-
Update
The hiring is official now. An announcement is now on the Blues official website.
Doug Armstrong adds someone he knows who happens to have much more experience behind the bench than who was replaced. Not surprising. A very similar move to the Hitchcock for Payne swap.
-
By now you have likely heard that the Peoria Rivermen declined to exercise their option to bring back head coach Jared Bednar for a third season. When news broke Tuesday many were shocked, include Bednar himself and his now former players.
It seems like we won’t be waiting long to find out who replaces him.
Dave Eminian of the Peoria Journal Star reports via Twitter this morning that an announcement is forthcoming to introduce the new Rivs bench boss.
The Blues have hired former Iowa Stars coach Dave Allison as new head coach of Peoria Rivermen. Announcement is imminent.
Allison is 53 years old and a native of Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. He only played in three NHL games, but had an 11 year pro career. Splitting time between the AHL and IHL between 79-80 and 88-89.
Allison has been a head coach in the at many different levels including the NHL. His career states in this capacity back in 1989-90 in the ECHL. He progressed through the IHL, OHL, and AHL ranks on his was to a 25 game stint with the Ottawa Senators in 1995-96. Since then Allison has coached on as hogh as the AHL. A two season run with the Milwaukee Admirals and three years with the Iowa Stars. According to HockeyDB, his last season behind the bench was 2007-08.
Honestly, I’m not sure what angle the Blues are playing. From all indications Bednar was coming back and his dismissal was a complete shock. After taking a look at Allison’s track record, I don’t see a good reason to make the swap unless he is just a new regime guy… or Bednar failed to develop a few players as well as management would have liked.
We shall see.