The Boston Bruins have relieved head coach Bruce Cassidy of his duties, effective immediately. Cassidy saw his Bruins exit the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the first hurdle last month at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in what was a frustrating season for the Boston franchise. Injuries plagued top players like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Brandon Carlo. General Manager Don Sweeney used the “needing a new voice” tripe that has also seen Pete Deboer exit the Vegas Golden Knights job this off-season in a summer where former Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz is weighing up his options.
“Today I informed Bruce Cassidy that I was making a head coaching change,” said Sweeney. “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.”
“On behalf of the Jacobs family, I’d like to thank Bruce and his family for their dedication to the Boston Bruins organization,” said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. “Throughout his time in both Providence and Boston, Bruce’s deep passion for the game and pride he showed in representing the franchise was undeniable. We wish Bruce, Julie and his entire family nothing but success in the future and thank them for all they’ve done for the team both on and off the ice.”
“I want to thank Bruce for his time and service to the Boston Bruins organization over the last 14 years,” said Bruins President Cam Neely. “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.”
“I have the utmost confidence in Don to conduct a thorough search to identify the best candidate that is going to help our team reach its full potential,” Neely added.
