Getting to know Drew Bannister

ST. LOUIS -- Drew Bannister didn't exactly step into unfamiliar territory behind the St. Louis Blues bench on Thursday night.

Sure, it may have been his first game as the Blues bench boss, replacing the fired Craig Berube on Tuesday, sure it may have been his first game as an NHL head coach, but the players he was directing in a 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators, the 49-year-old had crossed paths with or coached on a previous level.

"I think I've been roughly six seasons with the organization," said Bannister, who was the coach of the Blues' AHL affiliates, first in San Antonio and for the past three seasons with Springfield. "I don't know the exact number of players that have come through that I've touched and have played in St. Louis, but if you watched the practice [Thursday], it was pretty easy for me to get around. I talk to players. I think for them, it's going to be an easier transition for them, knowing me and knowing what I expect and how I do things on a day-to-day basis. I think the transition for me from the American Hockey League to the NHL, certainly I have a staff here that I trust and know well and respect. They're going to help me with that process. It's going to be something with the players, they're going to see a lot of what they saw in Springfield with them. And if you've watched our teams at all, we're a highly competitive team and we're resilient. I think that's something that we're going to start to work on here with this group here."

Bannister is familiar with many of the younger players on the Blues roster, including Jordan Kyrou from his days in San Antonio; Jake Neighbours, Alexey Toropchenko, Tyler Tucker, Scott Perunovich, Mackenzie MacEachern, Hugh McGing, Nikita Alexandrov and Joel Hofer all from Springfield. He never coached him, but Bannister went against Robert Thomas many times in the Ontario Hockey League, Thomas even quipping after the game Thursday that Thomas has "had his number." 

His immediate challenge, most importantly getting the Blues (14-14-1) on a winning track, but getting to know his players, mostly the veterans, and implementing a system that all can get on board with.

"I sat down with the leadership group [Thomas, captain Brayden Schenn, Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk] five minutes before I met with the rest of the group. A lot of it was what I touched on here. I'm not here to reinvent the wheel. I'm not going to blow things up. But I expect the four captains on our team to set the tone for the rest of the guys, and we have to start getting into the fight earlier. That's going to be a collective group, but they're going to be the maintstays.

"I spend a lot of time with my leadership group. I spend a lot of time with my staff to make sure that we get the message across to all the players on our team. I think that what you saw on the ice is me just touching base with some people that I know, that I've brought up through the AHL. And then touching base with a few guys that I haven't had a lot of conversations with. 'Schenner' and guys like that, I'm new to them, but the honesty thing, I know 'Chief' was very direct and honest, I think they're going to get the same thing with me. The message might be different in how it's delivered, but it's going to be direct and it's going to be honest."

Something that Blues fans have been openly questioning since they started falling in the wrong direction, going back to last season, is accountability. 

Players all spoke of Bannister holding all players accountable, no matter who they are int he pecking order.

"He's a great coach," Neighbours said. "I had the chance to play for him last year for about 25 games. He's good. He holds people accountable, he expects a lot from his players and from what I've witnessed, he gets a lot out of them. He's going to push us and obviously have some new ideas for us to try out. We have to work on them and take in his ideas and execute them."

"He's a direct coach. He tells it how he sees it. That's how he coaches," McGing said. "He's accountable, holds players accountable. He expects big things from this group. That's what we've got to show him."

Every coach goes about their own way of how to hold accountability to a high standard, and Bannister said it starts with how he holds himself.

"It starts with me in practice," Bannister said. "It's very simple and direct. I expect teams in practice to practice with pace. I expect execution, and when it's time to compete, than we compete. It builds trust and respect within the group. If you've watched our team in Springfield over the last three years, we are a highly competitive team, and whether we win or lose, I've very rarely walked away disappointed with the effort in our group."

That hasn't always been the case here this season, and that's on the players to change that. But the new coach won't try and change a ton immediately.

"I think tactically, I don't think a lot of it will change from what you've seen," Bannister said. "There's going to be small adjustments away from the puck. I think we have to play quicker away from the puck, and when we have it, our guys that are away from the puck have to play faster to support pucks. When we don't have it, we have to play quicker to get it back. Defensively, we'll make some small adjustments, but very similar to what I did in Springfield. I think offensively, there are some things that I can bring in here that are going to help this team and their offensive players. But there's still going to be structure, there's still going to be some predictability to that. The speciality teams, like I said, I trust this staff, I trust 'Otter' in what he does. I'm going to sit in to see what is happening, but I think the changes that we can make right now is getting our groups out on the ice and getting them touches with no pressure and then getting them into situations in games. And when it opens up, it's going to help this hockey team. The power play has got to get better -- we know that -- and I believe in this group. And moving forward it will be better for us."

As for Bannister's playing style, it really boils down to a common trait.

"I want to be aggressive," Bannister said. "The teams that play for me are aggressive in forechecking, they're aggressive on defending. Creativity off the rush in zone. But we're a detailed team. I'm really heavy on the habits of our players, whether it's in video or in practice. I'll stop a lot, I'll talk a lot. When I talk about expectations, when we get into a drill, I'll give them direct expectations of what we're trying to do. I think that's the thing for me. I'm a detailed coach. But when you look at our teams, my teams play fast, they play with a lot of urgency and with that, we're highly competitive and we're hard to play against."

Sound familiar? It should but wasn't always implemented here. Draw your own conclusions as to why.

"He just wants us to play aggressive and quick and play the right way, which obviously Chief was preaching the same message, but whatever it is, a different voice and we got a good response (Thursday). 

"We've got a team that's obviously trying to find our way right now. ... We can't be satisfied with one win and feel like we're ahead of it."

One of Bannister's immediate challenges will be to try and get the most out of Kyrou, who has struggled to score this season (five goals in 29 games after scoring 37 last season) and was on the receiving end of Blues fans' anger after making what they felt was an out-of-line comment regarding Berube.

Bannister played Kyrou on the top line with Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, and that trio combined for six points (three goals, three assists).

"I think the players want feedback, they want honesty, and I think there's a certain way that it's delivered and how it gets across to the players," Bannister said. "But in the same sense, they have to be able to meet me half way. There's going to be a direct message to them on the expectations and how I see them, and how they can have success, and then it's up to them to meet me there. 

"With a player like Jordan Kyrou, he's an outstanding player. I've seen it. I've coached against him in the Ontario Hockey League. I watched him in the American League dominate. I see what he did here last year. He's going through a tough spell - there's no question about it. But I'm here to help him and I believe in him."