Boston Bruins Potential Interim Coaches
By Jay Peterson
Although new GM Don Sweeney has stated that he trusts current Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien moving forward, no one really knows how much time, or how many chances Julien has left before he loses his job for good. If such an unfortunate event were to occur during this year’s regular season, Don Sweeney would need to have an adequate replacement in mind. Here are the currently available candidates for the position of interim head coach for the Boston Bruins.
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Puck Prose
There is no doubt in my mind that Bruce Cassidy should be the next coach for the Boston Bruins, whether it is this year or in a few years still. He has been one of the biggest factors in developing Bruins players throughout the years and has been an NHL coach before with the Washington Capitals. It was rumored that Cassidy was considered for the assistant coaching position, now currently held by Joe Sacco, but former GM Peter Chiarelli stated that Cassidy was too valuable in his position in Providence to be moved. That shows just how important Bruce Cassidy is to this franchise.
Joe Sacco
As mentioned above, Joe Sacco was added to the coaching staff last year after a one season stint as an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres. Before that, Sacco was the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. He spent four years in the head coaching position for the Avalanche and, now that he has gotten use to the Bruins system, would be more than comfortable with taking over the duties of Claude Julien, if need be.
Jan 27, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Buffalo Sabres head coach
Ted Nolan(right) looks on as assistant coach Joe Sacco (left) points down the bench during the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center. Penguins beat the Sabres 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Ted Nolan
Recently let go from the Buffalo Sabres, Ted Nolan has six years of head coaching experience under his belt, spending four of those years with Buffalo and two with the Washington Capitals. Also, Joe Sacco served as an assistant coach under Nolan in the 2013-14 season, so the two of them would already have a relationship in place. This would make Ted Nolan’s transition onto the team a little less stressful.
Available after two years of coaching for the Philadelphia Flyers, Craig Berube, although not as experienced as Sacco or Nolan, would be a good spark for the Bruins to try and finish the season off strong. Being an interim coach for Philadelphia in his first year there also shows that he would be familiar with what was expected of him. Already having a relationship with Zac Rinaldo and knowing how to control him wouldn’t hurt either.
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Boston Bruins alumni Adam Oates has had his fair share of coaching experience in the last few years. He was the head coach of the Washington Capitals for two years and just finished an interesting year in New Jersey where he coached the Devils alongside Devils great Scott Stevens in a shared head coach position, with Oates focusing on the offense and Stevens focusing on the defense. It would definitely be interesting to bring someone like Oates onto a team that has been primarily focused on defense for years.
Other Options
Randy Carlyle and John Tortorello round out the possible replacements for Claude Julien. While I wouldn’t be at all interested in either of these coaches, there is still a decent chance that they could be called upon due to their NHL success as head coaches and their current availability.
All in all, I stand by my first choice in Bruce Cassidy to be the best candidate for the position, if the opportunity presents itself. However, I am not one that is anticipating the departure of Claude Julien. I believe that if Julien left Boston, it would impact the organization a lot more than people think it will. He is a very important part of this team and deserves to remain in Boston for as long as possible if their record remains respectable.
What do you think? Who would you choose as an interim coach if Claude Julien were to be let go this year? Let me know in your comments below.
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