Jim Montgomery is in need of a new job following his firing from the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. While there are many possible landing spots, a return to the St. Louis Blues could be another fit for Montgomery.
Montgomery Out in Boston
The Bruins fired Montgomery after a 8-9-3 start to the season. Despite two playoff trips and a President’s Trophy in Montgomery’s first two seasons in Boston, general manager Cam Neely felt it was time for a change behind the bench.
“Today, I made a very difficult decision with regards to a coaching change. Jim Montgomery is a very good NHL coach and an even better person. He has made a positive impact throughout the Bruins organization, and I am both grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to work with him and learn from him.”
Montgomery now finds himself in the NHL’s unemployment line. However, he has a resume that makes him an attractive candidate for any NHL team. He has a 180-84-33 record as a head coach with two different teams. Furthermore, Montgomery won the Jack Adams Award in 2023 with the Bruins as the league’s best coach. The same season, the Bruins set a NHL record with 65 regular-season wins.
Meet Me in St. Louis
In addition to his time as a head coach, Montgomery spent three seasons with the Blues as an assistant coach under Craig Berube. In those three seasons, the Blues offence and power play were one of the best in the league. Montgomery has an underrated role in players like Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich becoming the elite scorers they are today. Montgomery’s success as a Blues assistant coach put him back in the head coach spotlight. As a result, the Bruins hired Montgomery to replace Bruce Cassidy.
It was a successful three seasons with the Blue Note. For that reason, plus his track record, the Blues should bring Montgomery back. However, this time, he should be the head coach.
Meet Me (Again) in St. Louis (as the Head Coach)
We should clarify something very important. We are not talking about the Blues giving Montgomery a call in the spring about being the head coach for the 2025-26 season. Instead, we are talking about general manager Doug Armstrong and future general manager Alexander Steen picking up the phone right now and making a call to Montgomery.
Yes, doing this would seemingly contradict the Blues current plan. The Blues removed the interim tag from Drew Bannister and named them their head coach in the off-season. Furthermore, they gave him a two-year contract. Bannister would have two seasons to work with the team. At the end of that time, Steen, who will be taking over as general manager, would be able to choose whether or not to retain Bannister as head coach.
Well, if you found a million dollars on the sidewalk, would you walk away from it because your paycheck from your work was coming on Friday? Not at all! You would jump on that unexpected opportunity. That is exactly what the Blues need to do. Yes, they would have to part ways with Bannister much earlier than they thought. This would certainly be a bold move, but remember, so is tendering offer sheets. Armstrong had no issue doing that, so he should not be deterred from hiring Montgomery to be the Blues head coach.
Montgomery Could Speed Up the Rebuild
The Blues are in the middle of a rebuild. Hiring Montgomery would not end the rebuild. It would not make them Stanley Cup contenders suddenly. However, it would speed up the rebuild.
Think of the talent on the roster now and upcoming. Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich, and Jake Neighbours are making up the core of the team. In addition, Dalibor Dvorksy, Zachary Bolduc, and Jimmy Snuggerud are projected to contribute to the future of the team. Imagine taking that core of players and putting them under the guidance of a head coach who has coached stars like Jamie Benn, Vladimir Tarasenko, and David Pastrnak.
Sure, it could work out with Bannister. But again, would you walk away from a million dollars on the sidewalk?
Main Photo: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
