St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery reacts from the bench during the first period of his first game as coach of the Blues at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers on Monday night. At left is another former Bruins coach, Blues assistant Claude Julien.
St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery reacts from the bench during the first period of his first game as coach of the Blues at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers on Monday night. At left is another former Bruins coach, Blues assistant Claude Julien.
BOSTON — Jim Montgomery found a new job just five days after the Boston Bruins fired him when the St. Louis Blues brought him in to be their next coach. It was a quick turnaround for the 55-year-old, and Charlie Coyle was happy to see his former coach land on his feet.
“You always want the best for someone you worked with, who we got along with, who was part of us for two-and-a-half years,” Coyle said Monday. “That’s the best-case scenario is to see a guy who’s kind of down and out because, not him, it’s all of us, right? He’s out, he leaves the team. So to see a guy get right back on his feet, five-year deal, that’s awesome. I’m so happy for him. We want him to be here, but things work out a certain way and that’s the best-case scenario for him.
“I’m sure there’s still some feelings. But I’m sure he’s pumped to get right back in it and get a long-term deal like that for him and his family. That’s huge. I’m so happy for him.”
Several players, including David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy, expressed guilt over Montgomery losing his job after a poor start. General manager Don Sweeney said the decision to fire Montgomery was due to the Bruins not performing up to their expectations.
Montgomery told reporters on Monday in his first press conference as the Blues coach that he had heard from those in the Bruins’ organization when the news became official. Interim coach Joe Sacco was one who reached out to wish his former co-worker well.
“I texted Monty yesterday and wished him congratulations,” Sacco said. “I think I said the other day he’s gonna land on his feet and obviously he did very quickly. So I’m very happy for him and his family, especially the fact that that’s basically their home. It’s a great opportunity.”
Montgomery is in his second stint with St. Louis after being an assistant for the organization from 2020-22. He revealed his family is still in Boston but they’ll wait until summer to move move so his children’s school year and extracurricular activities don’t get interrupted.
The Blues were 9-12-1 through their first 22 games of the season. Because Montgomery has worked with several players during his first stint in St. Louis, he believes it gives him a “tremendous head start” in getting the team back on track.
“Crazy. Crazy,” Montgomery told reporters of his emotions returning to St. Louis days after losing his job. “There’s no other word for it. A lot of emotions. I’m a firm believer that when one door closes, another one opens if you do the right thing.”
When Montgomery saw Blues GM Doug Armstrong was calling him, he thought it was a call to just catch up, not a business one.
“It was very exciting. But I was in the mindset, I thought this was a social call of like, ‘Hey, I’ve been there, keep your head up, take a breath, enjoy the family,’” Montgomery said. “Once it turned to business, the engine and my blood starting pumping.”
Armstrong, Montgomery said, was “very persuasive.”
“The best line that put his hooks into me was, ‘When something delicious falls on my plate, I eat,’” he said. “So, I don’t know, I guess I was a T-bone that day.”
Montgomery takes over for Drew Bannister, who was in the midst of his first full season as coach after being named the interim in December 2023.
Armstrong said Montgomery is the “full package” and has “all the attributes” to be in St. Louis long-term.
