Demanding National Hockey League coaches have been successful in the past. But their shelf lives can be short. These tough coaches can “lose the room” eventually, and change is needed after a while. Former Boston Bruins’ Head Coach Bruce Cassidy led the Bruins to the playoffs in all six seasons at the helm, including a first-round loss in seven games in 2021-22. During that 107-point season, there were murmurings of malcontent among the players. Jake DeBrusk asked for a trade and struggled with Cassidy’s coaching style. Young prospects like Zach Senyshyn, Jack Studnicka, and Anton Blidh did not get much leash when trying to crack the lineup. Young, talented goaltender Jeremy Swayman would draw criticism from Cassidy. Rumors persisted that Cassidy was harsh on defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and had to be spoken to by captain Patrice Bergeron. Issues mounted to the point where Boston had to move on from the candid head coach.
Now enter the new headman Jim Montgomery. The former UMaine star is well-liked and respected around the league and is said to have a “softer” voice in the locker room. The former Dallas Stars’ head coach is known to have a knack for younger players and coaches with a positive, upbeat demeanor. Monty is more of a players’ coach and is the kind of fit the Bruins’ players were looking for when Cassidy was fired.
The Bruins have begun their season without arguably their two best players, Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand and Grzelcyk missed the first four games as well. But the Bruins have won three of those four games with a newfound, balanced offense that has scored 21 goals. What Bruins’ fans might also notice is a difference in the coach. Cassidy’s honest style was refreshing to some fans and media but harder on the players. Montgomery has been more upbeat in talking with the press.
A couple of examples of this were in postgame comments. After a season-opening win in Washington, Montgomery made this observation after a David Pastrnak shot was blocked, leading to a 3-on-1 for the Capitals, which resulted in a goal. “If I can get 88 in the middle of the ice, 20 feet from the goalie,” mused Jim Montgomery, “I’m going to take that every time,” said Montgomery. The coach basically admitted, “that’s hockey.” That is something you wouldn’t hear from Bruce Cassidy.
Montgomery has already made some tough decisions by benching veteran winger Craig Smith and changing lines frequently, but he has done it while keeping the positivity. However, Montgomery rejected the “players’ coach” label back in July by saying, “I do think, and I know a couple of players remarked this to me, that they thought because I wanted to get to know them as people, that I wanted to be this super friendly players’ coach,” he added. “And I think then they saw how demanding I was in practice, and with details in the game, and they maybe thought, well, who is this guy? Like, which one is he?”
For now, Montgomery is pushing some of the right buttons and building relationships while still holding players accountable. The Bruins are a veteran team with several players with postseason experience, which helps. Time will tell how the team will react after a losing streak and how the coach will respond, for that matter. But it is clear that Jim Montgomery and Bruce Cassidy are very different coaches, and that won’t change any time soon.
