Latest news with #Sacco
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boston Bruins general manager provides coaching search update
The Bruins' search for a new coach is underway and it appears they've narrowed down their list. In a phone conversation with the Boston Herald's Steve Conroy, general manager Don Sweeney confirmed he was no longer waiting on candidates who are still coaching in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Advertisement That seemingly would eliminate Dallas Stars assistant Misha Donskov, who was a popular name in rumors. Sweeney added that the Bruins expect to have a coach 'well before' the NHL Entry Draft in June. While the GM didn't name who was in Boston's search, he confirmed the team spoke to Rick Tocchet — who signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. In April, Sweeney said that waiting for permission to speak with potential candidates in the playoffs could present challenges. Joe Sacco was named interim coach in November after the Bruins fired Jim Montgomery. He went 25-30-7 and while Boston missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, Sacco was put in a tough position that only got tougher after the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off and the trade deadline. Advertisement The Bruins struggled to find consistency and los Charlie McAvoy to an AC joint injury and infection he suffered in the February tournament. This was in addition to dealing with Hampus Lindholm's knee injury that sidelined him for most of last season. Then Boston traded Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle. Sacco's effort with the roster he had in front of him didn't go unnoticed by president Cam Neely. He's among the candidates, as is Bruins assistant Jay Woodcroft. More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
Edmonton Journal
5 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Bruins name ex-forward Marco Sturm as head coach to replace fired Jim Montgomery
Article content Sacco, a Bruins assistant and former Avalanche head coach, replaced Montgomery 20 games into this season, but with the team unable to challenge for a playoff berth general manager Don Sweeney traded away captain Brad Marchand and other veterans, and the Bruins stumbled to a 33-39-10 record overall, tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Only three teams in the league were worse. CEO Charlie Jacobs said the results were 'absolutely unacceptable' and apologized to the fans for the performance. 'We owe you a better team, and we aim to deliver a better team,' he said after the season. 'I share your disappointment and, frankly, embarrassment on how poorly things played out over the course of this season.' Sturm, who was a Bruins forward from 2005-2010, is a former head coach and general manager for the German national team and spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Toronto Maple Leafs might call on Joe Sacco to plug coaching void following Lane Lambert departure
Joe Sacco (via Getty Images) With Lane Lambert leaving for a head coach position with the Seattle Kraken, the Toronto Maple Leafs could be looking at veteran coach Joe Sacco to make his bench in Craig Berube's corner. Joe Sacco, who just concluded a tumultuous interim run with the Boston Bruins, has emerged as a name of interest as Toronto searches to overhaul its coaching framework for the upcoming NHL campaign. Joe Sacco appears to be a likely candidate to fill Toronto Maple Leafs' coaching opening The loss of associate coach Lane Lambert has created a gaping hole on the coaching staff of the Toronto Maple Leafs—a gap soon to be filled by veteran NHL coach Joe Sacco. Now, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has hinted at Toronto's interest in Sacco, saying on his 32 Thoughts podcast, 'I believe Joe Sacco was told he will not stay as the head coach of the Boston Bruins,' Elliotte Friedman said. 'I'm actually kind of wondering if he could end up in Toronto, in place of Lane Lambert. We'll see. But I'm under the impression he was told he won't be staying.' Joe Sacco Reportedly Out, Boston Bruins Coaching Finalists + Why Happy Gilmore Still Matters Why Joe Sacco could be a strong fit for Toronto Maple Leafs' bench Joe Sacco has plenty of experience behind the bench. Having spent close to a decade as an assistant coach in Boston with the Bruins, Sacco was promoted to interim head coach in the 2024 season after Jim Montgomery's firing. Despite the Bruins tallying a 25-30-7 record under his command, Sacco gained respect for having guided a team that had traded away key performers like Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle. What Toronto finds particularly attractive in Sacco is his penalty-kill expertise. Boston was seventh in the NHL last season with an 82.5% kill rate when it had been shorthanded. Where Joe Sacco would fit in Toronto's coaching pecking order If employed, Joe Sacco would become part of an expanding coaching staff led by Craig Berube, who already has assistant coaches Marc Savard (forwards/power play), Mike Van Ryn (defense), and goaltending coach Curtis Sanford. Both Savard and Van Ryn, who were signed in 2023, share knowledge of Berube's system from their previous success in St. Louis. The open associate position offers a distinct path for an individual with Sacco's background to immediately contribute. With the 2025 campaign approaching quickly and hype building in Toronto, strategic recruitment moves such as this may determine if the Maple Leafs are able to finally reach the postseason threshold. Also read: Boston Bruins remain calm in head coach hunt following disappointing NHL season Although the Toronto Maple Leafs have not yet assured that they will directly replace Lane Lambert's job, the interest in Joe Sacco indicates the front office is looking into veteran, tactically astute options. Sacco's experience, specifically his penalty-kill effectiveness in Boston, may position him as a perfect fit for a Leafs team in need of honing its defensive acumen under Craig Berube.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Should Bruins consider Mike Sullivan as a head coach candidate?
