FEATURED: St. Louis Blues Coverage (2023)

Dec. 12, 2023

The St. Louis Blues have parted ways with head coach Craig Berube, the only coach to lead the franchise to a Stanley Cup title in its half-century-plus history.

The Blues announced late Tuesday evening that Berube was relieved of duties as head coach, a decision made public just hours after the team’s season-worst fourth straight loss and perhaps with heightened concerns over the future of the franchise.

St. Louis has named Drew Bannister as the interim head coach. He had been serving as the head coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Blues. Bannister will take over as the 27th head coach in Blues history.

“It’s not a great day, but it’s a new day, and now we move forward,” said Blues general manager Doug Armstrong during a Wednesday press conference on the decision.

This marks the first midseason coaching change for the Blues in nearly half a decade and the first time since 2017 that Berube is not part of the St. Louis coaching staff. 

Berube spent parts of six seasons as the Blues head coach, a tenure that ended with a 206-132-44 record. His 206 victories are the third-most among all St. Louis head coaches, only trailing Ken Hitchcock (248) and Joel Quenneville (307).

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Dec. 15, 2023

A time of transition for the St. Louis Blues has proven especially tough for 25-year-old forward Jordan Kyrou, who battled tears Thursday after a barrage of boos in the first game after a major coaching change.

An emotional Kyrou referred to Thursday’s contest as “the toughest game I’ve probably played.” 

Earlier on Thursday, Kyrou spoke one-on-one with The Athletic’s Blues beat writer Jeremy Rutherford and delivered a comment that caught attention on social media. Rutherford asked Kyrou about former head coach Craig Berube, who was fired Tuesday after six seasons and coaching the Blues to their first and only Stanley Cup title in 2019.

According to Rutherford, Kyrou offered the following remarks Thursday afternoon on his relationship with Berube: “I’ve got no comment. He’s not my coach anymore.”

Hours later, Kyrou dressed for his first game under interim head coach Drew Bannister. And it appeared fans caught on to Kyrou’s comment from earlier in the day. He was met with loud boos just moments before the game during the Blues’ pregame introductions.

With lots to unpack, Kyrou took accountability for what transpired. “I obviously respect Chief,” said Kyrou. “He’s been my coach the whole time I’ve been here [at the NHL level]. I respect everything he’s done here.

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Sept. 19, 2023

The St. Louis Blues crown veteran forward Brayden Schenn as the 24th captain in franchise history.

Schenn earns the honor days before training camp and becomes the first Blues captain since the team moved their previous one, Ryan O’Reilly, in a trade deadline deal last winter.

“It’s a pretty special day standing up here and being captain of the St. Louis Blues,” said Schenn. “Something I’ll remember forever, but I’ll also remember [my teammates] showing up for me. These are the guys I go to battle and war with every day, and I enjoy being at the rink with them.”

Although the NHL does not require every team to have a captain, they are oftentimes tasked with pivotal leadership roles. That includes building camaraderie as locker room leader, serving as a franchise face, and consulting with coaches and referees as a key voice.

“Ultimately, our belief is each group functions best with a focal-point leader that has the trust of his coaches, teammates, and the organization as a whole,” said Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. “Brayden Schenn has experience, courage, toughness and knowledge that is needed for this group now and moving forward.”

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June 8, 2023

The St. Louis Blues are losing a big part of the family. Darren Pang, a longtime color commentator for St. Louis Blues broadcasts on Bally Sports Midwest, will join the Chicago Blackhawks broadcast team next season.

After 14 years in St. Louis, including countless “Holy Jumpin’!” calls and a 2019 Stanley Cup ride, Pang is finalizing a contract to join the rival Blackhawks, the same team that helped him burst onto the NHL scene as a goaltender decades ago.

Pang confirmed his departure Thursday with a heartfelt letter to St. Louis Blues fans and staff. “I’ll forever be indebted for my time with the Blues and Bally Sports Midwest. Thank you for everything,” he says in the letter.

Pang used the letter to reflect on his journey in St. Louis, which started with a phone call in 2009 around an Arizona golf trip. “It didn’t seem seem like a round of golf that would shape my future with another organization, but it did,” said Pang. That’s because Blues VP Mike Caruso joined him on the trip and found a great personality to fit the team’s culture.

