Boston Bruins Relieve Claude Julien Of Responsibilities
After ten seasons and 419 wins, Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien was relieved of his duties earlier this morning.
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Well, we knew this was coming. The Boston Bruins are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third straight year. The Jacobs family had demanded the team make the postseason. Someone was going to pay for failure, and the Bruins front office decided it was going to be the coach’s fault.
Claude Julien was the 27th head coach of the Boston Bruins. He took over the job in June 2007. He was the coach that brought defensive-minded, three zone, two-way hockey to Boston. He was the coach that helped let the Black and Gold to two Stanley Cup Finals. His leadership gave the Bruins and the city of Boston their first Stanley Cup in 39 years.
In ten seasons with Boston, he compiled a 419-246-94 record. At the time of his dismissal, he was Boston’s all-time coaching wins leader. He also holds the record for most postseason victories by a Boston head coach with 57. Julien won the Jack Adams (2008-09) because of his ability to reshape the Bruins identity.
The Bruins organization chose to fire Claude Julien at the WORST possible time. They waited till the day of the Patriots parade. Had the Bruins had so little faith in Julien, they should have fired him at the end of the B’s four-game losing streak. Letting Julien go on the day of the Patriots parade is a classless move by the Bruins organization.
What a difference a year makes. There will be a sub-rosa press conference at 11:30 this morning to announce the change over to Bruce Cassidy.
Bon chance, mon ami Claude. You helped the Bruins remember what it was like to win again.