Should Bruins consider Mike Sullivan as a head coach candidate? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The Boston Bruins need to find a permanent head coach after firing Jim Montgomey back in November and naming assistant Joe Sacco as the interim head coach. Advertisement Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said last week at the team's end-of-season press conference that Sacco would be part of the coaching search. 'I spoke with Joe at length, obviously, we met with our coaches in a debrief, and I've spoken at length with Joe,' Sweeney said. 'He's aware that we're going to have a head coaching search, he's aware that he'll be part of the final group of coaches that we get down to, because I think he's earned and deserved that.' Sacco did the best he could with a flawed roster, and to his credit, the Bruins didn't quit and players played hard to the end. But frankly, if the Bruins want to be a legit contender in the Eastern Conference — and especially in a quick manner — they need an upgrade over Sacco at the head coach position. A very good and highly respected coach hit the market Monday when the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they had parted ways with Mike Sullivan. The Massachusetts native became Penguins head coach in 2015 and helped guide them to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2015-16 and 2016-17. The Penguins made the playoffs in seven of his 10 seasons behind the bench, although they failed to qualify each of the last three years. Sullivan also has excelled as head coach of the United States men's hockey team. Team USA reached the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off at TD Garden back in February and will go to the 2026 Olympics as one of the gold medal favorites. Advertisement The Bruins would be wise to consider Sullivan for their head coach job, assuming he has any interest. His resume, as described above, speaks for itself. He also understands the market and has plenty of ties to the area. He's from Marshfield, Mass, and played college hockey at Boston University. He was once the head coach of the AHL's Providence Bruins for one season (2002-03) and the Boston Bruins for two seasons (2003-04 and 2005-06). He has familiarity with the organization and the fan base. He's also Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy's father-in-law. In total, Sullivan has 12 seasons of NHL head coach experience. Advertisement How much will NHL experience be a factor in the Bruins' coaching search? Sweeney was asked last week. 'Does it have to include NHL experience on head coaching level? No, it has to include some form of it, should include some form of NHL exposure,' Sweeney said at the season-ending press conference. 'But if somebody blows you away, they blow you away. I don't think I'm going to narrow it down to just (that). I think that's an (injustice) to the process. Sweeney later added: 'They don't have to be currently an NHL coach, but exposure to the league is important.' Sullivan could have plenty of options if he chooses to be an NHL head coach next season. In addition to the Bruins, the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks and Seattle Kraken are among the teams that have head coaching vacancies. Bruins management said last week at the press conference that, if the team is healthy and a couple roster upgrades are made in the summer, this group could be back in the playoffs next season. If the Bruins were doing an actual rebuild, hiring Sullivan wouldn't make sense. But if the goal is to win in the short term, Sullivan would be a good fit.
