The Boston Bruins announced Tuesday afternoon that they have fired coach Jim Montgomery and will replace him with associate coach Joe Sacco on an interim basis.
Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, November 19, that the team has relieved Jim Montgomery of his duties as Head Coach.
Coach Joe Sacco will take over interim coaching duties.
– Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 19, 2024
The Bruins haven't started well through the first 20 games of the season. With a record of 8-9-3, they sit with 19 points and are in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. So why would they fire their head coach?
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Because it doesn't look good, there's a lot that doesn't match the game. Defensively, the team hasn't been doing well under Montgomery, and General Manager Don Sweeney has decided it's best to make a change and believes interim coach Joe Sacco can turn things around.
Don Sweeney in a press release: “Today, I made a very difficult decision regarding a coaching change. Jim Montgomery is a great NHL coach and an even better person. He has been a positive influence on the entire Bruins organization, and I appreciate and appreciate the opportunity to work with him and learn from him.
Our team's consistency and performance through the first 20 games of the 2024-25 season has been affecting how the Bruins want to reward our fans. I believe that Joe Sacco has the coaching experience to bring the players and team back to focus on the consistent efforts that the NHL needs to be successful. We will continue to work to make the necessary changes to meet the standards and performance expected by our fans.”
?Night Cap Recap ?
Boston Bruins fire Jim Montgomery #nhlbruins @bodkins_nick @bigapplehockey @MurphysLaw74 pic.twitter.com/Fi1o9K22PL
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) November 19, 2024
In addition, President of Hockey Operations Cam Neely supported his general manager's decision and felt a new voice would help the team.
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Cam Neely in a press release: “On behalf of the Boston Bruins, we thank Jim Montgomery for his accomplishments and impact on our organization. Jim's open and honest communication with players, staff and management, and the positive attitude he brings to the rink every day, helped lead our franchise to many accolades, including a historic 65-win season in 2022-23. We wish Jim and his family the best moving forward both professionally and professionally.
I support Don's decision to talk about our current performance and performance. Joe Sacco has a lot of experience with our program and can help lead our team in the right direction. He understands our standards and expectations well, and I hope he will do everything possible to achieve the goals of our organization this season.”
If you look at what Montgomery did in Boston, he has a record of 120-41-23. That's a .715 winning percentage. That's pretty good for three seasons as an NHL head coach.
In 184 games, the #NHLBruins he lost only 41 times in regulation under Jim Montgomery.
41 times in 184 games.
120-41-23 record with a .715 hitting percentage.
– Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 19, 2024
Remember, he took over before the 2022-23 season, where he replaced Bruce Cassidy. Cassidy was fired by the Bruins and went to the Vegas Golden Knights, winning the Stanley Cup in his first season.
Last two Bruins coaches:
Bruce Cassidy…245-108-46 (.672 P% & .614 W%).
Jim Montgomery… 120-41-23 (.715P% & .656W%).Montgomery had the best record in the NHL, but was canned. Cassidy second in her time.
What's going on in Boston? #NHL– Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) November 19, 2024
Jim Montgomery won the Jack Adams Award in his first season with the Bruins, and they also won the President's Award that season. It's crazy how things work for winning coaches.
In May 2023, the NHL announced the winners of Jack Adams as coach of the year: Jim Montgomery, Dave Hakstol and Lindy Ruff.
After 18 months, all three have been fired.
— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) November 19, 2024
The Bruins reached the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, but lost to the Florida Panthers in six games. In the first round, they defeated their rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last year, the Bruins lost to the Panthers in Round 1 in Game 7 in overtime after blowing a 3-1 series lead.
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Entering the season without a contract extension, Montgomery has been hot whether people want to admit it or not. If things get off to a bad start, they can fire the disabled coach.
If you had told me even two months ago that Jim Montgomery would be the first coach to be fired and I would have COMPLETELY agreed with the decision…it is almost beyond comprehension. This season has gone so badly
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) November 19, 2024
Add in the fact that he couldn't hire his own staff, and the writing was on the wall from the start.
The fact that Jim Montgomery was not allowed to hire his staff was always a bad sign for his future with the team. #NHLBruins. @sickpodnhl
— Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) November 19, 2024
Joe Sacco comes in to book the ship. He has been an associate/assistant coach with the Bruins since 2014.
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