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Jim Montgomery reportedly set to join Bruins rivals coaching staff after firing

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Joshua Deeds
November 21, 2024  (8:39)
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The Boston Bruins have made the inevitable decision of firing head coach Jim Montgomery.

Montgomery was fired by Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins, yesterday and Joe Sacco was named interim coach afterward.

With news of Jim Montgomery's availability; there are plenty of suitors available for the Bruins head coach, who was fired with a winning record.

According to Sportsnet's Luke Fox, the Montreal Canadiens are one of the teams in on the former Bruins head coach.

Montgomery would be an excellent addition for the rival Montreal Canadiens, as he's also a bilingual native of the Canadian city.

Montgomery, a bilingual Montreal native and Jack Adams Award winner, was recently fired by the Bruins despite an impressive 120-41-23 record over his tenure.

The irony of this all is this is the third coach fired by the Boston Bruins who was also a Jack Adam winner. What kind of image does that set for the Bruins?

This front office hasn't won a Stanley Cup and has a track record of failure in drafting, amongst bad asset management elsewhere.

«The Canadiens are keeping an eye on Jim Montgomery,» Fox noted, emphasizing that this is a theory rather than a confirmed plan.

The Canadiens' struggles under current head coach Martin St. Louis have given rise to speculation that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will look elsewhere for a new leader. St. Louis' winning percentage in Montreal is a dismal .353.

Not only that but Montgomery has connections to Hughes and Jeff Gorton, which gives insiders a reason to think, that maybe the Habs will shift priorities.

The situation recalls 2017, when Claude Julien was fired by Boston and immediately hired by Montreal. Journalist Renaud Lavoie highlighted the growing buzz: «His name was already circulating while he was still employed by the Bruins, so imagine now that he's a free agent.»

If Montgomery isn't hired as coach, he could serve another role in the Canadiens front office, from Mentorship to hockey operations, Luke Fox speculates.

Given the fact he is from Montreal lends well to the idea, that the headhunters from the Bruins rivals are quick to snatch up a coach like Montgomery.

Where do you think Jim Montgomery will sign next?

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Do you think Jim Montgomery will sign with the Montreal Canadiens as a coach or in operations?

Yes19076.3 %
No5923.7 %
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