Boston Bruins name Jim Montgomery as new head coach
The Boston Bruins made it official on Friday, announcing that the team has hired Jim Montgomery as its next coach.
Montgomery replaces Bruce Cassidy, who was fired after the team's loss in the first round of the playoffs.
“Jim has a winning history, and throughout the interview process he conveyed his ability to connect with all types of players while also demanding that his teams play with structure,” General manager Don Sweeney said in a statement. “We are excited for Jim to begin to make his imprint on our team.”
“Jim Montgomery is a great coach and even better person,” said a former Bruin and current NHL player. “The guys will love playing for him and he will make this team a contender.”
Many inside and outside the organization believed that former New York Rangers and Boston University coach David Quinn was the leading candidate, especially given his relationship with Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, among others.
Montgomery and Quinn were just two of a number of candidates for the job. The Bruins also interviewed former P-Bruins coach and current Seattle Kraken assistant Jay Leach, Toronto Maple Leafs assistant Spencer Carberry, Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Mike Vellucci, Colorado Avalanche’s AHL coach Greg Cronin, and Bruins assistant Joe Sacco.
But the Bruins decided to go with Montgomery. That has led several other hockey personnel throughout the league to wonder why the Bruins made this decision.
“I thought there were much better candidates,” said one former NHL coach.
Montgomery is a former college player who led the University of Maine to the NCAA national championship in 1993. Following college, the undrafted Montgomery was signed by the St. Louis Blues. He also played for the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars in an NHL career that covered only 122 games. He then turned to coaching.
Montgomery was once considered an impressive up-and-coming coach. He had a great deal of success in the USHL and helped guide the Dubuque Fighting Saints to a pair of championship seasons. The University of Denver hired him in 2013 and he led that program to two Frozen Four appearances, including a national championship in 2017.
When the NHL came calling, the Dallas Stars hired Montgomery to replace veteran coach Ken Hitchcock in 2018. The team reached the playoffs that season, losing in the second round to the St. Louis Blues. In December 2019, Montgomery was fired for “unprofessional conduct” and later spent time in the league’s rehab program.
The Blues gave him a second chance and hired him as an assistant the last two seasons.
Sweeney, who recently signed a contract extension with the Bruins, decided the team needed a new voice in the room, so the GM relieved Cassidy of his coaching duties. The Bruins posted a 51-26-5 record in 2021-22, the sixth time the team reached the Stanley Cup playoffs under Cassidy.
Less than 24 hours after the Bruins let Cassidy go, several NHL teams spoke with him about coaching vacancies. The Vegas Golden Knights hired him within a week.
The Bruins’ latest move leaves more questions than answers, so it’ll be interesting to see how the organization’s next chapter plays out.
JMcDonald2@gannett.com
On Twitter @JoeyMacHockey
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Boston Bruins set to name Jim Montgomery as new head coach
