BOSTON – Jim Montgomery has a lot on his plate preparing for his first season as head coach of the Boston Bruins.
He knew where to start: by contacting captain Patrice Bergeron to ensure the five-time Selke Trophy winner was back in a Bruins uniform for a 19th season.
“That was my first phone call,” Montgomery said Monday at a news conference 10 days after he was hired to replace Bruce Cassidy.
“I don’t need to go into the locker room as often if he’s back. That was the most important takeaway, Montgomery said. He has a good knowledge of what is going on and he knows how to lead the troops. »
Three years after they lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and two years after they amassed 100 points in the shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bruins fired Cassidy to following a first-round elimination. Since then, their top defenseman, Charlie McAvoy, and their top scorer, Brad Marchand, have undergone surgery that will keep them out for the first two months of the campaign.
But all the attention has been on the 36-year-old centre, who has yet to decide if he will play another season. Bergeron has mentioned to the Bruins that he’s open to a return, but he’s still out of contract.
“We are still awaiting Patrice’s decision. Although the news is positive. We’re getting positive feedback,” Bruins president Charlie Jacobs said. We’re crossing our fingers that he comes back and leads our team again next year. »
The 53-year-old Montgomery was fired from his first NHL head coaching job during the Dallas Stars’ 2019-20 season. The team cited unprofessional conduct. He later called the decision “appropriate” and “a wake-up call” when he announced he was going to a rehab for alcohol abuse.
Montgomery, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the St. Louis Blues, said he learned from his mistakes.
“Everyone has ups and downs in life. And I think if you learn from that and grow, you get better, he insisted. I believe anyone can achieve good things in life if you are willing to embrace change and make changes. »
Montgomery said he was thrilled to take the reins of a team that won 51 games last year; the Bruins also made Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019 and had the NHL’s best record the following season.
But that wasn’t enough to save Cassidy’s job.
One of the complaints about Cassidy, who was quickly hired by the Vegas Golden Knights, was that he was too hard on young players. Montgomery, who said he has already contacted about half of his players, is better known as an understanding coach with his players, but only to a certain extent.
“I think you have to listen. And I prefer to listen before I speak, he stressed. We will always be in the same boat. It will be a ‘we’ culture. But when it comes to responsibility and final decisions, I will be firm. »