With the team not only failing to meet expectations but utterly shaky in every category, Bruins management decided to go for the tried-and-true NHL remedy.

They fired the coach.

With a record of 8-9-3 after Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, just the latest in a string of staggering defeats, General Manager Don Sweeney announced that Jim Montgomery was behind the B’s bench. His place will be taken on an interim basis by associate coach Joe Sacco. It was first reported by WEEI.

“Today I made a very difficult decision regarding a coaching change. Jim Montgomery is a very good NHL coach and an even better person,” Sweeney said in a statement. “He has made a positive impact within the Bruins organization, and I am both grateful and grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from him. Jim’s achievements as Bruins head coach include a record-breaking and historic season, and I would like to thank his entire family and wish him, Emily, JP, Colin, Ava and Olivia the best of luck and happiness in their next opportunity. Our team’s inconsistency and performance through the first twenty games of the 2024-2025 season was concerning and below par for how the Bruins want to reward our fans. I believe Joe Sacco has the coaching experience to get the players and team focused again on the consistent effort the NHL needs to be successful. We will continue to make the necessary adjustments to meet the standard and performance our supportive fans expect.”

Montgomery gave the Bruins two outstanding regular seasons, including a record-breaking 65-win season in his first year in 2022-2023, for which he won the Jack Adams Award. Since he took over at the beginning of that season, the Bruins had the highest winning percentage in the league at .715 (120-41-23). But postseason success was elusive. The B’s were stunned in the first round by the Florida Panthers in 2023 and lost again in the second round last season to the Panthers, the eventual Stanley Cup champions. Montgomery was in the final year of a three-year contract. Sweeney said prior to the season that they were in negotiations for an extension, but that never materialized. How much that damaged Montgomery’s reputation is hard to say, but it couldn’t have helped.

Sacco, a Medford native and Boston University product who played 738 NHL games with five different clubs, has been on the staff since the days of Claude Julien, taking on the role of assistant in 2014-15. He spent more than three seasons as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche before being fired in 2012-13.

Montgomery took over for Bruce Cassidy, who went on to win the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Like Cassidy, Sacco is not only a midseason replacement, but Cassidy has waited a long time – fourteen years in his case – to get a second chance at a head coaching job in the NHL. Cassidy made the most of his opportunity, taking the moribund team in Julien’s tenth season and reaching the playoffs. He reached all the way to Game 7 of the Cup Final in 2019 before losing at Garden Ice. The B’s haven’t been this close since. We’ll see if Sacco and the B’s can capture that kind of lightning again.

Team President Cam Neely said in part in the team statement: “We wish Jim and his family the best for the future, both personally and professionally. I support Don’s decision to address our current play and performance. Joe Sacco has a wealth of experience and knowledge of our roster and can help lead our team in the right direction. He has a deep understanding of our standards and expectations, and I trust he will do everything he can to achieve our organization’s goals this season.”

Coaches have been fired for less. With high expectations entering the season, the B’s rank at or near the bottom of the league in offense (31st), defense (28th) and special teams (32nd by power play, 25th by penalty kill).

But there are concerns about the roster construction. Sweeney’s two big offseason signings – two-way center Elias Lindholm (7 x $7.75 million) and big defenseman Nikita Zadorov (6 x $5 million) – haven’t played particularly well. Meanwhile, some of the key veterans and impact players such as David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy have also not performed up to their standards. Montgomery tried to push every button in his arsenal. He shouted at his captain, Marchand, on the bench. He benched superstar David Pastrnak. He scratched depth players. Ultimately, Sweeney decided he had no more buttons.

Now we will find out how much of the problem was the coach and how much of this is down to management.

Sweeney and Sacco will speak to reporters after the B’s 11 a.m. practice.

Originally published: November 19, 2024 at 4:35 PM EST