Boston Bruins fire head coach Jim Montgomery

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins fired head coach Jim Montgomery on Tuesday.

Channel 11 affiliate Boston 25 reports that Montgomery was in the final year of his three-year contract and won the Jack Adamas Award as the league’s best coach after guiding the Bruins to an NHL-record 135 points and the Presidents Trophy in 2023.

His dismissal comes after the Bruins (8-9-3) lost 5-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Associate Coach Joe Sacco will assume interim head coaching duties. It’s a decision Boston Bruins General Manager Dan Sweeney says was difficult.

“Today, I made a very difficult decision with regards to a coaching change. Jim Montgomery is a very good NHL coach and an even better person. He has made a positive impact throughout the Bruins organization, and I am both grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to work with him and learn from him,” Sweeney said.

“Our team’s inconsistency and performance in the first 20 games of the 2024-25 season has been concerning and below how the Bruins want to reward our fans,” Sweeney said. “I believe Joe Sacco has the coaching experience to bring the players and the team back to focusing on the consistent effort the NHL requires to have success. We will continue to work to make the necessary adjustments to meet the standard and performance our supportive fans expect.”

Sacco is in his 11th season with the Bruins, mostly as an associate coach. He was previously an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres in 2013-14 and head coach for the Colorado Avalanche from 2009-13.

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