There was significant hockey news on Sunday as Jim Montgomery of Montreal, Quebec was named the new head coach of the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. Here is the reaction on X. He took over from Drew Bannister, who was relieved of his job.
The Blues have hired Jim Montgomery to a five year deal to be the next STL head coach.
Absolute no brainer. Two seasons ago Montgomery led the Bruins to the greatest regular season ever, going 65-12-5. No other team did better than Monty’s 120-41-23 record as the B’s head coach.… pic.twitter.com/sKHX7KAlfX
— Gateway Grinders (@gatewaygrinders) November 24, 2024
Montgomery’s winning percentage in that time was .662. He has the fourth highest career winning percentage among active coaches. Montgomery is behind Rod Brind’Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes (.666), Kris Knoblauch of the Edmonton Oilers (.665), and Sheldon Keefe of the New Jersey Devils (.664). During the 2022-23 season, Montgomery led the Bruins to the most regular season wins in one season in National Hockey League history (65), and the most points in one season in National Hockey League history (135). He also won the Jack Adams Award.
When the coaches you fire to save your own skin get hired immediately, it’s pretty clear that you’re the problem not them.
Don Sweeney and Cam Neely are the problem with the Boston Bruins, not Jim Montgomery or Bruce Cassidy https://t.co/ujHGCSckPk
— Boston Bruins Watcher (@WatcherBruins) November 24, 2024
This is a valid viewpoint. It should also be pointed out that Montgomery is the fifth former Bruins head coach to win the Jack Adams Award in Boston, and go on to coach somewhere else. He follows Don Cherry of Kingston, Ontario (Colorado Rockies), Pat Burns of Montreal. Quebec (New Jersey Devis where he won a Stanley Cup in 2002-03), Claude Julien of Blind River, Ontario (Montreal Canadiens), and Bruce Cassidy of Ottawa, Ontario (Vegas Golden Knights where he won a Stanley Cup in 2022-23).
The Jim Montgomery era begins tonight in the Big Apple. #stlblues
PREVIEW ➡️ https://t.co/8Xo8WOYDQX https://t.co/8Xo8WOYDQX
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 25, 2024
The Blues face the New York Rangers in Montgomery’s first test. The Rangers are in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 12 wins, six regulation losses and one point in extra time for 25 points. New York is coming off a poor performance in Edmonton on Saturday, where they were beaten 6-2.
Jim Montgomery said Doug Armstrong is very persuasive. How? Montgomery: “The best line that put his hooks into me was ‘When something delicious falls on my plate, I eat.’ So, I don’t know, I guess I was a T-bone that day.”
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) November 25, 2024
This is not the first time we have heard a classic quote from Armstrong. In the offseason there was a belief that the Blues would not have gone after restricted free agents Philip Broberg or Dylan Holloway if his friend Ken Holland was still the Oilers GM. Armstrong refuted the claim by comically stating the following:
“Quite honestly, I’d do it to my mother if she was still managing the Oilers.”
Along with a great coaching record, I’ll never forget Jim Montgomery’s speech when he won the Jack Adams award after the Bruins clinched the best regular season in hockey history, really respected him as a coach and human being for being so vulnerable with his past. #Bruins https://t.co/xPm9zGPvTj pic.twitter.com/upBkjOxytO
— Cameron Manning (@cam_manning133) November 19, 2024
Montgomery was open about his battle with alcohol addiction with the Dallas Stars when accepting his Jack Adams Award.
Jim Montgomery is the first full-time #stlblues head coach since Bob Plager in 1992 who wore the Note as a player. pic.twitter.com/MJ5Jg4hFrY
— FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (@FanDuelSN_MW) November 25, 2024
Montgomery played one season for the Blues as a centre in 1993-94. In 67 games, he had six goals and 14 assists for 20 points. He was a -1 with 44 penalty minutes, one game-winning goal, one power-play point, one shorthanded point, and 67 shots on goal.
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