Bruins to hire Jim Montgomery as their next head coach
Bruins to hire Jim Montgomery as their next head coach. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports that Jim Montgomery, an assistant with the St. Louis Blues last season and the current bench boss of the Dallas Stars, will be named the Boston Bruins’ new head coach. The duration of the deal is approximately three years, and the total value is approximately $6 million.
After the 2021-22 season, the Bruins finished 51-26-5 (.652 points percentage), enough for sixth place in the Eastern Conference, and Bruce Cassidy was let go. The Bruins were in fourth place in the Atlantic Division, three points behind the Lightning, and seven points ahead of the Capitals in the race for the first wild-card berth. They were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Cassidy was let go because the team decided they needed a younger, more dynamic roster and he just wasn’t a good match.
The Bruins were ranked ninth on the penalty kill and tied for 15th in goals per game (3.09) and goals against per game (2.66). (81.3 percent ).
After an 18-11-3 start to the 2019-20 season, Montgomery was sacked by the Stars for unprofessional behaviour. After completing a residential inpatient rehabilitation programme, he found himself coaching the Blues.
With him at the helm, the Stars went 43-32-7 in his first season, good enough for the Western Conference’s first wild card. However, they were eliminated from the playoffs in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Blues in double overtime in Game 7.
While he was in Dallas, the Stars’ defence was ranked first in the NHL in goals against per game (2.40) and fourth in penalty killing (83.5 percent ). Their 2.56 goals per game average ranked them 28th, but their 19.9% power-play efficiency landed them in 13th.
Before taking over for the Stars, Montgomery spent five years as the head coach at the University of Denver, where he compiled a 125-57-26 record (.663 winning percentage).
For the 2022-23 season, the Winnipeg Jets are the only team without a head coach.
Bruce
Bruce Cassidy, formerly of the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals, replaced Pete DeBoer as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, reportedly signing a $4.5 million, five-year deal. John Tortorella was chosen as the new coach of the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, and he subsequently signed a four-year, $40 million contract.
Following Rick Bowness’ departure, the Dallas Stars recruited new head coach DeBoer, while the Florida Panthers replaced Andrew Brunette with Paul Maurice. New York Islanders assistant coach Lane Lambert has been hired to replace Barry Trotz. Luke Richardson, formerly an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens, has been hired as the new head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. Detroit Red Wings general manager Jeff Blashill was replaced by Derek Lalonde, a former assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning, on Tuesday.