Boston Bruins fire head coach Claude Julien

Jun 22, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) sits on the bench in front of head coach Claude Julien during the first period in game five of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports /

After 10 seasons, the Boston Bruins have fired head coach Claude Julien.

The Boston Bruins have fired head coach Claude Julien after 10 seasons. The Bruins are 26-23-6 this season and currently sit outside of the NHL playoffs picture. General manager Don Sweeney announced the team’s decision to fire Julien and replace him with assistant coach Bruce Cassidy.

#NHLBruins relieve Claude Julien of coaching duties: https://t.co/t6zczxyE0X
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 7, 2017

The Bruins hired Julien in June 2007, after the New Jersey Devils fired him with three games remaining in the regular season. The Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011 under Julien. But the team had missed the playoff in the previous two seasons. Julien had been the NHL’s longest tenured active head coach.

In 10 seasons with the Bruins, Julien became the franchise’s leader in coaching wins with 419. Overall, Julien went 419-246-94 in the regular season. In the 2008-09 season, Julien won the Jack Adams Trophy, as the league’s top coach. In 2013, Julien lead the Bruins to the Stanley Cup final, where they were defeated in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks. Julien’s 59 postseason wins are the most in Bruins’ franchise history. In 2014, the Bruins won the President’s Trophy for recording the best record that season.

Bruce Cassidy will replace Julien as head coach. Cassidy is in his first season as assistant coach for the Bruins. The previous five seasons, Cassidy served as the Bruins’ AHL affiliate head coach with the Providence Bruins.

Cassidy previously served as head coach of the Washington Capitals from 2002-04. In his first season, the Capitals made the playoff with a 39-29-8-6 record. However, Cassidy was fired just 25 games into his second season. The Capitals were 8-16-1 at the time he was fired.

Prior to coaching the Devils, Julien served as the Montreal Canadiens head coach over three seasons. Julien’s career record is 538-332-10-117.

The Bruins are holding an introductory press conference with Sweeney and Cassidy today. The press conference is scheduled right during the middle of the New England Patriots Super Bowl victory parade.

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