Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube Weighs in on Bruins Firing Jim Montgomery

When news broke that the Boston Bruins were firing head coach Jim Montgomery, it came as little surprise to some people. It wasn’t a surprising move that it happened as GM Don Sweeney and team President Cam Neely were looking to shake up their team after an 8-9-3 start.

Wednesday, Bruins players following a practice at Warrior Ice Arena took the blame for their coach being fired, while Sweeney, not so much. In the end, Joe Sacco is now in charge of the Black and Gold beginning tonight when they host the Utah Hockey Club at the TD Garden.

There was reaction from around the NHL about Montgomery’s firing, including former NHL player John Scott who more or less threw Sweeney and Neely under the bus for the firing. Another person, who is close to Montgomery, also spoke on the matter and was disappointed.

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube speaks on Jim Montgomery's firing

First-year Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube spoke about Montgomery’s firing, saying that it was “upsetting” and that “it’s a tough business.’’ Berube has strong ties to Montgomery was he spent two season’s on Berube’s staff with the St. Louis Blues before being hired by the Bruins before the 2022-23 season. 

Montgomery’s tenure in Boston shows just how tough a business it is. He coached a team that set the NHL record for wins and points in his first season behind the bench. He ended up winning the Jack Adams Award, but less than two years later, he’s out of a job, which really wasn’t his fault.

Montgomery will land back on his feet in the league, somewhere before not too long. He could end up behind a bench this season as generally, the first firing leads to more around a league in sports. Don’t be surprised if he’s leading a team that comes to Boston at some point this year.