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Bruins Begin To Narrow Coaching Search

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Fresh off signing his own contract extension, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney stated that the organization is narrowing its coaching search and no longer considering candidates still active in the playoffs, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald.

Sweeney said his goal is to have a coach in place “well before” June’s NHL draft, so it would seem a decision will be made soon. While Sweeney didn’t provide a list of candidates, he did note that interim coach Joe Sacco and assistant Jay Leach are under consideration. He also acknowledged that the Bruins had discussions with Rick Tocchet, a former teammate of Sweeney’s, though no formal offer was extended. He also mentioned that the future head coach will not be someone currently coaching a playoff team, further narrowing the candidate pool. Aside from Tocchet, another known external candidate is Jay Woodcroft, though he appears to be in the running for multiple teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sweeney also acknowledged that his recent two-year contract extension supports his ability to find the right coaching candidate, as they can now hold authentic conversations about the future of the Bruins.

“Does it help in terms of alignment when we’re talking? Yeah, there’s no question it takes away some of the question marks as you’re going through the process. One of the things I talked about as a priority is a coach that knows how to communicate across a wide spectrum of players. That’s what’s required of head coaches now at this level. You’ve got young players, you’ve got established players, you’ve got players that are working their way up the lineup. So to have a line of communication between the coach and the GM, it’s always an important variable, so I’m appreciative that we have that.”

Bruins, Don Sweeney Agree To Two-Year Extension

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The Bruins announced today they’ve signed general manager Don Sweeney to a two-year contract extension, keeping him in Boston’s front office through the 2027-28 season.

Sweeney’s deal was set to expire following the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign, something that was reportedly becoming a hurdle in their search for a new head coach. Over the weekend, RG’s James Murphy reported that Sweeney’s lame duck status partially influenced Rick Tocchet’s decision to spurn the Bruins’ interest in him for their vacancy and accept a role with the Flyers instead.

Bruins president Cam Neely had the following statement on Sweeney’s extension:

Don has navigated a disappointing period for our club with conviction, purpose, and a clear vision toward the future of the Boston Bruins. He made difficult decisions around the trade deadline with the confidence they will pay dividends as we craft a path back to contention. He is continuing to follow that track with a robust and thorough search for our club’s next head coach, while also preparing for the upcoming NHL Draft and free agent signing period. I am confident in the plan he has followed these past few months – and excited for what’s to come for our team. The expectations in Boston have always been clear. It’s about winning championships.

After being promoted midway through Boston’s last retool in the mid-2010s, Sweeney will now get the chance to, as the fanbase and ownership will hope, oversee one from start to finish. His extension comes after the Bruins missed the playoffs in 2025 for the first time since his first season as GM in 2015-16. During the last decade, Boston’s 458-233-91 (.644) regular season record is tied for the best in the NHL.

It’s not as if Sweeney’s tenure hasn’t come without playoff success, either. Boston has won a playoff series in five of its eight postseasons under Sweeney, including a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2019, their third of the decade. Sweeney even earned GM of the Year honors for building that roster.

However, shelling out assets to acquire supplementary pieces to remain in playoff contention always has a price. That downfall came this season – a few years later than some expected after the retirements of franchise centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but it happened nonetheless. The reload process started in earnest at this year’s trade deadline with a trio of moves – shipping out Brad Marchand and Brandon Carlo for returns that included first-round picks, and making a swap with the Avalanche to get younger down the middle by exchanging Charlie Coyle for Casey Mittelstadt.

That doesn’t change the fact that the Bruins are left with a lone first-line offensive talent in star winger David Pastrnak. Getting him more help in the scoring department is Boston’s chief priority this summer, which Sweeney clearly understood during his end-of-season media availability. Remaining in line with ownership’s vision on how to execute a retool and return the Bruins to playoff contention in a matter of a couple of years, not five-plus, likely helped with his job security and needing front office stability to attract their desired coaching targets.

One factor that’s accelerated the Bruins’ regression is the lack of success with the first-round picks they’ve kept over the past few years. The most recent Boston first-round pick to crack 100 games with the team is fourth-liner John Beecher, selected six years ago. Hitting on mid-first-round picks is the key to executing any retool without a full teardown. Retaining the GM that’s failed to do so for the vast majority of his tenure will understandably raise eyebrows as a result.

As such, a two-year extension comes across as a rather short leash. He’ll almost certainly be let go upon expiry if Boston hasn’t made meaningful progress in restocking their cupboard.

