Boston Bruins fire coach Jim Montgomery after 20 games

The Boston Bruins have fired coach Jim Montgomery after stumbling to a shedding document of their first 20 video games, the group introduced Tuesday.

Affiliate coach Joe Sacco was elevated to interim head coach. The Bruins are off to an 8-9-3 begin (.475 factors share) and outdoors of a playoff seed within the Japanese Convention.

Normal supervisor Don Sweeney known as the transfer “a tough determination.”

“Jim Montgomery is an excellent NHL coach and a good higher individual. He has made a optimistic influence all through the Bruins group, and I’m each grateful and appreciative of the chance to work with him and study from him,” Sweeney mentioned in a press release.

Sacco was beforehand coach of the Colorado Avalanche from 2009 to 2013 and has been part of the Boston teaching workers since 2014. The 55-year-old had a 13-year NHL enjoying profession with 5 groups from 1990 to 2003.

“Our group’s inconsistency and efficiency within the first 20 video games of the 2024-25 season has been regarding and under how the Bruins need to reward our followers. I consider Joe Sacco has the teaching expertise to convey the gamers and the group again to specializing in the constant effort the NHL requires to have success,” Sweeney mentioned. “We are going to proceed to work to make the required changes to satisfy the usual and efficiency our supportive followers anticipate.”

Montgomery, 55, had a 120-41-23 document (.715 factors share) in three seasons with the Bruins, making the playoffs twice. Each journeys to the postseason ended by the hands of the Florida Panthers. Boston was shocked in a seven-game, first-round upset in 2023 after having probably the most profitable common season in NHL historical past (135 factors), and once more earlier this 12 months when it misplaced to Florida within the second spherical after eliminating the Maple Leafs in seven video games.

Montgomery gained the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the 12 months in 2022-23. He beforehand coached the Dallas Stars for 2 seasons (2018-20), amassing a document of 60-43-10.

As Montgomery chronicled in his 2023 NHL Awards speech, his success in Boston got here after he turned his private life round. “Three and a half years in the past, the Dallas Stars terminated my contract due to my struggles with alcohol,” he mentioned. “And I needed to change my actions and behaviors.”

Regardless of Sweeney saying the edges have been discussing an extension throughout coaching camp, Montgomery did not have a contract past the 2024-25 season.

The Bruins have been one of many NHL’s most notable disappointments this season. They’re thirty first in group offense (2.40 objectives per recreation) and twenty eighth in protection (3.45 objectives in opposition to per recreation).

Beforehand reliable features of the group have malfunctioned, specifically the goaltending. The group traded former Vezina winner Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators for goalie Joonas Korpisalo. The Ullmark deal broke up the most effective goalie tandem within the NHL with 26-year-old Jeremy Swayman, who missed coaching camp throughout a bitter negotiation earlier than signing an eight-year contract that can pay him $66 million.

Swayman has a 5-7-2 document with an .884 save share and a 3.47 goals-against common. After the Bruins misplaced to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 on Monday, Montgomery mentioned lacking coaching camp wasn’t advantageous.

“I do not assume lacking coaching camp helps anybody,” Montgomery mentioned. “That is why you will have coaching camps.”

Montgomery has been seen having animated discussions with captain Brad Marchand on the Boston bench a number of instances this season. He additionally benched main aim scorer David Pastrnak in a recreation earlier this month.

Montgomery’s firing is the primary teaching change of the 2024-25 season. Sacco is the fourth head coach underneath Sweeney because the GM took over in 2015.

“I am supportive of Don’s determination to deal with our present play and efficiency,” group president Cam Neely mentioned in a press release. “Joe Sacco has a wealth of expertise and data of our roster and can assist lead our group in the fitting route. He has a robust understanding of our requirements and expectations, and I belief he’ll do all he can to perform our group’s objectives this season.”