Bruce Cassidy Admits His Faults With The Bruins in Recent Intervention Type of Interview

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Austin Sabourin
August 7, 2023 (4:02 PM)

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Former Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy had a reputation for not connecting well with younger players during his time with the team. The Bruins let him go after six seasons, despite leading the team to six consecutive playoff appearances. The decision was partly influenced by feedback from players, with the team looking for a new direction.

GM Don Sweeney said, at the time, «I just felt that the messaging and the voice that was going to be required, I felt that we needed a new direction.» Sweeney also acknowledged that the feedback he heard from a number of players factored into his decision. Sweeney added, «I think [the players] think, like I do, that Bruce is a terrific coach. And I think he'll have a terrific amount of success, as he did here, in his next opportunity.»

Cassidy didn't waste much time in finding success elsewhere. He landed a job as the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights and guided them to a Stanley Cup victory last season. However, getting hired wasn't easy, as Cassidy had to address concerns raised during job interviews about his previous stint in Boston.

Cassidy admitted that there was hesitation in some of the job interviews he went on before finally being hired by Vegas. Teams asked what the deal was in Boston and why rumors were out there that he was difficult and potentially fired because of his relationships with the players. During an interview on the Cam and Strick Podcast, Cassidy said it wasn't easy and there was some damage control that needed to be done.

He told teams, «Ask me whatever you want.» He then said he told a couple of teams that he'd gotten further along in the interview process with and said, «Why don't you just have your captain called Marsh (Brad Marchand), or Bergy (Patrice Bergeron), or Pastr (David Pastnak), call the veteran guys and ask the questions, cause I'd rather it be out there now if you're worried about something.» Cassidy said some teams did and knows that Mark Stone called Bergeron and asked the tough questions.

In interviews, Cassidy was candid and allowed teams to ask him anything about his time with the Bruins. He even encouraged teams to reach out to veteran players like Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak for feedback. It was Bergeron's positive review of Cassidy's coaching in Boston that played a significant role in his hiring by Vegas.

Cassidy acknowledged that some younger players in Boston weren't happy with certain aspects of his coaching style, particularly how the messages were delivered. He has since taken that feedback to heart and is more cautious about his approach. Nevertheless, he remains committed to holding his teams accountable, which has been a constant in his coaching career.

Cassidy admitted that some of the younger guys in Boston were not happy with certain parts of the coaching and noted that the messaging, not the actual message, was an issue. He noted he's taken that to heart and is a bit more cautious about how he sends the message now. That said, he's always going to hold his team accountable and that part of his personality and job is never going to change.

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