BOSTON — The coaching profession is a volatile one, yet Claude Julien endures.
The Boston Bruins extended Julien’s contract as head coach Sunday, and the word that came to mind was “fit.” Julien himself referred to the “fit” Monday when talking about the extension, which was a smart move by the Boston Bruins, given the turnover behind most NHL benches.
The 54-year-old fits the players on the roster and the system the team uses. Look no further than his 317 career wins and seven consecutive playoff appearances (including a Stanley Cup title) with the B’s.
“It goes to show how important a good fit is,” Julien said Monday. “I’ve really felt comfortable from the first day here, with everyone. … It’s been a lot of fun, and it goes to show how important chemistry is, not just with the players, but the people who work with you. When you have good chemistry it makes your job a lot more fun, and cohesive, and you get a lot more success that way.”
Stability behind the bench is a common denominator among teams that win consistently, whether in the regular season or playoffs. The four longest-tenured coaches in the league are Mike Babcock (Detroit Red Wings, 2005-present), Julien (2007-present), Joel Quenneville (Chicago Blackhawks, 2008-present) and Todd McLellan (San Jose Sharks, 2008-present). Those four coaches have never missed the playoffs with their current clubs and have combined for six Stanley Cup Final appearances and four championships.
Despite this, we rarely see NHL teams employ the same head coach for more than five years, and only six current head coaches were with their teams before the 2011-12 season. Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli called Julien, now in his eighth season in Boston, “one of the top coaches in the NHL” in announcing the extension, and it was clear the Bruins weren’t going to let that kind of stability get away.
“We’ve had that stability for a while now, and I think Claude’s proven himself as one of the best coaches in the league,” Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron said. “He’s really done a great job developing the young guys and us as core players, and helping us become better leaders. It’s well deserved. … For us, I know stability has been a huge factor for us over the past years to develop and get better.”
As Bergeron mentioned, one of the Julien’s strengths is developing players, particularly defensemen. Dennis Seidenberg and Johnny Boychuk were not first-pairing caliber players before they worked with Julien. Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug have blossomed in Julien’s system and have succeeded in important roles despite a shortage of pro experience.
“He’s good at finding the strength of every player, and finding ways to get the best out of them, whether they’re veterans or younger guys,” Bergeron said. “He started in junior hockey and even in the American Hockey League, so he’s dealt with younger players in the past, he’s used to that.”
Julien’s defense-first system has received criticism at times from fans and media members. Even though he wants his players to be responsible defensively and play a hard, physical game, the Bruins still have been able to rank fifth or higher in goals scored four times in the last six seasons. It’s a system similar to what the Los Angeles Kings use, and they’ve won two of the last three Cup Finals.
“He’s proven himself over the years with his system that it does work, and he’s always trying get better and work on it with his assistants,” Bergeron said.
The Bruins have built a well-rounded roster led by a group of core players in their primes who are supported by a talented mix of young players and arguably the best goaltender in the league. It’s built for Julien’s style of coaching, and the Bruins should enjoy much more success as the extension kicks in.
“I’m happy to be here, because as far as I’m concerned this is a great team,” Julien said. “We have an opportunity every year to be contenders for the Stanley Cup. I feel just as hungry this time around as I was before we won our first one. I’m excited to have an opportunity to have a team that can compete for that.”
The Bruins feel the same, which is why keeping Julien around is such a perfect fit.
