Blues fire Craig Berube, name Drew Bannister (upd: no longer interim) head coach

[Mike Liut]

The coach is always the fall guy. Best of luck to Craig. He'll be back.

That said, the magical run from last place on Jan 2 to the playoffs was more about an unheralded Jordan Binnington providing a Vezina like performance (1.89 GAA, .927 SVP) in his rookie season than any coaching magic from Berube.

they had a really good roster, they just needed a hard nosed coach. It was more than just a hot goalie. They were a big, physical team. The following year they were the #1 seed prior to Covid and had 110 pts after the crazy Covid year. They had a stacked roster.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

they had a really good roster, they just needed a hard nosed coach. It was more than just a hot goalie. They were a big, physical team. The following year they were the #1 seed prior to Covid and had 100 pts after the crazy Covid year. They had a stacked roster.

Solid, deserving Cup team for sure, and I didn't mean to disparage the Chief if that's how it sounded. Just said it was *more* about Binnington than Berube.

That's the way it seemed to this outsider anyway.

 

[Mike Liut]

Solid, deserving Cup team for sure, and I didn't mean to disparage the Chief if that's how it sounded. Just said it was *more* about Binnington than Berube.

That's the way it seemed to this outsider anyway.

Binny was definitely a key part, but Chief and their huge shut down D was too. ROR was a monster too.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Binny was definitely a key part, but Chief and their huge shut down D was too. ROR was a monster too.

I'm a Sabres fan. No ROR talk, please. Thanks for Tage though!

 

[Mike Liut]

I'm a Sabres fan. No ROR talk, please. Thanks for Tage though!

im rooting for you guys too.

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

 

[Clark Kellogg]

G.M. Says “We’re in a rebuild”.
Coach keeps trying to win.
G.M. Says “Your Fired”.
The End

 

[toddkaz]

If an NHL coach is under contract and gets fired does the new team need permission to speak to the fired coach since he is still getting paid.

Or its not like the NFL.

 

[FMichael]

Wow, he was just coaching like an hour ago.

Uncle Fester strikes again...Next on the list: Rod Brind'Amour.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

He won't be unemployed for long. The Blues just suck.

 

[Reality Czech]

I'm a Sabres fan. No ROR talk, please. Thanks for Tage though!

You're welcome. Hope you see a playoff game sometime this decade.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

You're welcome. Hope you see a playoff game sometime this decade.

It's only 2023. Hope springs eternal!

 

[Xerloris]

Literally the first time I ever type the word "Bennington" on HF. You might want to revise your definition of obsession.

View attachment 782645

Try spelling his name correctly first.

Ehh, I can still fault them for the Fabbri trade. You can get away with something like that if you have to get rid of him. But they didn't really have to get rid of him. They just abruptly traded an injury laden guy with a boatload of potential for a fringe NHL plug.

Walman I don't think anybody expected. I think that's more a credit to Detroit's pro scouting than anything. They found a guy who was undervalued who they felt would thrive in their system, and they were right. Their pro scouting is kinda underrated.

It's easy to blame Armstrong with 20/20 hindsight but you're ignoring that Fabbri asked for a trade because at the time he couldn't crack our roster and he wanted play time. Walman also couldn't crack our roster so he was also done a solid and sent somewhere that would give him ice time.

St. Louis sealed its fate when they let Pietrangelo, who was (and still is) a legit top pairing defenseman because he wanted actual money after helping lead them to a cup (spare the thought!) walk and replaced him with...Torey Krug

Krug was a great player in his own right (still miss him) but it was so obviously a bad idea to give him that money in a role that expected more he's capable of. Now you have him and Faulk on the second pairing, neither of whom are exactly stellar in their own end.

That falls squarely on Armstrong and it's wild to me as an outsider he's been so safe with some pretty bad personnel decisions.

I love how everyone acts like Pietro had no choice in the matter and he left here for Vegas completely against his will. The f***er was on a private jet to Vegas the very second FA opened. Don't act like he wasn't planning to go there for days if not weeks in advance of FA. He simply was not negotiating with the Blues in good faith.

 

[Reality Czech]

It's only 2023. Hope springs eternal!

I think you got this! Bright figure ahead for the other boys in blue!

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

I think you got this! Bright figure ahead for the other boys in blue!

