Bruins Fire Coach Montgomery Amid Internal Conflicts

The Boston Bruins fired head coach Jim Montgomery after a disappointing start to the 2024-25 NHL season with an 8-9-3 record. Despite leading the team to a record-setting regular season in 2022-23, Montgomery's tenure was marred by recent struggles and internal conflicts, such as a bench argument with captain Brad Marchand and the controversial benching of top scorer David Pastrnak. Joe Sacco, a former NHL player and assistant coach for the Bruins, has been appointed interim head coach. The decision has sparked scrutiny towards general manager Don Sweeney, who has been criticized for his roster management and failure to sign key players like goalie Jeremy Swayman. Sacco's debut as interim head coach will be against the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday. The Bruins are in a tight race for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, raising questions about the team’s future direction and performance standards.