A potentially concerning trend has been revealed in Bruins' coaching carousel

Claude Julien, Bruce Cassidy, and Jim Montgomery are Canadian, all three are former players, all three have coached the Boston Bruins (and won the Jack Adams Award, given to the top coach in the league, with the Bruins) and have subsequently all been fired by the Bruins. After being released from Boston, each coach almost immediately got picked up elsewhere, almost immediately meaning in eight days or less.

Let's start at the most recent.

Bruins watched past three head coaches get hired immediately after firings

The Boston Bruins have started this season 10-9-3, which ranks them fourth in the Atlantic Division currently as we have just passed the quarter mark in the 2024-25 NHL season. At the time of the firing, the team was in the midst of a skid losing four of their last five. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney made the "difficult decision" to let Montgomery go, difficult likely because his accomplishments in a short amount of time as the Bruins leader include a Jack Adams Award and a historic 135 point season back in the 2022-23 season. This firing is making waves as Montgomery is the first coach to be fired this season.

Within five days Montgomery was scooped up by the St. Louis Blues, who fired their head coach Drew Bannister this past Sunday. Five days he's back behind the bench, and he's back with the Blues again, as he was previously hired as an assistant coach under Craig Berube in Sept. 2020.

The world works in funny ways because Montgomery is now partners behind the bench with former Bruins head coach Claude Julien, who was brought in this summer to be on the coaching staff as an assistant with Bannister.

Julien coached the Bruins from 2007-2017; he had a record of 419-246-94, won the aforementioned Jack Adams Award in 2009 and brought home a Stanley Cup to Boston in 2011. After failing to make the playoffs in his final two full seasons as bench boss, he was fired mid-way through the 2017 season. But just a quick seven days later he was behind a new bench, the bench of the Montréal Candiens, his second stint with that club (he began his NHL coaching career there in 2002).

At the time of Julien's firing, who did the Bruins promote to interim head coach (subsequently promoted to full-time head coach)? None other than Bruce Cassidy, who replaced Julien in Feb. 2017. In his five years as head coach he took the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019 (they lost to the St. Louis Blues in seven games), won the President's Trophy the following season in 2020, and captured the Jack Adams Awards that same season. Cassidy was fired after a playoff series loss 2022 and, guess what, just eight days later was grabbed by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Rightfully so, he went on to secure a Stanley Cup win in his first season with the Golden Knights, which is where he is still coaching today. Cassidy was replaced by Jim Montgomery, who lasted as the Bruins coach for two full seasons, accomplishing what we have already mentioned.

It has all come full circle.

To me, this is not "concerning", I actually think it's the opposite. Each of these men showed their tenacity, brilliance, intelligence and strength as a head coach in the NHL, it makes complete sense that these award-winning head coaches weren't waiting long for a new gig. Their accomplishments speak for themselves, it's just the ticking time-clock ran out for their leadership place within the Bruins organization. It's too bad for Boston that they couldn't keep these great guys, but it's the cycle of a head coach in this league.

On to the next coach in Boston, Joe Sacco, who's been with the organization for 11 seasons and will step to the coaching challenge on an interim basis.

Anyone else interested to see if Montgomery can use his magic and turn around the Blues season? I am here for it!