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The Boston Bruins quickly supported newly named interim coach Joe Sacco after firing coach Jim Montogomery just 20 games into the regular season.
Sacco, who has been on the Bruins bench as an associate and assistant coach since 2014, will be expected to right the ship after the Bruins stumbled to an 8-9-3 record. His tenure as Boston’s bench boss follows three Jack Adams winners in Claude Julien, Bruce Cassidy and Montgomery.
“I believe Joe Sacco has the coaching experience to bring the players and the team back to focusing on the consistent effort the NHL requires to have success,” Bruins GM Don Sweeney said in a statement.
After spending 10 seasons as an assistant coach for the Bruins, Sacco was promoted to associate coach in July, above assistants Chris Kelly and Jay Leach. The Massachusetts product is a veteran of 738 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.
“Joe Sacco has a wealth of experience and knowledge of our roster and can help lead our team in the right direction,” Bruins president Cam Neely said in the news release. “He has a strong understanding of our standards and expectations, and I trust he will do all he can to accomplish our organization’s goals this season.”
That said, Sacco’s leash could be short, given he has the interim tag and the Bruins’ playoff and Stanley Cup aspirations. The team has qualified for the playoffs in 15 of the past 17 seasons, with three finals appearances and one Stanley Cup to show for it. However, Boston hasn’t advanced past the second round since appearing in the 2019 final.
Here are some coaching candidates who could be called upon should Boston seek a more permanent replacement later on. Honorable mentions include Don Granato, Jay Leach, Dave Hakstol and Ryan Mougenel.
What are the chances Boston eventually hires David Carle – who was mentored by Jim Montgomery at NCAA Denver – as the next full-time coach of the Bruins?
— Ryan Kennedy (@THNRyanKennedy) November 19, 2024
David Carle
A former colleague of Montgomery’s, Carle’s winning pedigree is undeniable — although it’s come at the collegiate level.
Currently coaching at the University of Denver, Carle served as an assistant coach under then-Denver coach Montgomery for parts of five seasons before assuming his job in 2018.
After the Pioneers won the 2017 national championship, Carle led the program to the Frozen Four in his first year as head coach. Since then, he’s delivered two national championships in 2022 and 2024.
Carle also served as the U.S. coach for the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he guided them to the gold medal over Sweden.
While he’d have to be pried away from his job with Denver, Carle appears to be an NHL coach in the making with the results he’s been providing.
Related: Three NHL Teams That Should Consider Hiring Jim Montgomery
Gerard Gallant
Gallant could be an attractive option for a Boston club looking to win multiple playoff rounds. Gallant worked wonders with the Vegas Golden Knights in their inaugural season, bringing them to the Stanley Cup final.
More recently, Gallant coached the New York Rangers to back-to-back 100-point seasons. He got them to the Eastern Conference final in 2022 before losing his job the following year.
Gallant is known as a player’s coach, which could help a team that has undergone plenty of stress, with Montgomery recently singling out David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Jeremy Swayman. The hard-nosed approach didn’t seem to help matters, so perhaps a “just go out there and play” mentality is what Boston needs.
Todd McLellan
Another experienced NHL bench boss, McLellan has a stellar regular-season track record with mixed playoff results.
Known for his defensively structured systems, McLellan could be an attractive option to help the Bruins play disciplined hockey en route to a playoff berth. He managed that with the Oilers and Kings squads that needed cleaning up in their own end.
Friedman on 32TP says chatter has started around teams possibly looking at Joel Quenneville and Todd McLellan as candidates for a coaching change. EF on the Bruins: “I think even if Boston made a change, I think a guy like Jim Montgomery would be a candidate in some other places”
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) November 12, 2024
Thus far, his crowning NHL playoff achievements are his back-to-back conference finals appearances in 2010 and 2011 with the San Jose Sharks.
Jay Woodcroft
After coming out of nowhere to guide the Oilers to their first Western Conference final appearance since 2006, Woodcroft got canned early last season after the Oilers started the season with a 3-9-1 record.
New coach Kris Knoblauch took those Oilers to the Stanley Cup final, leaving us to ponder what could’ve been if Woodcroft remained in Edmonton.
It’s hard to know how much of Woodcroft’s success as the Oilers coach should be attributed to coaching two of the best players on the planet in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but a 79-41-13 regular-season record should get him a second look as an NHL coach.
Related: NHL Power Rankings: Heat Level On Every Coach After Bruins’ Firing – And A New No. 1
Jay Pandolfo
A swing-for-the-fences option, Pandolfo is the current coach of Boston University, a position he’s held for three seasons. Despite his short tenure, the former New Jersey Devils and Bruins left winger has already guided the Terriers to back-to-back Frozen Fours.
Pandalfo has also already served as an assistant coach for the Bruins for five seasons, so he’s familiar with the organization. Like Carle, it may be tough to pry Pandolfo away from his college job, but he’s got the makings of a professional bench boss.
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