Claude Julien, in his 10th season as the bench boss of the Boston Bruins, has been relieved of his duties, the team announced this morning. He will be replaced in the interim by his assistant, Bruce Cassidy.
The Bruins have struggled this season on the ice, compiling a 26 – 23 – 8 record through 55 games. They are currently one point behind Philadelphia for the second wild card slot in the Eastern Conference and are tied with Toronto for third in the Atlantic Division, though the latter has four games in hand on the Bruins.
Julien ends his Bean Town tenure with a record of 419 – 246 – 94, qualifying for the postseason seven times in his nine full campaigns with the team and leading the club to the 2011 Stanley Cup championship. He captured the Jack Adams trophy as the league’s top coach following the 2008-09 season. Julien spent 2 1/2 seasons behind the bench in Montreal, and famously led the 2006-07 New Jersey Devils to a 47 – 24 – 8 record through 79 games before being fired by the team and being replaced by Lou Lamiorello with three games left in the season.
Cassidy spent five seasons as the head coach of the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate. He is in his first campaign as an assistant in Boston. Previously he was the head coach of the Washington Capitals from 2002-04.
The firing is certain to generate plenty of criticism as it’s widely believed the team has achieved the results expected based on the quality of the roster. Many of the team’s top players, including team captain Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, David Backes and David Krejci are all on the wrong side of 30. The team has also received underwhelming play from their backup goaltenders, with Anton Khudobin, Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban combining for just one win in 11 starts with all three posting GAA’s comfortably above three.
Julien is the fourth head coach to lose his job during the 2016-17 season, joining Ken Hitchcock, Jack Capuano and Gerard Gallant on the unemployment line. He immediately becomes one of the top available coaching candidates and it’s likely he will be receive consideration for any of the job openings available.
Looks like LA found their coach.
I meant LV my bad.
He’s going to have several suitors I’m sure.
Horrible move by the Bruins. The blame should fall on Neely and Sweeney for how things are looking in Boston. At this point just blow the whole thing up and start over. Trade Chara, Marchand, Bergeron, Backes, Rask, etc. stock pile on young players and rebuild
You do not trade Bergeron. Everyone else is fair game. Honestly, this whole operation has been jacked up since the Seguin trade
This was just stupid. I don’t see how they think this team can make the playoffs at all. Fire Neely and Sweeney. This isn’t on Julien. Blow it up and reset. I think Marchand and Bergy can probably stick around, but get rid of Backes, Chara, Krejci, and entertain offers for Rask. I want some young exciting forwards. Outbid everyone for Shattenkirk in FA.
Why now? Do they think Claude’s team will suddenly wake up and make the playoffs when the risk of losing their coach wasn’t enough to get them going. This team wasn’t dysfunctional it just wasn’t very talented, not because of of bad coaching but due to horrendous management. Firing one of the most successful coaches in team history mid season is so incredibly disrespectful to begin with yet alone when there’s little reason to think it will improve this seasons chances. I’ve been a die hard fan my entire life but I don’t think I can continue to support them while the joke show of Neely and Sweeney are running this ship into the rocks. Oh and today is the super bowl parade, what a farce this team has become.
Which is why they did it. Having the Boston area preoccupied by the Patriots parade and celebration, the hope is the initial shock and vitriol will be minimal.
As a Habs fan, I agree with the previous comments, the Bruins lack of success is purely on Sweeney, not Julien.
I see it the other way announcing it today while everyone is out together watching what a competent organization can achieve only does more to galvanize the fan base against the organization. Though I still fail to understand what the rush was to get this done unless they really want to see what Cassidy can do because I think Claude deserved the respect to be allowed to see this season through. It just feels wrong to fire him now, I hope I’m wrong though.
God sports can be cruel. What a resume and it’s not like they’re in the cellar. Fighting for a playoff spot still. Bad move. You can’t grow championship coaches on trees.
Fire the coach because the players can out shoot every opponent yet fail to score. The saddest thing is they fire Julien but Hayes is still on the team, Sweeney and Neely still have their jobs and the B’s aren’t going to the playoffs for a third year in a row.
First off, how about we stop looking at the fact that he won a Cup SIX years ago and maybe focus on the present? On his way to his 3rd straight DNQ and this championship coach, by the way, was on the verge of being fired 3-4 times in the past. Good coach, but he’s not Scotty Bowman, so let’s stop acting like he was. The message coming from him has not been getting through.
The organization is in complete dissaray. The players do not play with heart or effort and Sweeney/Neely are a joke. Having said that, let’s not pretend that Julien wasn’t also part of the problem. What did you think, keeping Julien and making a couple moves is going to change things? It wasn’t. You’re not making the playoffs, so mind as well see what a new voice can do.
This team was.not going to be any better with Julien, which was clear IF people look at the present and not rest on the laurels of 4-5-6 years ago..
Mic drop.