Image courtesy of Eric Bolte-Imagn Images.

Bruins Sign Simon Zajicek To Entry-Level Contract

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The Bruins have made a splash in the undrafted free agent market. They announced they’ve signed Czech goaltender Simon Zajicek to an entry-level contract for the 2025-26 campaign. He’ll carry a cap hit of $872.5K if he’s on the NHL roster.

Zajicek, 23, has been a late but quick bloomer. He wasn’t even close to getting NHL consideration in his draft year. He would have first been eligible following the 2018-19 season, a campaign he split between Czechia’s U-19 junior league and their third-division professional circuit. Despite that, he saw action in the top-level Extraliga by the following year and, after several seasons bouncing between the Extraliga and the second-division Maxa liga, emerged as a full-time tandem option for HC Litvinov in 2024-25.

Not only did Zajicek stick on Litvinov’s roster for the entire season, he wrestled the lion’s share of starts away from Flyers reserve list netminder Matej Tomek, a high-end option in European professional leagues since 2019. Zajicek recorded a .930 SV% in 29 games to lead the Extraliga, adding a 2.12 GAA, five shutouts, and a 15-13-0 record. He also played in three of Litvinov’s four playoff games and recorded a .927 SV%.

The 6’2″, 187-lb netminder will now head to training camp in Boston in the fall to determine where he falls on the organization’s depth chart to begin the season. The Bruins’ NHL duo of Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo is locked in for 2025-26, but their minor-league tandem, Brandon Bussi and Michael DiPietro, are both pending unrestricted free agents. Signing Zajicek indicates they expect at least one of them not to return. If both come back or they replace them with subsequent free agent signings, the younger Zajicek could get his start in the North American pros down a level with ECHL Maine.

Snapshots: Tocchet, Stolarz, Stars

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Rick Tocchet landed with the Flyers for his next head coaching gig as many expected, but they weren’t the only team with interest in hiring him after he departed the Canucks organization. One club linked to him was the Bruins, who have yet to fill their vacancy.

After his brief stint on the free agent market came to a close, it appears that having some long-term front office stability was a priority for Tocchet as he decided which clubs to have mutual interest with, according to RG’s James Murphy. With Boston general manager Don Sweeney entering the final season of his contract and the team in a precarious, retooling position, that was enough for Tocchet to essentially withdraw himself from consideration for the role.

“He was concerned for two reasons – Sweeney’s status and Sweeney’s track record with his head coaches,” a source told Murphy. Boston has fired Bruce Cassidy and Jim Montgomery in the last three years, both of whom have gone on to either win a Stanley Cup or vastly improve their team’s outlook in their new roles in Vegas and St. Louis.

As Murphy points out, if true, Sweeney may have spoken too soon when discussing his confidence in landing his preferred candidate during his end-of-season media availability. “I’ll call you up and let you know if somebody turns it down, the invitation to interview for one of the most historic jobs in the National Hockey League,” Sweeney said at the time.

More from around the NHL:

  • After a Game 6 shutout to keep his team alive, Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is getting the start again in tonight’s Game 7. Even if Anthony Stolarz, who was Toronto’s starter to begin the postseason but hasn’t played since leaving Game 1 with apparent concussion symptoms, was available to play, he’d likely go, but that’s not the case. Stolarz did not practice this morning and will not dress, according to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. Veteran Matt Murray, who entered Game 5 in relief of Woll for his first playoff action in five years, will again dress as Woll’s backup.
  • The Stars’ in-season moves are arguably the biggest reason they’ve advanced to the Western Conference Final in three straight years, Nicholas J. Cotsonika writes for NHL.com. Aside from Mikko Rantanen re-emerging as a superstar after his roller-coaster regular season that saw him arrive in Dallas from Colorado by way of Carolina, their depth has stepped up in considerable fashion with top defenseman Miro Heiskanen and top left-winger Jason Robertson – the latter of whom only has one point in five games – missing the majority of their postseason slate thus far.

Lauko Dealing With Jaw Injury, Should Return Before End Of Worlds

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  • Also from Ruc, winger Jakub Lauko is dealing with a jaw injury that will keep him out of the lineup for the time being but he is expected to be back before the end of the tournament. The pending restricted free agent was acquired by the Bruins near the trade deadline for his second stint with the team and had five goals and six assists in 56 games between Boston and Minnesota this season.

