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“That last nine months before I crashed and burned and hit rock bottom, the isolation started,� said Jim Montgomery, St. Louis Blues head coach. “Because I didn’t want to affect anybody else. And then when (the isolation) happened, it bottomed out. Because that’s not the kind of person I am. I’m a people person, I’m not an isolation person.�

Alcoholism doesn’t discriminate. At a hockey game, it could be someone in the top row or someone in the front row. It could be the person driving the ice resurfacing machine or, in this case, the successful, celebrity head coach.

In Montgomery’s first season with Dallas, the Stars went 43-32-7. ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ won a playoff round. And then, perhaps you recall, went to double overtime of Game 7 before losing to St. Louis.

And in his second season — 2019-20 — Dallas had a 17-11-3 record after a win on Dec. 7.

Infamy would then begin.

“It was my ego that got the best of me,� Montgomery, 56, told the Post-Dispatch from his office. “You’re having success at what you’re doing professionally, and you don’t realize that you’re hurting people because you’re like, ‘Well, I’m having success, why should I change?’ So for me, the big part was ego. And then when other people started to notice that there were issues, that’s where the isolation started.�

He was fired. The team was vague and wouldn’t say exactly why. The hockey world stirred. Only those close to him knew the depths.

“There were no rumors or anything like that — it was just kind of abrupt,� said St. Louis native Ben Bishop, the Dallas goalie at the time, by phone. “We had a meeting in the morning and (heard of) the dismissal. ... Then all the rumors started swirling about what happened. But nobody knew anything prior.�

This past week, Montgomery proudly shared that he is now more than five years sober.

Saved his marriage. Saved his family.

Shoot, saved his life.

And he is open about his journey because he knows there are people out there just like him. People in the top row, people in the front row. He wants to inspire. He wants to motivate. He’s a coach, after all.

Moreover, he understands the vulnerability that comes with honesty. He’s been there.

“It’s hard for men to share — they view it as weakness,� Montgomery said. “But it’s not weakness. It’s actually strength to be able to admit that you’re struggling and you need help. It’s a powerful place to be. And whether it’s organizations or professionals that are trained, it’s amazing how many other people understand (the battle). ... And they can connect the dots for you and help you get better.�

As Montgomery first tried to escape isolation, he was forced to isolate. The pandemic began in early 2020. Much of his navigation to recovery occurred through meetings on Zoom calls. He spoke of the journey almost like a hockey player — after all, Montgomery is a college hockey legend (won the national title with Maine) and played in the National Hockey League before his coaching career began.

He said of recovery that “you’ve got to put in the work.�

He said the step-by-step process gave him peace of mind because “first you’re riddled with guilt and shame. And that’s normal. And then you realize that there’s a really good life without drinking.�

And Montgomery shared that even though sobriety is his “own journey, you can’t do it alone. I needed a team. I was very fortunate that my wife and family supported me.�

Emily Pixley was a South City girl. She moved to Ballwin as an adult. In 2009, her close friend worked at a law office and invited Pixley to an office happy hour.

Montgomery had played 67 of his 122 NHL games for the St. Louis Blues in the early 1990s. Made some good friends around town, including one fellow who was a lawyer. By 2009, Montgomery was the recruiting coordinator and assistant coach for RPI — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — a strong hockey college in Troy, New York.Montgomery came to St. Louis to watch games and recruit a player named Jerry D’Amigo (who would indeed choose RPI and later play in the NHL).

The night before the tournament, Montgomery met up with his lawyer friend at an office happy hour.

That’s how it happened: Jim and Emily. They married and have four children: J.P. is 16, Colin is 14, Ava is 10, Olivia is 7. All of these details, when you pause to let them sink in, make it more heartbreaking that a wife and each of these young children had to endure Jim’s alcoholism.

“Emily’s loyalty, strength, (being) the glue of our family — I can’t say enough about how wonderful of a mom, a person and a wife she is,� Montgomery said. “And how much she has meant to our family success but also my own ability to rebound.�

Sure enough, St. Louis was the first team to take a chance on a rehabilitated Montgomery. General manager Doug Armstrong brought in “Monty� as an assistant coach in the fall of 2020. It was a gesture the coach will never forget.

The Blues believed in him. They believed there was still some Jim Montgomery in Jim Montgomery.

And sure enough, after two seasons, he was hired to coach the Boston Bruins.

In his first season there, Montgomery won coach of the year.

By his third season, though, things became complicated. Montgomery was let go after 20 games in 2024-25. Armstrong snatched him right up. And in 60 games with St. Louis in that same 2024-25 season, Montgomery went 35-18-7.

The Blues made the playoffs.

And they sure look like a playoff team for this coming season.

Montgomery hopes to one day win the Stanley Cup. But he’s already earned a different metal honor that he cherishes.

Over the years, he’s collected numerous coins for his sobriety milestones.

“I have a couple of them in sacred places,� Montgomery said. “And there’s no question that a couple of those come on the road with me.�

The goalie Bishop, who has retired from the NHL, now lives in St. Louis. Bishop adores Montgomery. And gushes about Montgomery as a coach, sure — but also about him as a man.

“It’s exciting to hear the steps that he took to get to where he is today,� Bishop said. “It makes you happy because he’s such a great person. And, you know, that stuff can get the way of being a great person.�

In recent years, fans have shared their own alcoholism stories with Montgomery. And he has received calls and messages from so many people — notably former teammates and colleagues — who have issues ranging from anxiety to addiction. He’s honored and humbled to help.

“A lot of people get overwhelmed, and when they get overwhelmed, unfortunately, we isolate,� Montgomery said. “And isolation is not good for anybody, right?