The Boston Bruins fire Jim Montgomery and promote Joe Sacco (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
As many around the Boston Bruins and throughout the NHL expected, the Bruins fired head coach Jim Montgomery on Tuesday. What did catch some NHL executives and scouts by surprise, though, was that the Bruins made an internal and not an external hire by replacing Montgomery with longtime Boston assistant Joe Sacco.
“First of all, I don’t get why ‘Monty’ [Montgomery] was the fall guy here,” one longtime NHL executive opined to RG in the immediate aftermath of the firing on Tuesday. “He’s done a great job there, especially after they lost Bergeron and Krejci. But it’s always the coach who pays, right? Still, if you’re looking for a spark with an underachieving roster, why go with your assistant?
He’s not a new voice, and it’s a lateral move at best. Not a new voice at all.”
One common theory that has been floated around NHL insider circles for a couple of weeks now was that the Bruins were waiting to see what happened with former Bruins and current Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. The Penguins have continued to spiral into mediocrity and another non-playoff season so far, and the theory was that if the Penguins made a coaching change before American Thanksgiving (Nov. 28), the Bruins would fire Montgomery and bring back the Marshfield, MA native and father-in-law of Charlie McAvoy. That obviously won’t happen now.
Sacco is in his 11th season behind the Bruins bench, where he most recently served as associate coach. He held the role of assistant coach from 2014-24. Before that, Sacco served as an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres in 2013-14 and as head coach for the Colorado Avalanche from 2009-13, where he compiled an overall record of 130-134-40. In 2010, he was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award after leading the Avalanche to a 43-30-9 record in his first season there. Sacco also previously held several coaching positions in the American Hockey League.
While that’s a solid resume, unlike Sullivan, two multiple Stanley Cup champions are actually available on the NHL head coaching market. Joel Quenneville, who won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015), and Darryl Sutter, who won two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings (2012, 2014), are both coaching free agents. The NHL recently lifted the more than two-year ban on Quenneville for his role in the Kyle Beach-Blackhawks sexual abuse scandal. Meanwhile, Sutter hasn’t coached since the Calgary Flames fired him on May 1, 2023.
Don Sweeney Next?
With the way the Boston Bruins are constructed, making some major changes now would likely result in them overpaying for help. Add on the lack of available cap space, and the Bruins really are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
But how did they get in this predicament?
“If you go on a spending spree like [Bruins GM] Don Sweeney did in the offseason, and you claim you’re all in for the Stanley Cup, then why wouldn’t you go all in with your next coaching hire and hire a two-time or three-time Cup champion?” an NHL scout asked rhetorically to RG.
And when you factor in that those signings were supposed to improve the club and help keep them afloat in a competitive Eastern Conference, the lack of success cannot be put on the coach entirely.
And that’s why our sources now all have their eyes on Sweeney, as he is the GM that is likely feeling the most amount of pressure in the NHL at the moment.
“Makes you wonder if the Sacco hire came from above? Ownership has likely told Sweeney they’re sticking with an interim coach and internal guy because if Sacco can’t turn it around, Sweeney’s next in line to be fired. Then the new GM can come in and hire his own coach. We’ll see.”
Things could get a little bumpy in Boston if things don’t turn around.
With 24 years of experience (SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, ESPN Boston, NESN, NHL.com, etc.) covering the Bruins, the NHL, NCAA and junior hockey, and more, Jimmy Murphy’s hockey black book is filled with Hall of Famers, current players, coaches, management, scouts and a wide array of hockey media personalities that have lived in and around this great game. For 22 of his 24 years as a hockey and sports reporter, Murphy covered the Bruins on a daily basis, including their victorious 2011 Stanley Cup run and their runs to the 2013 and 2019 Finals. Murphy is currently a co-host, along with Pierre McGuire, on The Eye Test Podcast.
