St. Louis Blues: 3 Key Takeaways from the Drew Bannister Interview

Drew Bannister is no longer an interim coach. On Tuesday, he signed a two-year deal with the St. Louis Blues to become the 27th head coach in franchise history. Bannister alluded to the fact that he had privately spoken with GM Doug Armstrong for two to three weeks before the offer came.

During the initial interview that took place after news of his hiring broke, Bannister emphasized a number of key goals that he believed were crucial for attaining team success and trust.

“We and Us”

In his interview with reporters, Bannister highlighted his mentality of “we and us.” He further mentioned that the focus is on the players and fans. The new coach understands that the staff and himself are often the back side of the story and commented that his goal is to unify the unit with an “us” mentality.

Building relationships

Bannister emphasized the necessity of personal connections between the players and himself. He said he already knew several of the young players but needed to build a stronger relationship with the veterans. Bannister expects to take time this offseason to reach out personally and spend time with his players, showing his dedication to building trust. Notably, he highlighted the importance of developing relationships outside the rink before the season starts.

Repairing what is broken

Bannister further stressed the need to fix deficiencies and hold players accountable, noting his commitment to team improvement. As head coach, he aims to improve the team and further strengthen player skills. Bannister elaborated on accountability, mentioning that it correlates to getting to know the players personally. He believes that trust and personal connections are crucial for fostering accountability.

Bannister’s comments were exactly what was expected, and he hit all the right points. Time will tell if Bannister succeeds at his mission.