ST. LOUIS – Drew Bannister, who calls Thunder Bay home in the offseason, has officially been named head coach of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.
Bannister served in the role on an interim basis after taking over the post from Craig Berube last December, after a 13-14-1 start.
The 50-year-old Bannister, who spent part of six seasons playing in the NHL, guided the Blues to a 30-19-5 record the rest of the way.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said he proved his mettle after taking over the team late last year.
“We talked about a few different people and it came back to Drew being the perfect candidate to move forward with,” Armstrong said in a video posted to the Blues official Twitter account.
“We’re excited to have him here. (He) did a very good job in a very difficult situation last year, and now having a full training camp and a two-year term to put his stamp on the team, we’re looking forward to it.”
The Sudbury native began coaching in the Ontario Hockey League, serving three seasons behind the bench with Owen Sound and three more with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Bannister is the 27th coach in franchise history.
