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Tag: Bruins coaching search 2025

  • Six Candidates Who Could Be the Bruins’ Next Full-Time Coach

    Six Candidates Who Could Be the Bruins’ Next Full-Time Coach

    When Don Sweeney asked Joe Sacco to be the interim head coach on November 19, 2024, he gave him a tough job. The roster was bad, morale was low and expectations were nil. But Sacco didn’t hesitate, brought stability and leadership to a team in chaos.

    For a bit it looked like Sacco had righted the ship. In his first nine games the Bruins went 7-2-0, allowing 2.00 goals per game, second best in the league during that stretch. The defense settled in and the team seemed to find its footing under him.

    But as the season went on cracks started to show. The Bruins stumbled after the break and couldn’t get back on track. The trade deadline made things worse, leaving Sacco with a depleted roster and limited options. But he never complained about the hand he was dealt.

    “I was given an opportunity and I’m trying to make the most out of it the best I can,” Sacco said before the regular season finale. “Whether it’s injuries, whether it’s us at the deadline making certain moves to change the focus of the direction a little bit of the organization, my job is to prepare the players and maximize the lineup.”

    Sacco’s approach earned respect from players like Morgan Geekie who said, “Joe’s awesome. He was put in a tough situation, for sure, just with where the team was at the time. He did a great job of rallying us together.”

    Is Sacco the Right Guy Moving Forward?

    As the Bruins start to rebuild, the question remains: Is Joe Sacco the right coach for this rebuild? At 56, Sacco has been around for 11 years, handling everything from the penalty kill to coaching the defense. But with a roster full of young players headed to Providence—Frederic Brunet, John Farinacci, Vinni Lettieri, Fabian Lysell, Fraser Minten, and Ian Mitchell—the front office may want a younger voice or someone with more experience with developing players.

    Names like Joel Quenneville (66), John Tortorella (66), and Gerard Gallant (61) are too old for a rebuild. That opens the door for fresher faces with head-coaching experience. Here are six candidates who could be the Bruins’ next head coach:

    Six Who Could Be the Bruins’ Next Head Coach

    David Carle

    The University of Denver coach is 35 and has a impressive resume. Under Carle’s leadership, the Pioneers won NCAA championships in 2022 and 2024 and he guided Team USA to back-to-back gold medals at the World Junior Championships.

    He’s got a connection to former Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, whom he worked with at Denver, and has said he’s in no rush to leave. But if the Bruins present a good vision, he might be tempted.

    Jay Leach

    A familiar face around here, Jay Leach is the Bruins’ assistant coach for defense. Hired by Sweeney last offseason, he interviewed for the head-coaching job in 2022. He spent four years as the head coach of AHL Providence and developed key Bruins prospects like Jeremy Swayman and Jakub Lauko.

    He’s a positive guy and knows the Bruins system.

    Ryan Mougenel

    Mougenel, 49, is in his fourth season as the head coach of Providence and has developed several future Bruins, including Michael Callahan, Riley Duran, and Mason Lohrei. He’s a balancer of positivity and tough love and brings energy and a player first mentality.

    With two years as Leach’s assistant, he knows the Bruins’ pipeline and culture.

    Jay Pandolfo

    Pandolfo just finished his third season as the head coach of Boston University and led the Terriers to three straight Frozen Fours. At 50, he has a ton of experience, having coached current NHLers Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini.

    He was an assistant coach for the Bruins under Claude Julien and Bruce Cassidy and is well regarded for his work with forwards and the penalty kill.

    David Quinn

    Quinn, 58, is in his first season as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before that, he was the head coach of the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers. He interviewed for the Bruins job in 2022 and is a well respected guy in hockey.

    He’s close with Charlie McAvoy and is an approachable guy, but his age might be a question mark for the long term with a rebuild.

    Marco Sturm

    Sturm, 46, is leading the Ontario Reign to their third straight AHL playoff appearance. He was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings for four years and has coached top prospects like Quinton Byfield. He was a finalist for the San Jose Sharks head coaching job last year and is ready for an NHL opportunity.

  • ESPN Breaks Down the Keys to a Franchise-Altering Bruins Offseason

    ESPN Breaks Down the Keys to a Franchise-Altering Bruins Offseason

    The Boston Bruins finished the 2024-25 season on a down note and didn’t meet expectations. Now that the dust has settled at TD Garden, general manager Don Sweeney has a big job ahead of him: getting the team back in contention. ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton recently outlined the “keys to the offseason” for Boston and here’s the roadmap to fix the franchise.

    Finding Stability Behind the Bench

    First things first, who will be behind the bench? Joe Sacco has been the interim head coach since Jim Montgomery left the team earlier in the season but that needs to be clarified.

    “Sweeney could remove the interim tag from Sacco or explore other options in the coaching market,” Clark and Shilton wrote. Whoever gets the job will be huge in the rebuild especially with the NHL Draft coming up.

    Making the Most of a High Draft Pick

    Boston has a top pick in the upcoming draft and two in the second round. With the state of their prospect pool, that’s even more valuable. The Bruins don’t have the depth of young talent many contenders have, so these picks are crucial for long-term success.

    “Now it’s about determining which of Boston’s young players are ready to make the jump to the NHL,” Clark and Shilton said. Players recalled from Providence in the second half of the season will factor into those decisions, but the organization has to balance developing youth with adding veteran leadership through free agency.

    Building Around the Core

    Despite the challenges, the Bruins still have a solid base to build on. Stars like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and Jeremy Swayman are under contract, so there’s stability as the team enters the next phase.

    “If (Hampus) Lindholm and McAvoy are healthy and Swayman can get back to being a game-changer in net, the Bruins will be a fun team to watch – if not one that makes the playoffs after a one-year absence,” ESPN said. The roster isn’t starting from scratch, but there’s a lot of work to be done to surround those core pieces with complementary players.

    Leadership and RFA Negotiations

    Another big decision for Sweeney is naming a new captain to replace Brad Marchand who was traded at the deadline. This will set the tone for the locker room culture going forward.

    Also Sweeney has to navigate RFA negotiations with Morgan Geekie and other arbitration eligible players. By July 5th, arbitration eligible players like Geekie have to decide whether to go to a hearing or continue talking to the team.

    “Hopefully for the Bruins Geekie feels the offer from the front office is close enough that he decides to keep talking instead of letting a third party decide,” Clark and Shilton said. Keeping RFA’s like Geekie will be key to being competitive.

    Rebuild in Full Swing

    Several veterans were moved at the deadline and a bunch of prospects are being evaluated so the rebuild is officially underway. Drafting well, developing young players and adding veterans through free agency will determine how quickly the team can get back to the playoffs.

    “It’s not like they’re starting from scratch” ESPN said. But the path back to glory won’t be easy it will require smart decision making and patience from everyone involved.