Penguins Have Interviewed Jay Leach, David Quinn, Jay Woodcroft For Head Coaching Vacancy

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The Penguins have obtained permission to and completed an interview with Bruins assistant Jay Leach for their vacant head coaching job, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Friday’s 32 Thoughts podcast. Friedman added that they’ve also considered promoting assistant David Quinn to the head job and talked to former Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft.

Those names get added to a list that includes former Blues bench boss Drew Bannister, Capitals assistant Mitch Love, and Kings assistant D.J. Smith. Out of the six, Bannister is the only one who hasn’t been confirmed to have an interview.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported back in April that the Bruins were receiving calls on Leach for teams interested in interviewing him for head coaching roles, but it’s been quiet since on who’s talked to him. He’s not a complete newcomer to the organization. His first coaching job in North America was as an assistant with the Pens’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the 2015-16 season. The Bruins plucked him the following year for their AHL squad, and he’s remained in the Boston organization since, aside from a two-year stint with the Kraken as an assistant in their first two seasons in the league.

Quinn hasn’t been linked to coaching vacancies outside the Pittsburgh organization in this hiring cycle. Of the six candidates mentioned, he has the most experience as an NHL head coach. The 58-year-old took an assistant role in Pittsburgh last summer after being fired by the Sharks. Also, he served on the United States’ bench at the 4 Nations Face-Off as an assistant under Mike Sullivan, whom he’s now considered a potential replacement for with the Pens. The Rhode Island native has a 137-185-50 (.435) record in 372 regular-season games as a head coach with San Jose and the Rangers since 2018. His only playoff appearance was in the 2020 qualifying round, and the Hurricanes swept his New York club.

This is the first mention of Woodcroft in connection with the Pens’ vacancy. He’s been considered for two other jobs this summer – the Ducks and the Bruins. While the former opted to hire Joel Quenneville instead, he’s still a legitimate possibility in Boston and likely has a better chance of landing that gig with a smaller field of known candidates. The 48-year-old had a 79-41-13 (.643) record over three seasons as bench boss in Edmonton. His Pittsburgh connection is fragile – he helped defeat the Pens in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final as a video coach with the Red Wings.

Don’t expect news on a hiring until later this month, with general manager Kyle Dubas out of the country, Josh Yohe of The Athletic said yesterday. He’s GMing Canada at the World Championship.

Jay Woodcroft Among Bruins’ Head Coaching Candidates

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Former Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft is among the possibilities to become the Bruins’ next head coach, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, who described him as a “leading candidate” for the vacancy on Wednesday’s Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast. Rick Tocchet also remained in consideration this morning, but he’s on the verge of being scooped up by the Flyers.

Aside from serving as an assistant coach for Canada at the 2024 World Championship, Woodcroft has been out of work since the Oilers fired him one month into the 2023-24 campaign. He held the Edmonton job for less than two calendar years but pulled together an exceptional 79-41-13 (.643) record in that time, including one of just four 50-win seasons in Oilers franchise history in 2022-23.

Despite the relative lack of head coaching experience at the NHL level, Woodcroft is no stranger to the league. This past season was his first without working in the NHL in some capacity since the 2004-05 lockout. He was picked up by the Red Wings as a video coach when play resumed and, three years later, was hired by the Sharks as an assistant. He remained in San Jose through 2015, when Edmonton hired him as an assistant. He also spent a few years as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield before being promoted to the NHL in a head coaching capacity for the first time.

Boston’s interest in Woodcroft makes sense considering their explicitly stated desire for more offense in 2025-26. During his tenure, the Oilers led the league in goals per game (3.80), power play percentage (29.3%), and were sixth in shots per game (34.0).

His name hasn’t come up a ton this cycle aside from being mentioned as a person of interest in the Ducks’ coaching search a few weeks ago before they opted to hire Joel Quenneville. AHL Ontario head coach Marco Sturm was also reported as being in the running within the last week.

Latest On Rick Tocchet

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May 13th: According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Tocchet won’t have to wait much longer for a new head coaching role. Dreger indicates that Tocchet will land a new gig this week, and the Bruins, Flyers, and Kraken have been the most interested suitors, similarly to Friedman.

May 12th: Former Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet is the most recent entrant to the market after unproductive extension talks led Vancouver not to pick up his contract option for 2025-26. While there’s been some expected interest in his services already – the Bruins are believed to want to interview him – the market for his services isn’t as strong as some would have anticipated, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman told CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal today.

