After a sluggish start to the season, Boston have sacked Jim Montgomery as head coach with the Bruins looking in a new direction after just 20 games in 2024.
Bruins Sack Montgomery
The Bruins have won just eight NHL games from their opening 20 this season and after such an uncharacteristically poor start to the year, head coach Jim Montgomery has been sacked.
2024 was Montgomery’s third year in charge of the Bruins and despite a record breaking first season in Boston, playoff struggles in 2022 and 2023 left a sour taste in the mouth.
Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, November 19, that the team has relieved Jim Montgomery of his duties as Head Coach.
Associate Coach Joe Sacco will assume interim head coaching duties.
📰: https://t.co/g6eGJ3bmZx pic.twitter.com/x41b6SjbYL
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 19, 2024
Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney addressed the media on Tuesday, explaining why Boston had to make the decision to sack Montgomery.
“Jim Montgomery is a very good NHL coach and an even better person,” Sweeney said. “Our team’s inconsistency and performance in the first 20 games of the 2024-25 season has been concerning and below how the Bruins want to reward our fans.”
Across his three years in charge of the Bruins Montgomery finished with a record of 120-41-23 (0.715 win percentage), making the postseason twice.
In 184 games, the #NHLBruins lost just 41 times in regulation under Jim Montgomery.
41 times in 184 games.
120-41-23 record for .715 points percentage.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 19, 2024
Assistant coach Joe Sacco will take over as interim head coach moving forward, but the Bruins have made no announcement about looking for a new HC just yet.
“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,” Sweeney said. “We will continue to work to make the necessary adjustments to meet the standard and performance our supportive fans expect.”
Sacco will have a long road ahead of him if Boston are to make the playoffs this year and first up for the new interim coach is a game against Utah on Thursday night, as the Bruins look to snap a four game losing streak which eventually got Montgomery sacked.
