The St. Louis Blues have named Drew Bannister as interim head coach after Craig Berube was relieved of his duties Tuesday night.
Bannister, 49, was in his sixth season as head coach of the Blues’ American Hockey League affiliates, having guided the San Antonio Rampage from 2018 to 2020 before spending the last three years with the Springfield Thunderbirds. Bannister also served as associate head coach of the Utica Comets when St. Louis’s prospects were there during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.
In Springfield, Bannister led the T’birds to a record of 93-58-19 and consecutive postseason appearances, highlighted by a trip to the Calder Cup Finals in 2022.
A defenseman, Bannister was a second-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992 and played 18 seasons of pro hockey, including 204 games in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and Binghamton Senators. He won a Calder Cup championship with Hartford in 2000. Bannister also appeared in 164 games in the NHL with Tampa Bay, Edmonton, Anaheim and the New York Rangers.