NBC Sports
24-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Bruins say they will start coaching search. Interim Joe Sacco is candidate for long-term job
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins said on Wednesday that they will begin the search for a new head coach, with interim Joe Sacco a candidate to stay on the job he took over when Jim Montgomery was fired 20 games into the season. 'He's aware that we're going to have a coaching search,' general manager Don Sweeney said at the team's management media availability, a week after the Bruins finished the season without a playoff berth for the first time since 2016. 'He's aware that he'll be part of the final group of coaches that we get down to, because I think he's earned and deserves that.' Sacco finished with a 25-30-7 record after replacing Montgomery on Nov. 19, presiding over a team that was further depleted by a trade deadline purge of captain Brad Marchand and a handful of other players from the roster. The Bruins were 33-39-10 in all, tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Only three teams in the league were worse. CEO Charlie Jacobs apologized to the fans for the performance. 'We owe you a better team, and we aim to deliver a better team,' he said. 'I share your disappointment and, frankly, embarrassment on how poorly things played out over the course of this season. 'We embrace your criticism because it's well-deserved,' Jacobs said, expressing his support for Sweeney and team president Cam Neely. 'The results from last season are absolutely unacceptable.' Sacco led the Colorado Avalanche to a 130-134-40 record from 2009-2014 and was a finalist for coach of the year in his first season. He spent 10 years as a Bruins assistant before being promoted for the rest of the season when Montgomery was fired. 'I was given an opportunity after 20 games, and I really enjoyed it,' Sacco said last week. 'Obviously, it didn't turn out the way that we all wanted it to. There was a lot of moving parts. I look forward to see what happens here in the near future, and we'll see where that goes.' Montgomery replaced Bruce Cassidy — another likeable Bruins coach whose teams racked up 100-point seasons but flamed out in the postseason. Cassidy was fired three years after leading Boston to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final and hired by Vegas eight days after the Bruins fired him. The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in his first season in 2023. Jacobs noted that no team has a better record than Boston since Sweeney took over. Neely lamented the Bruins' failure to win it all in 2019, when they lost to St. Louis in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. 'The game is so fickle,' he said. 'We win in 2019 in Game 7, at home, here, I don't know what the conversations are.' Asked why the front office isn't being held accountable in the same way as Cassidy and Montgomery, who are both currently coaching playoff teams, Jacobs said he thought the shelf life of coaches is shorter than GMs. 'It's the nature of the beast of the job,' he said. 'You could have players' attention for a select window of time and then, unfortunately, sometimes you lose it. It's Don's job to make sure he's got his hand on the pulse of whether or not the players tune him out, the head coach. And I feel he's done a pretty good job of measuring that.' Sweeney also noted that he tried to sign Montgomery to a contract extension but couldn't come to an agreement. Sweeney is in the last year of his contract, and Neely was noncommittal over whether an extension would be offered. 'I'm still contemplating what the best course of action is,' the former Bruins forward said about the former Bruins defenseman. 'I really feel like Don has done a good job here for the most part. ... I'll figure that out in the near future whether we're going to re-sign Don. But he's got another year left.' Montgomery, 55, was 120-41-23 in two-plus seasons in Boston. The Bruins finished with more than 100 points in each of his first two seasons — including a record-setting debut, when their 65 wins and 135 points were both the most in NHL history. But the team lost in the first round of the playoffs that year and advanced to only the second round last season. The struggles carried over into the new season, with an opening night loss to Florida in which they fell behind 5-1 and an 8-2 loss to Carolina on Halloween. After a 5-1 loss to Columbus in which the Bruins were booed off their own ice, Montgomery was fired. Five days later, the St. Louis Blues fired Drew Bannister and hired Montgomery to replace him. After losing 13 of their first 22 games of the season, the Blues moved into position to grab one of the Western Conference wild-card berths. But Boston never improved under Sacco. Heading into the trade deadline with a three-game losing streak that left them at 28-28, the Bruins traded Marchand — the only remaining member of their 2011 Stanley Cup championship team — as part of a trade deadline selloff that signaled a surrender on the 2024-25 season. And they left Sacco on the bench to ride it out. The depleted roster lost 10 straight games — the team only lost 12 in its record-setting 2022-23 season under Montgomery — and fell from possible playoff contender to the NHL draft lottery.
