Jim Montgomery Appointed as Head Coach of St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues have announced the appointment of Jim Montgomery as the team’s new head coach. This decision follows the removal of Drew Bannister from the position. Doug Armstrong, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager for the Blues, made the announcement and confirmed that Montgomery has signed a five-year contract, becoming the 28th head coach in the history of the franchise.

Prior to his new role, Montgomery, aged 55 and originally from Montreal, Quebec, spent more than two seasons with the Boston Bruins. During his time in Boston, Montgomery led the Bruins to secure the top regular-season record and point total in the NHL, achieving a record of 120-41-23 which earned them 263 points. His leadership saw the team reach consecutive playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024. Notably, Montgomery guided the Bruins to a stellar 65-12-5 record in the 2022-23 season, earning the Presidents’ Trophy and the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year.

Before his tenure with the Bruins, Montgomery built a respectable record as head coach of the Dallas Stars, where he recorded 60-43-10 over two seasons. He also spent two years as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues from 2020 to 2022. During this period, the Blues achieved a robust 76-42-20 regular-season record, including tying for the third-highest regular-season point total in the franchise’s history in 2021-22 with 109 points.

Montgomery’s career in coaching commenced in collegiate hockey, holding positions as an assistant at the University of Notre Dame and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (R.P.I.). He later occupied the head coaching role with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL, winning the Clark Cup twice in 2011 and 2013. Further success followed at the University of Denver, where Montgomery led the team to an NCAA National Championship in 2017 during his five-year tenure.

In his previous career as a player, Montgomery enjoyed a 12-year career playing in various countries, including Germany, Russia, and North America. His NHL playing career includes 122 regular-season games, with 67 of those played during his rookie season with the Blues.