NHL Rumors: Jim Montgomery, Bruins Agree to Contract as Boston's New HC

Bruce Cassidy was replaced by the Boston Bruins.

Jim Montgomery, the former head coach of the Dallas Stars, is going to be Boston's next bench boss, according to Joe McDonald. The deal is expected to cost $2 million a year, according to Kevin Weekes.

Joe McDonald @JoeyMacHockey

Former Bruin and current NHL player on Montgomery: “Jim Montgomery is great coach and even better person. The guys will love playing for him and he will make this team a contender.”

Montgomery was one of three people who were rumored to be in the running for the job.

The Bruins have had three head coaches since 2007. Bruce Cassidy was the team's head coach from 2017 to '22 and Claude Julien was the team's head coach from 2007 to '17.

The Stars finished with a 43-32-7 record and a spot in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs under Montgomery's leadership. He was fired 31 games into the campaign.

One month after he lost his job, Montgomery revealed that he had entered a rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse.

Elliotte Friedman @FriedgeHNIC

Jim Montgomery has released a statement. These are his first public comments: pic.twitter.com/dVyGMohxnI

Montgomery was an assistant coach for the Blues for the last two years. The Canadian helped the team reach the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Montgomery was the head coach at the University of Denver for three years. The Pioneers won an NCAA title under his leadership.

He played college hockey at the University of Maine and was in the NHL for over ten years.

Cassidy was fired by Boston after the Black and Gold failed to make it to the second round of the playoffs.

Cassidy was the head coach of the Bruins for six years. He led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of his six seasons as the team's head coach.

At the time of Cassidy's firing, Don Sweeney said that the team would benefit from a new voice.

According to John Buccigross, Cassidy's handling of the development of younger players and his relationship with those players may have been a factor in his firing.

Buccigross spoke as transcribed by Scott McLaughlin.

Bruce Cassidy knows how to game plan and beat the other team. His communication skills and people managing have been difficult to deal with. Sometimes players hear a commentary on the bench and wonder what he is saying about them. It's not unusual.

It is a delicate matter. He uses really harsh motivational tactics. I don't want to call it a rebuild, but his voice was getting tired as the Bruins looked to go forward with a younger core. I believe players in the exit meetings voiced their opinions about him.

The Bruins prioritized coaches that had a good reputation with young players. With their experience with younger groups, it's no wonder that Montgomery, Leach andQuinn were the final three.

Montgomery will be tasked with managing younger players in Boston, as well as some seasoned veterans such as Brad Marchand.

The hiring of a new head coach is the first step in improving the Bruins for a Stanley Cup run in 2022-23.

NHL free agency starts on July 13