For days, fans have said something had to give with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins are off to a disappointing 8-9-3 start.
As a result, the Bruins fired head coach Jim Montgomery and replaced him with assistant coach Joe Sacco. Montgomery has been the Bruins’ coach since the 2022 season.
Fans were not surprised by the decision but wondered if this was the right choice.
The Bruins Have A Culture Problem Beyond Jim Montgomery
Some fans believe the Bruins’ problems come from a higher power than the former head coach. They think GM Don Sweeney is to blame, but he is still on the job. These fans agree that Montgomery is the most convenient and easy guy to blame, but the problems were not his exclusively.
Jim Montgomery’s firing is a joke really. He lost 41 of his 184 games in Boston. This is a management problem. It is old story. It is always coach’s fault but GM Don Sweeney deserves lots of blame for free-agent signings
— Jim Matheson (@jimmathesonnhl) November 19, 2024
He Deserved More Time To Fix The Bruins’ Problems
Because of his reputation and record, some fans thought Jim Montgomery deserved a little more time to turn things around.
The Bruins’ incredible record the past two seasons under Jim Montgomery should have bought him a lot more time to work things out. Firing him after an 8-9-3 start is unhinged
— Steve Warne (@SteveWarneMedia) November 19, 2024
Where Will He Land Next?
Sacco and the Bruins players applauded what a great human and coach he is. No one seemed elated that he was no longer with the team.
Jim Montgomery is a very good coach and I’m sure he’ll have a job pretty soon. While it wasn’t all his fault, this team needed a shakeup. It sucks but that’s the way it goes when a team is playing as bad as the Bruins are right now.
— Mathew Galvao (@mathewgalvao) November 19, 2024
A coach with his credentials and reputation will get another job. The question is where and when will it be?
I’m looking at Jim Montgomery available right now and I would absolutely hate for the Penguins to waste this golden opportunity to hire a great coach. You know one of these teams will give up on their head coach a little sooner than usual just to hire him.
— nhlpens (@nhlpens) November 20, 2024
A Twitter user speculates if he could be the next Pittsburgh Penguins coach. Mike Sullivan has been the Penguins coach since 2015, and fans believe a change could be in order in Pittsburgh. If the Penguins wanted to make a change, now could be a good time with Jim Montgomery available.
