Arriving in St. Louis on Wednesday, Bannister will start his first game as the Blues’ bench coach on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators.
Berube was under contract for three years, which ended in the 2024–2025 season. The 2018–19 season saw the Blues win their first-ever Stanley Cup championship under his direction.
After the defeat, Blues forward Kevin Hayes offered his thoughts on the state of affairs, saying, “It’s easy to see from the outside. We must go back to work, gather our thoughts, reestablish our organizational structure, and carry out the plans that brought us success.
After the conclusion of his sixth season leading the Blues, Berube recorded 206 victories, 132 defeats, and 44 ties. After entering the team in the middle of the 2018–19 season, he oversaw an incredible turnaround that lifted the team from the basement.
From 2013 to 2015, Berube served as the Philadelphia Flyers’ head coach.
Bannister, 49, has spent the last three seasons with the Blues’ AHL affiliate, leading them to the postseason in the previous two. He led the team to the Calder Cup finals in his debut season. He was a defenseman in the NHL from 1995 to 2001, appearing in 164 games.
