The St. Louis Blues enter the summer with a decision to make. Who will the next head coach be? After firing Stanley Cup-winning head coach Craig Berube in December, the club brought in American Hockey League (AHL) head coach Drew Bannister, who did a solid job on an interim basis.
I think it’s time for the Blues to look outside the organization for their next hire. I also believe that they should look for a fresh perspective and seriously consider a younger option. Hiring a first-time head coach should be an option for general manager Doug Armstrong as he looks to move forward. Here are some names that the club should consider for this position.
Jay Leach
First up is Seattle Kraken assistant coach Jay Leach. At 44 years old, he’s been a popular name for various head coaching opportunities over the past couple of seasons. He’s been on Dave Hakstol’s staff in Seattle since their inaugural season in 2021-22.
Before coaching his way up to the NHL ranks, Leach spent four seasons as a head coach in the AHL and two as an assistant. He was also the interim head coach for three games in 2015-16 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In four seasons as the Providence Bruins head coach, he led them to two playoff appearances and was on track for two more before COVID-19 took away multiple Calder Cup trophies for the league to hand out in 2020 and 2021. One thing that’s been said about him as a coach is his ability to teach. He played in the NHL as a defenseman and wants his teams to play the right way with structure. Out of all the potential first-time head coaching options, I think Leach might be the strongest.
Jay Woodcroft
This would be a second chance for Jay Woodcroft, who was fired by the Edmonton Oilers back in November of this season. I understand that the Oilers have been great under Kris Knoblauch, who replaced him, but he’s going to get a second chance regardless. While coaching was an issue in Edmonton this season with Woodcroft, there were also a lot of issues in the way of roster construction, goaltending, and underperformers. There have been plenty of examples where a team is much better after firing a coach, and that doesn’t mean Woodcroft is a bad coach.
Woodcroft had a 76-32-12 record as the Oilers head coach heading into this season. He reached the Western Conference Final in his first season with Edmonton and the second round last season. He helped turn the team around after their underperformance under Dave Tippett. He didn’t change much of the Oilers’ structure under Tippett but got a lot out of his team in the first two seasons. I think Woodcroft would be a fine option for the Blues.
David Carle
University of Denver head coach David Carle has become a hot name in NHL head coaching circles, and rightfully so. At just 34 years old, he’s experienced a ton of coaching success at various levels. In seven seasons coaching his alma mater, he’s led them to four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Frozen Four tournaments and two national championships. He also has led them to a record of 148-62-16. He comes from a hockey background and was a defenseman at Denver. He was set to be drafted into the NHL but was diagnosed with a heart condition that forced him to retire. He began his coaching career in 2008 as an assistant at Denver.
Carle was the United States World Junior Championships head coach for the first time in 2024 and led them to a gold medal in Sweden. If any college coach is ready to make the leap to the NHL, it’s him and I suspect multiple NHL teams will have interest and the Blues should be one of those teams.
Ryan Warsofsky
Similar to Leach in Seattle, Ryan Warsofsky is another candidate to become a first-time NHL head coach with proper experience in lower levels. He’s been an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks for the past two seasons after being a head coach in the ECHL for two seasons and the AHL for three seasons.
In 2021-22, Warsofsky led the Chicago Wolves of the AHL to a championship. The team went 50-16-10 before going 14-4 in the playoffs. He’s been on staff under Sharks head coach David Quinn since the start of the 2022-23 season. He runs a Sharks penalty kill unit that finished eighth in the league last season and is 15th overall in the past two seasons combined. Although the unit finished 29th this season, it’s tough to judge them given the personnel and overall lack of talent on the roster.
He should be towards the top of the Blues’ list if they are looking to hire a first-time head coach. He’s got quality experience at multiple levels.
Mitch Love
The final option to discuss at length is Mitch Love, who would also be a first-timer. At 39 years old, he made the jump to the NHL this season as an assistant under Spencer Carbery with the Washington Capitals. In the two seasons before 2023-24, Love was the head coach of the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate Stockton Heat. Under his guidance, they went 96-33-11 and won playoff rounds in each one. He has a long history of coaching junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) as well with six seasons as an assistant for the Everett Silvertips and three as a head coach for the Saskatoon Blades. Love has led the Capitals defensive unit this season and despite multiple injuries, they finished in the top 20 of goals against.
There’s no doubt that his name will come up in rumors this summer and the Blues should consider adding him as they look to develop a new generation of talent in their prospect pool.
Other Names on the Board
The other names to consider are mostly coaches who have been recycled throughout the league more than once, which I think the Blues should avoid. Those names include Gerard Gallant, Bruce Boudreau, Alain Vigneault, Joel Quenneville, Lindy Ruff, and Todd McClellan. With where the franchise is right now, it makes no sense to bring in these types of coaches.
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The Blues must seek a youthful voice behind the bench to begin a new era for the franchise. They will be developing a load of young talent in the coming seasons and fresh, new voices are key. My endorsement would go to Carle, but any of the options discussed in this piece make plenty of sense.
