On Sunday (Nov. 24), former Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery found his new job just five days after being let go by the Original Six club. He landed a five-year contract to be the new head coach of the St. Louis Blues.
While speaking to reporters, including The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong was very honest about why he hired Montgomery.
Here is what Armstrong said on the matter:
“This was more of an opportunity to get someone of Jim’s caliber than anything else. This decision was based, I would say, almost 100 percent on having someone of Jim’s caliber become available when I didn’t know that was going to happen.”
It is not particularly surprising that the Blues primarily hired Montgomery because of his excellent coaching ability. He had great success with the Bruins, posting a 180-84-33 record in two years and some change as the club’s bench boss. He also, of course, led them to an NHL-record 65 wins in 2022–23.
It will now be fascinating to see if Montgomery can help turn the Blues around. They have had a tough start to the campaign, as their 9-12-1 record effectively demonstrates.
