St. Louis Blues fire head coach Craig Berube

The St. Louis Blues have fired head coach Craig Berube after a disappointing start to the 2023-24 season.

Berube, who led the team to their first ever Stanley Cup championship in 2019, had been behind the bench since 2018.

The decision came hours after the Blues lost 6-4 at home to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. That defeat dropped the team’s record to 13-14-1 through 28 games, leaving them in sixth place in the Central Division.

“We’ve built a friendship over the years. He’s a true professional,” said Blues general manager Doug Armstrong about letting Berube go. “We talked a little bit. We had a beer. We reminisced for a second and now my job is to move forward.”

Berube took over as interim head coach in November 2018 after Mike Yeo was fired. He led a remarkable turnaround as the Blues went from dead last in the league to winning the Cup just months later. His regular season record with St. Louis ended at 206-131-44.

This season though, the team has struggled with consistency issues. They have not won more than three games in a row all year. A recent four-game losing skid seems to have been the last straw for management.

The Blues have promoted AHL Springfield Thunderbirds head coach Drew Bannister to take over behind the bench on an interim basis. Armstrong said the search for a full-time replacement will be extensive.

At 57 years old, Berube will likely garner interest for head coaching vacancies elsewhere next season. But for now, the Blues will press on with Bannister attempting to spark better results from a roster that has underachieved so far.