Bruins Dismiss Montgomery; Sacco Steps In as Interim Coach
The Boston Bruins announced on Tuesday that they have relieved head coach Jim Montgomery of his duties after the team opened the 2024-25 season with an 8-9-3 record.
Joe Sacco, an assistant coach with the Bruins since 2014, has been named interim head coach. Sacco brings previous head coaching experience, having led the Colorado Avalanche from 2009 to 2013 during his career as a former NHL forward.
"Jim Montgomery is a very good NHL coach and an even better person," said general manager Don Sweeney in the team's statement. "He has made a positive impact throughout the Bruins organization, and I am both grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to work with him and learn from him.
"Our team's inconsistency and performance in the first 20 games of the 2024-25 season has been concerning and below how the Bruins want to reward our fans. I believe Joe Sacco has the coaching experience to bring the players and the team back to focusing on the consistent effort the NHL requires to have success. We will continue to work to make the necessary adjustments to meet the standard and performance our supportive fans expect."
Montgomery was in his third season with the Bruins after being hired in June 2022 to replace Bruce Cassidy. His tenure included a record-breaking 2022-23 season, where the team set NHL highs with 65 wins and 135 points during the regular season. That year, Montgomery received the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach, despite the Bruins' first-round playoff exit to the Florida Panthers.
The 2023-24 season saw the Bruins finish with a 47-20-15 record and reach the second round of the playoffs. Under Montgomery, the team went 120-41-23 in 184 regular-season games and 9-11 in postseason play.
Boston has faced significant struggles in the early part of the current season, ranking 31st in goals per game (2.40), 28th in goals against per game (3.45), and last in power-play efficiency (11.7%). These figures starkly contrast with the team's 14-3-3 start through 20 games last season.
Despite occupying the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins face pressure from the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders, both of whom trail by just one point with games in hand. Boston's points percentage (.475) places them fifth in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins are set to face the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday as they look to regain momentum under Sacco's leadership.
