St. Louis Blues remove interim tag and name Drew Bannister full-time coach

The St. Louis Blues have removed the interim tag from Drew Bannister’s title and named him their full-time coach.

President of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong announced the move Tuesday.

Bannister, 50, signed a two-year contract to remain in the role after replacing Craig Berube when the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach was fired in December. The Blues went 30-19-5 after Bannister took over for Berube and finished six points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

This is Bannister’s first head-coaching gig in the NHL. He previously coached the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League, St. Louis' top affiliate, for two-plus seasons.