Thanks. It's a manic-depressive nightmare in Sabres Land this season. We win - yay, don't give up hope! We lose - f*** the players, coaches, management, owner, we suck again!!!

Back OT - hope Berube lands on his feet. Seems like a genuine good dude, liked and respected by his players.

 

[stl76]

Thanks. It's a manic-depressive nightmare in Sabres Land this season. We win - yay, don't give up hope! We lose - f*** the players, coaches, management, owner, we suck again!!!

Back OT - hope Berube lands on his feet. Seems like a genuine good dude, liked and respected by his players.

Genuinely like your team up there in Buffalo. They’re fun to watch and easy to root for, so much young talent…Adams needs to get off his ass and make some smart trades/signings to bring in some veteran leadership in support roles IMO.

Back on topic - Berube won’t be unemployed long. He has his flaws but is definitely a good coach. He was the right guy, just in the wrong place/time.

 

[miscs75]

There’s a name I forgot existed in the hockey universe. Next we’ll see Hnat Domenichelli come back to coach in the NHL.

Thanks. It's a manic-depressive nightmare in Sabres Land this season. We win - yay, don't give up hope! We lose - f*** the players, coaches, management, owner, we suck again!!!

Welcome to every fanbase across the sports universe. Islanders fans were calling for everyone to be fired during the 3rd period blown lead extravaganza. Now no one says a peep in regards to staff.

 

[Terry Yake]

all the blues need to do now is adopt some cheesy 80s song as their team song and they'll be well on their way to another cup

 

[Il Stugotz]

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Ill bet he had the same response when they asked him about scoring goals.

 

[Kimota]

I think Berube was beneficial of circumstances where he never was a great coach but he was what the Blues needed at the time to go the extra mile, a "keep it simple, dummy" type of coach to win the cup.

 

[brentashton]

I think Berube was beneficial of circumstances where he never was a great coach but he was what the Blues needed at the time to go the extra mile, a "keep it simple, dummy" type of coach to win the cup.

I can’t chalk this up to a case of circumstances only.

He’s the only coach in St Louis history to bring a SC championship to the city.

It could be argued that they had better opportunities and teams to do it and yet no one delivered. He also had the team in the playoffs 4 of the 5 full seasons he was the HC.

Something that Scotty Bowman, Quenneville, Hitchcock, Keenan, Al Arbour, Emile Francis, Jacques Martin & Demers, Brian Sutter and many others couldn’t do in their 50+ years of existence at the time.

Armstrong‘s roster stupidity in losing Dunn, especially Pieterangelo, Schwartz and others has a lot to do with this.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Armstrong‘s roster stupidity in losing Dunn, especially Pieterangelo, Schwartz and others has a lot to do with this.

While pretty much all of this is true, in his defense, Schwartz wanted to be closer to his home as his dad had just passed away. Just wanted to clarify.

 

[chuckt]

When I think of Berube, I think of his composure and stalwart attitude during the Stanley Cup run.

The Sharks OT winner off the hand-pass is the shining example of this. When the refs were grouped together and skating towards the exit at the edge of the rink, the Blues players were pleading their case and angry that the obvious call was missed. I recall Schenn slamming his stick on the glass and yelling, along with several other players totally upset.

When talking to the press after the game, Berube had none of it. He didn't complain once. When asked about it, repeatedly, he kept saying "we're moving on. There's nothing to talk about."

It was honestly a little wild at the time.

Compare his reaction to the reaction of each opposing coach in the four rounds. Every single coach of the opposing team had one or more games where they vocally complained about reffing and the Blues physicality. Maurice in particular really surprised me. He seemed defeated after each of their losses, totally exasperated and at wits end.

Meanwhile, Berube, when faced with what could have been the most significant and obvious missed call in the history of the franchise, kept his goddamn cool.

It impressed me then and it still impresses me now.

 

[brentashton]

While pretty much all of this is true, in his defense, Schwartz wanted to be closer to his home as his dad had just passed away. Just wanted to clarify.

I also live in Saskatchewan and know his story. Seattle isn’t closer or any better flight connections to Regina itself, but through Calgary it might be a bit easier. There was a time that Regina to Minneapolis was the core route from there, but it’s been cancelled for some time.