Why was Jim Montgomery fired just 20 games into the Boston Bruins’ season?
This question was raised to Bruins general manager Don Sweeney on Wednesday after Montgomery was dismissed as head coach on Tuesday. While Sweeney cited multiple factors, he emphasized that the issues with Montgomery’s 2024-25 team began before the regular season.
“I felt our camp was flat across the board,” Sweeney explained to reporters. “That was the first troubling sign. We were flat the whole way through training camp.”
The Bruins started camp with goaltender Jeremy Swayman holding out for a new contract and captain Brad Marchand recovering from offseason surgeries. Even after Marchand returned, Sweeney wasn’t impressed by the team’s overall effort, pointing to star forward David Pastrnak as one who “didn’t have a very good training camp” and “might not have had the offseason he wanted.”
“Whether they thought it would be easy, or the guys who had a strong previous year thought things would just fall into place—this league is humbling if you approach it that way, and it exposes you quickly,” Sweeney said. “That’s what’s happening with our group—it’s not coming easily, and you have to work harder.”
Montgomery was let go after Boston’s slow 8-9-3 start to the season. Given the team’s previous regular-season success followed by postseason letdowns, a change in leadership seemed necessary. However, the players also share responsibility.
“You feel a lot of guilt,” Pastrnak said. “Ultimately, as players, we’re the ones out there performing, and we weren’t getting it done. Because of that, we lost a great coach and an amazing person. It’s tough.”
Marchand echoed this sentiment: “If we had done our job, he’d still be here. It’s tough because we let down a really good coach and person.”
Interim head coach Joe Sacco becomes the Bruins’ fourth coach in eight years. Despite reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, the team hasn’t made it past the second round since, despite multiple coaching changes.
Sweeney’s recent draft history has been inconsistent, but if the Bruins are to succeed, the responsibility ultimately lies with the players—particularly leaders like Marchand and Pastrnak—to elevate their performance.
Leave a Reply