Jim Montgomery's fate with the Bruins revealed: Unexpected turn of events

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Joshua Deeds
August 6, 2024 (2:27 PM)

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Has the Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery earned an extension beyond 2024-2025?

He has made it to the playoffs in every season he's been with the Bruins, with a battered roster.

He's won a President's Trophy in 2022-2023, despite the first-round exit in the playoffs against the Florida Panthers.

By all intents and purposes, he should have a new contract, especially with his record with the Bruins: 112-32-0.

He did lose to the Panthers in round 2 in 2023-2024, but it does call into question his post-season coaching.

It seems like he has a problem adjusting to teams like the Panthers in the post-season, which is a major issue if he wants to stick around long-term in the Bruins organization.

And while he doesn't have a new contract, GM Don Sweeney has expressed his confidence in Montgomery:

"Jim is a strong, strong communicator," Sweeney said Wednesday. "... I think one of his strengths is his ability to unite players, clearly identify the areas that we're looking for our group to carry forward -- that top possession, the ability to generate, the ability to break out and continue hammering -- all of those ideals and structure. (It's about) playing with good structure. I think that's a really fundamental part of what we try to do as an organization, is bring players in here that fit into that but can push us forward. "

In the same breath, the Bruins did hire Jay Leech during the off-season as an Assistant, and if we follow Bruins history to the T. Who followed as Bruins head coach after Claude Julien was fired? Bruce Cassidy. Is this going to be another case of regular season replacement, or will Don Sweeny wait till the clock to run out before he extends Monty?

Source: NESN
Bruins Believe Jim Montgomery's Value Extends Beyond Bench