The situation is a bit ironic: it is a native of Montreal, Jim Montgomery, who now finds himself at the helm of the sworn enemies of the Canadiens, the Boston Bruins.
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The Bruins officially named Montgomery their 29th head coach in franchise history on Friday. In the past, the Boston club had already called on Quebecers Pat Burns and Steve Kasper, among others, while Franco-Ontarian Claude Julien was the head coach during the most recent Stanley Cup conquest, in 2011. .
“Jim has a winning history, and through the interview process he has demonstrated his ability to relate to different types of players, while also being able to ask them to play in a specific style,” boasted the general manager Don Sweeney. We are excited to see Jim leave his mark on our team.”
Montgomery, who also briefly played for the Canadiens as a player in 1995 following being obtained from the St. Louis Blues in return for Guy Carbonneau, does indeed have a well-filled resume as a coach. He coached the Dallas Stars from 2018-2020, and served as an assistant for the St. Louis Blues from 2020-2022.
Prior to making the jump to the National League, Montgomery also coached several different American school programs, including the University of Denver Pioneers in the NCAA between 2013 and 2017.
Back on track
Now 53, Montgomery finds himself in Boston with his wife Emily and children, JP, Colin, Ava and Olivia. On a personal note, it should be recalled that the man had to undergo a rehabilitation program for alcohol consumption in January 2020. He had been fired by the Stars the previous month for “inappropriate conduct”.
“Losing my job as head coach of the Stars was a ‘wake-up call’,” he said at the time, admitting to having had a destructive lifestyle.
As a player, Montgomery had played a total of 122 National League games, spanning six seasons with the Blues, Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks and Stars. He amassed 34 points between 1993 and 2002.
Succeed Cassidy
Behind the Bruins bench, Montgomery relieves Bruce Cassidy, who was fired in early June following leading the Massachusetts team to a 51-26-5 record, earning them first place among draft teams in the Eastern Association. The Bruins, however, lost their flag in seven games once morest the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs.
The Montreal native will thus have the mission of preserving the streak of the Bruins, who have participated in the playoffs for the past six seasons. He will also try to bring them back to the Stanley Cup final, where the “Oursons” had failed in seven games once morest the Blues, in 2019.