Panger notes that Bruce Springsteen’s hit “Leap of Faith” reminds him most of the Blues run, even more than the team’s 2019 Stanley Cup anthem of Laura Branigan’s “Gloria.” He says a rebuilding Blues squad was on the verge of big playoff aspirations when he joined, and the role represented a “leap of faith” for him and the franchise.

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March 16, 2023

The NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Jordan Binnington two games for his actions Wednesday in the St. Louis Blues’ loss to the Minnesota Wild.

Binnington was ejected from Wednesday’s game after allowing a go-ahead goal to Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman. Moments after Hartman scored the goal, Binnington shoved him down to the ice, striking him with his left-handed goalie pad and stick.

Blues head coach Craig Berube, defending his goaltender, claims that Hartman went right to the crease as he scored and made contact.

“Binner reacted, which I don’t have a problem with,” said Berube after the game. "The guy went right in there. I’m not going to condone hitting like he did. That’s a match every time. But he’s reacting on what Hartman did.”

After Hartman fell down, it appeared Binnington was trying to push a few more Wild players, though both teams and a referee quickly entered the scrum and the situation deescalated. Binnington’s helmet flew off, and he also stared down Minnesota goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. 

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Feb. 3, 2023

Ash Gibbs lives just minutes from the border that separates Canada and Minnesota, the home state of Justin Faulk. And it’s the veteran defenseman who motivates Gibbs to unite St. Louis Blues fans from all over the world.

“As soon as he got traded to the Blues [in 2019], I was so excited,” said Gibbs. “He’s like a Swiss Army knife on defense. You never see him mentioned for the Norris [Trophy, NHL’s top defenseman], but he always shows up with his lunch pail to work.”

Faulk joined the Blues just a few months after the team’s Stanley Cup championship in 2019. His first go-around in St. Louis admittedly came with some growing pains. That season, Gibbs took to Twitter and came up with an idea to back the blueliner.

“Everybody on the Blues had nicknames,” said Gibbs. “Robert Thomas was ‘elite.’ You had ‘Binner’ and ‘Schenner.’ Watching one late game, they were on the West Coast road trip, I put out ‘Faulketeers’ [on Twitter]. I didn’t think anything of it.”

Slowly, but surely, Blues fans caught on to the nickname, though not necessarily as one for Faulk himself. 

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Jan. 3, 2023

Sports figures around the globe are offering support to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin after he suffered cardiac arrest during the latest Monday Night Football game.

Chris Pronger, a Hall of Fame St. Louis Blues defenseman who dealt with a similar scare 25 years ago, has chimed in with positive vibes.

“Prayers that Damar Hamlin can have the same outcome that I was fortunate to have with my incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Damar, his family, teammates and the greater NFL community during this incredibly scary time,” said Pronger on Tuesday via Twitter.

Hamlin is currently in critical condition after he collapsed on the field Monday following a tackle. He was given medical treatment for nearly 20 minutes before being rushed to a hospital. The Bills noted early Tuesday Hamlin is “currently sedated and listed in critical condition.” Monday’s NFL game was suspended after Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.

Pronger suffered cardiac arrest during a Blues playoff game on May 11, 1998 after taking a hard shot to the chest. He credits Blues medical trainer Ray Barile and the Detroit Red Wings medical staff for swift action during his scary situation.

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Feb. 9, 2023

One of the most decorated players in St. Louis Blues history is on the move.The St. Louis Blues have traded forward Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers, marking the end of an 11-year-run in St. Louis.

The Blues acquired a conditional 2023 first-round draft pick, a 2024 fourth-round draft pick, forward Sammy Blais, and defenseman Hunter Skinner from the New York Rangers. Defenseman Niko Mikkola is also on the move to New York.

Tarasenko evolved into a force over the last decade-plus, though his recent seasons have been riddled with injuries and personal frustrations with Blues management.

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Feb. 17, 2023

The St. Louis Blues part ways with two more veterans, trading captain Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now two weeks away from the NHL trade deadline, the Blues have pulled the trigger on a high-profile trade for the second time in two weeks. St. Louis traded longtime star Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers on Feb. 9. Just eight days later, O’Reilly is on the move.

The Blues acquire Toronto’s 2023 first-round pick and 2024 second-round pick, along with Ottawa’s 2023 third-round pick in exchange for O’Reilly and Acciari. St. Louis will also pick up two farm-system forwards, Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette, in the trade.

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