The Boston Bruins have had a number of great coaches since their original six founding in 1924. From the beginning, the team employed some of the greatest of all time, Hall of Famers and names that all hockey fans remember. The following is my ranking of the top five Boston Bruins coaches of all time, and I’m sure there will be some debate!
Mandatory
: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
5. Harry Sinden
Sinden coached the Bruins for six seasons from 1966 to 1972. Although he saw some tough times in year one, he saw progressive growth over each following season. Sinden, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, posted a 153-116-58 record, and led the Bruins to their famous 1970 Stanley Cup victory.
4. Tom Johnson
Tom Johnson had a very short (three seasons) but successful tenure with the Boston Bruins. Taking over following Harry Sinden’s departure, Johnson led the black and gold to a 142-43-23 record and their 1972 Stanley Cup championship.
3. Art Ross
Art Ross is one of the most well-known and respected names in all of hockey. In his 16 season on the Boston bench he racked up a 361-277-90 record. Ross led the team to their 1939 championship and became a sure bet Hall of Famer.
2. Don Cherry
Does anyone have an idea why this man is not in the Hall of Fame? Aside from his tremendous work on Hockey Night in Canada, Cherry had a pretty solid coaching career. Though he never brought a Stanley Cup to Boston, he did have a solid tenure with the team. During his time on the black and gold bench, Don Cherry went 231-105-64 in five seasons, nearly doubling the amount of wins to losses!
And now we’ve finally reached the top spot. Julien turned the Bruins around following a late 90’s and early 2000’s disaster. Since Claude Julien took over in 2007, the Bruins have been the team to beat in the Eastern Conference (ok maybe not in 2014). In eight seasons he has led the team to a 351-192-79 record, including two Finals appearances and the 2011 Stanley Cup championship. Here’s to hoping for more!