Bruins Fire Head Coach Jim Montgomery Following Poor Start to Season

The Boston Bruins are moving on from their head coach.

The team announced on Tuesday afternoon that general manager Don Sweeney has relieved Jim Montgomery of his duties. Associate coach Joe Sacco will take over as interim head coach.

Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, November 19, that the team has relieved Jim Montgomery of his duties as Head Coach.

Associate Coach Joe Sacco will assume interim head coaching duties.

📰: https://t.co/g6eGJ3bmZx pic.twitter.com/x41b6SjbYL
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 19, 2024

It was reported last week by HNIC's Elliotte Friedman that Sweeney could be "seeking change" and that "'there's an intensity' within the organization." Said shake-up has now been made official.

The Bruins started off the 2024 season with just an 8-9-1 record and are in the midst of an ugly three-game skid during which they've been outscored 15–5. On the year, Boston has the league's worst power-play, scoring on just 11.69% of their chances with a man advantage. They have just nine power-play goals despite being awarded a league-most 77 penalties. The Bruins also sport the league's second-worst goal differential (-21).

Montgomery was hired as Boston's head coach after the team moved on from Bruce Cassidy in 2022. In his first season behind the bench, he led the Bruins to an NHL-record 65-12-1 regular season before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Florida Panthers. That same season, Cassidy won the Stanley Cup as the Vegas Golden Knights head coach.

Boston is off until Thursday, when they'll welcome the Utah Hockey Club to T.D. Garden for Sacco's first game leading the charge.