Weeks before it was clear Tocchet wouldn’t be back with the Canucks, he was being linked to the Flyers, where he spent a good portion of his playing career. Philly remains on the hunt for a permanent bench boss after firing John Tortorella late in the season. While Tocchet was reported as a favorite a few weeks ago, there’s yet to be confirmation he’s been interviewed by the Flyers. Friedman told Dhaliwal that Tocchet remains “high on their radar,” but they’ve expanded their search to other names enough (like Pat Ferschweiler and Jay McKee) that Tocchet is no longer a clear-cut frontrunner for the job.

As for other landing spots, Friedman believes Tocchet will ultimately end up commanding too much money for Boston to go his direction. Vancouver’s extension offer to Tocchet was in the $4MM range annually, Friedman said. While money wasn’t the primary reason Tocchet opted not to extend, it stands to reason he won’t take much less, if at all, than that figure after receiving a firm offer.

Another team demonstrating interest in Tocchet during this offseason’s hiring cycle is the Kraken, Friedman relays. It doesn’t appear the interest is mutual at this stage, though. There’s a legitimate possibility he goes unhired and returns to a familiar television job on TNT’s intermission panel, where he served between being let go by the Coyotes at the end of the 2020-21 season and being picked up by the Canucks midway through 2022-23.

There are other jobs out there – the Blackhawks and Penguins. It stands to reason he wouldn’t prefer the former if he’s not interested in another Western Conference non-contending team in Seattle. Pittsburgh remains an intriguing option – he won a combined four Stanley Cups there as a player and assistant coach – but it’ll be a while before they make a decision, Josh Yohe of The Athletic wrote earlier this month.

Bruins Considering Marco Sturm, Rick Tocchet For Head Coach

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The Boston Bruins are considering a variety of candidates for their head coaching position, and Marco Sturm is in the mix, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. While Sturm, 46, has never been a head coach in the NHL, he has had a successful start to his coaching career.

He has compiled a 119-80-17 record in three seasons as the head coach of the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL-affiliate. He also served as an assistant for the Kings from 2018-2022, giving him some experience behind an NHL bench. Of course, Sturm also nearly 1,000 career games as an NHL player, suiting up for six teams over his 14-year career, including parts of five seasons with the Bruins.

Moreover, he has shined in his international coaching opportunities. He was named head coach and general manager of Germany’s national team in 2016, where he led his home country to a quarterfinal’s appearance at the 2016 World Championships. Then his squad went on a Cinderella run at the 2018 Olympics, where they won a silver medal.

Veteran NHL coach Rick Tocchet is also under consideration for the role, according to RG’s James Murphy. As Murphy notes, Tocchet and GM Cam Neely have a strong relationship dating back to their playing days, and the two may share a similar philosophy to how to move a franchise forward. The Canucks did not pick up Tocchet’s club option on April 29. The Canucks expressed interest extending Tocchet, who won the Jack Adams Award after recording a 50-win season and winning the Pacific Division in 2023-24. However, it seemed Tocchet was more interested in a fresh start elsewhere.

And as Murphy notes, Tocchet is a legitimate candidate for several teams seeking an experienced voice behind the bench. Teams to be linked to Tocchet include the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, and Utah Mammoth, should they make a coaching change. Tocchet has complied a 178-200-30 career coaching record through six seasons but was 108-65-27 (.608) across three seasons with the Canucks.

Bruins Sign Patrick Brown To One-Year Extension

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The Boston Bruins are getting some of their offseason planning out of the way a few months early. The Bruins announced they’ve signed depth forward Patrick Brown to a one-year extension for the 2025-26 NHL season with a salary of $775K.

Brown’s new salary will be $25K less than he’s been paid in the NHL with Boston over the last two years. He joined the Bruins organization on the opening day of free agency in 2023, signing a two-year, $1.6MM agreement.

The Bruins have used Brown sparingly at the NHL level. Since joining the team for the 2023-24 NHL season, Brown has tallied two assists in 26 games, averaging 9:50 of ice time a night in a fourth-line role. He hasn’t been very noticeable in Boston outside of being a physical depth piece.

Still, Brown has had exceptional value with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. The Bloomsfield, MI native scored 11 goals and 32 points in 42 games in his first year with the club before managing 17 goals and 46 points in 56 contests this season as the team’s captain.

Despite having a bye through the first round the last two years, Providence had not won a playoff series since the 2017 Calder Cup playoffs. Fortunately, that reality changed recently, as Brown and the AHL Bruins defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds in the First Round of the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Providence will need to mount a serious comeback in the Division Semifinals to knock off the Charlotte Checkers, but the organization is comfortable keeping Brown in place as captain next season, regardless.

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