ST. LOUIS — Drew Bannister, who served as the interim head coach after the mid-season firing of Craig Berube, will have the job full-time after the team signed him to a two-year contract extension Tuesday.
In a press release, the team said Bannister has been in the organization for six years, including a stint as the head coach for one of the team's minor league affiliates, the San Antonio Rampage.
Bannister took over the team on Dec. 12 after a 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings dropped the team to 13-14-1 on the season. In the final 54 regular season games, the Blues posted a 30-19-5 record and finished just outside of the playoffs.
Bannister becomes the 27th head coach in franchise history. His predecessor, Berube, also served as interim head coach before getting the job full-time. Berube took the team to a Stanley Cup championship in his interim season.
Bannister had a 20-year playing career. He dressed in 164 regular-season NHL games before finishing his career in Europe.
To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV or the Apple TV app store.