Blues name new coach for Peoria

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have named Jared Bednar coach of the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Peoria.

Bednar is 38 and was assistant coach for the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL last season. He previously spent seven seasons with the South Carolina Stingrays of the East Coast Hockey League, where he moved up from assistant coach to head coach to general manager.

Bednar replaces Rick Wamsley, who was fired in May. Wamsley became interim coach on Jan. 2 after Davis Payne took over for the fired Andy Murray in St. Louis.