The Boston Bruins made news this week as they shockingly fired head coach Jim Montgomery and replaced him on an interim basis with Joe Sacco. The firing caught the Bruins faithful by surprise as Boston fought through a tough stretch. The Bruins are currently 8-9-3 for 19 points and in fourth place in the Atlantic Division.
Bruins have choices for next head coach
While Sacco is now behind the bench to lead the Bruins, many believe he is not the long-term answer. In fact, there are two head coaches out there who are available for hire. One is a coaching legend but has had some off-ice issues. The other is an underperforming coach who is still sought after.
Do the Bruins go and get one of them? Do they already have their guy that is yet to be named?
Joel Quenneville
Joel Quenneville is a 66-year-old from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He is a veteran coach of 25 years and has coached the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, and Chicago Blackhawks. His coaching record stands at 969-572-77 for an impressive .612 point percentage. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Blackhawks (09/10, 12/13, 14/15) and won the Jack Adams award for the league's best coach in the 1999-00 season.
If the Bruins can look past the off-ice issues that got him fired with Chicago, he may be at the top of their list of replacements for Montgomery. He does have experience, championships, and a winning record. He may be the best coach not in the NHL.
Todd McLellan
Todd McLellan has served 16 years as an NHL head coach for the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Edmonton Oilers.
He has an overall coaching record of 598-412-134, which carries a points percentage of .581. He was fired by the Kings mid-season in 2023-24 and has yet to find another head coaching job.
While he is not favored over Quenneville, he is still a coach that Boston may want to bring in based on his experience and ability to reach the players. While his playoff record is not ideal, the Bruins' system could get them wins in the playoff season.
Boston is in a weird position. They fired one of the best coaches they have had in a long time, and yet, at least for now, they do not have a permanent head coach. Do they hire from within? Do they grab McLellan or Quenneville? Or do they bring in someone from the American Hockey League (AHL)?