During his tenure as general manager of the Boston Bruins, there have been some decisions that Don Sweeney has made that have, well, not aged well. Whether it was a draft pick, free agent signing, trade, or coaching decision, there have been a few that he like a redo with.
When it comes to coaching decisions, well, there have been some curious decisions made by the Boston front office. That might be an understatement. However, the one that takes the cake happened a few weeks into the 2022 offseason.
After the Black and Gold were dispatched from the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, they went through their exit interviews and end-of-the-season media availability. Then, everyone went their separate ways for the offseason and some rest and relaxation. Training camp was four months, but given how crazy things were during and shortly after COVID, the break was needed.
Then, all of a sudden, a bizarre decision was made.
One Don Sweeney decision that aged badly with the Boston Bruins
A couple of weeks after everyone went their different ways, there was a news dump at night by the Bruins that shocked a lot of people. The Bruins were firing head coach Bruce Cassidy out of nowhere. It is safe to say that it sent shockwaves throughout the NHL.
The question had to be asked, 'Why would Don Sweeney fire Bruce Cassidy?' To this day, there really hasn't been a clear answer, but it was thought that it was pushed upon Sweeney by the players. Was Cassidy too tough on them? Maybe, but was it to get the best out of them? Yes. However, it rubbed some players the wrong way, apparently.
Anyway, Cassidy wasn't unemployed for long, quickly being scooped up by the Vegas Golden Knights. After a search, Sweeney hired Jim Montgomery. It didn't take long for both sides to see results.
Montgomery led the Black and Gold to an NHL record for wins and points in an 82-game regular season. Boston was the clear-cut favorite going into the playoffs, and rightfully so. However, after taking a 3-1 series lead on the Florida Panthers, the Bruins lost the last three games, two at home, including Game 7 at home, to have their season end stunningly. Montgomery was fired just over two years after being hired. Not a great look.
Meanwhile, in Vegas, the Golden Knights turned things on and did the unthinkable; they won the Stanley Cup, beating the Panthers, of all teams. Imagine if the Bruins didn't choke in the opening round; there was a good chance at a Bruins/Golden Knights final. Oh what could have been.
Firing Cassidy was not the right decision at the time, and it still isn't. It has not and will never age well. Cassidy was fired by Vegas right before the 2026 postseason, but there is no debating that firing Cassidy at the time was a questionable move and one that will never be understood by a lot of Boston fans. Oh, what could have been?
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