Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy will be in need of another bench buddy to join his coaching staff for next season.
Assistant coach Jay Pandolfo is leaving the Bruins’ organization to become an associate head coach at Boston University. Pandolfo leaves the Bruins after five years as an assistant coach and two years of player development.
A return to BU had been rumored in 2018 for Pandolfo when there was a vacancy for the head coaching job with David Quinn leaving for the New York Rangers. Pandolfo ended up staying with the Bruins and Albie O’Connell was hired. Now, he will be one of O’Connell’s right-hand men.
A native of Burlington, Massachusetts, Pandolfo was a standout with the Terriers from 1992-1996, winning the National Championship in 1995. After a successful 15-year playing career, in the NHL, he joined the Bruins staff in 2014.
In his four years with Boston University, Pandolfo scored 78 goals, including 38 his senior season and he had 89 assists, with 29 of these coming in his final year. He spent 14 of his 15 NHL seasons with the New Jersey Devils, before finishing his career with the New York Islanders. He won the 2000 and 2003 Stanley Cup Cup with New Jersey.
Boston coaches have been a hot topic this offseason. Assistant coach Joe Sacco was rumored to be in the running for the Seattle Kraken job, but was passed over for former Philadelphia Flyers coach Dave Hakstol.
Additionally, Providence Bruins head coach Jay Leach had interviewed for the head coaching job with the Arizona Coyotes, but they just hired Andre Tourigny to take over those duties. There is a possibility that Leach could move up and take Pandolfo’s spot on Cassidy’s staff.