Legendary hockey coach Don Cherry expresses his opinion following the Boston Bruins’ decision to fire Jim Montgomery
Legendary hockey coach Don Cherry expressed his surprise and disappointment following the Boston Bruins’ decision to fire head coach Jim Montgomery, a move that has raised eyebrows across the hockey community. Cherry, known for his outspoken views and unfiltered commentary, took to the Grapevine Podcast to share his thoughts on Montgomery’s dismissal, offering both an analysis of the situation and a broader perspective on the Bruins’ recent history with coaching changes. The firing, according to Cherry, caught many by surprise, especially considering the success Montgomery had enjoyed just a year prior. Cherry delved into the possible reasons behind the decision, pointing to both visible signs of frustration within the team and speculating about potential tensions between Montgomery and general manager Don Sweeney.
Jim Montgomery’s tenure with the Boston Bruins had been a roller coaster of highs and lows. On one hand, he had accomplished something that very few coaches in the NHL had ever done before—leading the Bruins to a historic regular-season record of 65-12-5 in 2022-2023, a performance that earned him the prestigious Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s Coach of the Year. His first season with the Bruins was nothing short of magical, with the team setting a new standard for excellence, dominating the regular season with an unprecedented 135 points. Yet, just months after such a historic achievement, Montgomery was fired, leaving many, including Cherry, perplexed.
“I mean, you could just tell that the Bruins weren’t happy,” Cherry remarked on the podcast, discussing how the team’s discontent had been evident. He cited one specific example that seemed to highlight the growing tension between Montgomery and the team: the benching of star player Brad Marchand. Cherry pointed out that when a coach benches a player of Marchand’s caliber, it is a clear indication that something is not right within the team dynamic. “When you have Pastrnak and Marchand, two good guys, and he (Montgomery) pushed Marchand on the bench, that says something,” Cherry said, referring to the potential frustration within the team.
Brad Marchand, a long-time heart and soul player for the Bruins, is often considered one of the most important figures on the team. Marchand’s relationship with Montgomery was under scrutiny throughout the season, particularly when Marchand found himself on the receiving end of Montgomery’s disciplinary measures. While Montgomery’s decision to bench a player of Marchand’s caliber might have been intended to spark a change in behavior or performance, it could also be seen as a sign that the coach was losing control of the locker room. Cherry seemed to suggest that the tension between Montgomery and the team, particularly with key players like Marchand, could have been a critical factor in the firing.
Beyond the visible signs of frustration with certain players, Cherry also speculated that there might have been internal friction between Montgomery and the team’s general manager, Don Sweeney. “They never signed (Montgomery) to an extension,” Cherry noted. This comment points to the underlying uncertainty surrounding Montgomery’s future in Boston. Despite leading the Bruins to the best regular-season record in NHL history, Montgomery had not been given a contract extension. In the high-stakes world of professional hockey, failing to lock up a coach with such success could signal a lack of long-term commitment, and Cherry suggested that Montgomery’s lack of security could have contributed to the breakdown in his relationship with management. “You think they’d want to keep him, but you know what? He probably had trouble with General Manager Sweeney,” Cherry speculated, hinting at a possible power struggle behind the scenes.
Don Cherry’s remarks also pointed to a broader trend with the Boston Bruins, particularly regarding the team’s history of firing successful coaches. Montgomery is not the first coach in the Bruins’ recent history to be dismissed despite achieving significant success with the team. Prior to Montgomery, the Bruins had been led by Bruce Cassidy and Claude Julien, both of whom enjoyed notable success with the organization but were ultimately let go.
Bruce Cassidy’s time with the Bruins, spanning from 2017 to 2022, was marked by consistent success, including winning the Jack Adams Award in 2020. Under Cassidy, the Bruins were consistently among the league’s top teams, making deep playoff runs year after year. However, despite his success, Cassidy was dismissed in 2022, and his departure raised many eyebrows at the time. The Bruins’ decision to part ways with Cassidy after so much success led many to question the team’s management and decision-making processes.
Claude Julien, another highly successful coach for the Bruins, had a similarly successful tenure. Julien served as head coach from 2007 to 2017, leading the team to a Stanley Cup championship in 2011. Julien’s tenure also featured regular playoff appearances and a well-structured, competitive team. Despite his success, Julien was fired mid-season in 2017, a move that sparked significant debate among fans and analysts alike. With both Cassidy and Julien having achieved significant success with the Bruins, the firing of Montgomery was seen by many as a continuation of a pattern of dismissing successful coaches.
Cherry reflected on this history of firing successful coaches and noted the irony that, in many cases, the coaches who win the Jack Adams Award seem to be the most vulnerable. “Montgomery was 120-42-23 and he won the Jack Adams before (in 2023). The Jack Adams (award) is a curse because most of them (the winners) get fired,” Cherry said. His words shed light on a curious trend in the NHL: the coaches who receive the highest honors often find themselves in the most precarious positions. Winning the Jack Adams Award, an achievement that should ideally solidify a coach’s position, appears to have become a double-edged sword, with many past winners finding themselves dismissed soon after receiving the accolade.
The firing of Jim Montgomery, despite his extraordinary success with the team, seems to fit into this strange and somewhat troubling pattern. Cherry’s comments suggest that the decision to let Montgomery go was not based solely on his on-ice performance but rather on internal dynamics within the Bruins organization, including the relationships between Montgomery and key figures like Sweeney, as well as the overall atmosphere within the locker room. The failure to sign Montgomery to an extension, combined with visible signs of frustration from the team, especially with star players like Marchand, indicated that there were deeper issues at play that ultimately led to Montgomery’s dismissal.
It is important to consider the broader implications of Montgomery’s firing, not just for the Bruins but for the NHL as a whole. The decision to fire a coach with such a successful track record can have far-reaching effects on a team’s culture, its players, and its fan base. For the Bruins, this move raises important questions about the direction the team is heading in and what their long-term goals might be. Is this firing part of a larger plan to reshape the team, or is it an indication of a fundamental misalignment between the coaching staff and the front office?
For Montgomery, the firing marks a difficult chapter in his coaching career, especially after such a remarkable debut season in Boston. The coach who guided the Bruins to an unprecedented regular-season record and won Coach of the Year honors now faces an uncertain future. His next move will be closely watched by the hockey world, and his ability to find a new opportunity after this setback will be a key test of his resilience and coaching acumen.
In the end, the firing of Jim Montgomery serves as a reminder of the high-stakes nature of professional sports, where success can be fleeting, and even the most accomplished coaches are not immune from being let go. It also highlights the complexities of team dynamics, where relationships between coaches, general managers, and players can ultimately determine a coach’s fate. For the Bruins, the decision to part ways with Montgomery represents a significant shift, and the team’s future success will depend on how well they can navigate the fallout from this bold decision.
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