Doug Armstrong Was Brutally Honest About The Coaching Switch To Jim Montgomery

Doug Armstrong Was Brutally Honest About The Coaching Switch To Jim Montgomery

It didn’t take Jim Montgomery very long to find another job after the Bruins fired him. It also didn’t take very long for the Blues to give up on the Drew Bannister experiment. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong was extremely honest about why they made the coaching switch.

Montgomery, 55, was a long time assistant in St. Louis. Armstrong admitted when there was a chance to bring him back, that’s what sparked the coaching change.

“When I woke up Wednesday morning, there was no inclination to make a coaching change,” he revealed during Sunday’s press conference.

“When I talked to Drew today, I told him this was more of a decision based on the availability of someone I think is a top NHL coach,” Armstrong continued. “Someone that we have experience with, someone I really do believe can coach this team and also coach the team when it reaches its ultimate level of competitiveness.”

“The situation that we were in, a young coach learning, learning with young players, it wasn’t an easy situation for (Bannister) to walk into,” Armstrong said. “I thought he did a good job. He was making mistakes. We were all making mistakes and that’s how you get better.”

Bruce Cassidy Deserves The 2022-23 Jack Adams Award

Montgomery, the 2023 Jack Adams winner, has signed a five year contract with the Blues. They also scored five goals in Monty’s debut as the offensive minded coach should spark St. Louis on that side of the puck.

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