Oct 27, 2021; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy watches from the bench behind his players during the third period against the Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Bruins made their first big change of a surely busy offseason Monday with the decision to fire Bruce Cassidy after over five years on the job.
The decision to move on from Cassidy after the Black and Gold’s first first-round exit since 2017 was certainly something, and replacing the 2020 Jack Adams Award winner will be no easy feat for the B’s one-two front office braintrust of general manager Don Sweeney and president Cam Neely.
“Today I informed Bruce Cassidy that I was making a head coaching change,” Sweeney said in a team-released statement confirming the decision. “After 14 years working with Bruce, this was an extremely difficult decision. I want to thank and acknowledge Bruce for all his work and success with the Bruins organization. His head coaching record for the Bruins is impressive, and we are appreciative of Bruce both professionally and personally.
“After taking some time to fully digest everything, I felt that the direction of our team for both this season and beyond would benefit from a new voice. I want to wish Bruce, Julie, Shannon and Cole much success as a family and with their future opportunities.”
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“I want to thank Bruce for his time and service to the Boston Bruins organization over the last 14 years,” Neely said. “Bruce has been a fantastic coach and has helped this team win many games and achieve success over his tenure behind the bench. I also want to extend my gratitude to Bruce and his family for everything they’ve done over the years to support the New England community and Bruins organization.
“We wish them continued success in the future.”
The Bruins did make one thing clear in their statement: Sweeney, whose contract extension is a mere inevitability at this point, will be the one conducting the search for Cassidy’s replacement.
So, just who could be getting a call from Sweeney this summer?