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage and as associate coach with the Utica Comets.

Bannister had a 20-year professional career as a player, which included 164 games over six seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the New York Rangers.

"For me, for everyone, it’s a fresh start," Blues captain Brayden Schenn said of Bannister joining the team. "We’re going to play hard for Drew. He’s going to come in with a different message, guys are going to buy in and everyone gets a fresh slate. It’s a different locker room for him, he’s going to give guys a fair shake. I’m looking forward to working with him and seeing what he’s all about. He's going to be hungry, he’s going to be eager for his first shot in the NHL... I’m looking forward to playing for him."

Armstrong said he expects Bannister to have a chance to secure his new role. A search for a permanent replacement is ongoing and Armstrong said there was no timeline for when a decision would be made.

“He’s a candidate for the job because the job is wide open,” Armstrong said. “When I looked at our current staff, we didn’t have anyone with head coaching experience. It’s a different animal being a head coach (versus) an assistant coach. There are just different things, and I felt Drew has done this in the OHL, he’s done this in the AHL, he’s put in the foundational groundwork to be given his opportunity and he was willing to bet on himself to come in on an interim basis and show what he can do.

“Drew is excited about the opportunity and then that filters down,” Armstrong added. “One door closes, one door opens. Now we’ll find out how we all do… It’s not a great day, but it’s a new day, and now we move forward.”