The Providence Bruins are supplying their parent club with more than just on-ice talent.
The Boston Bruins on Tuesday hired Kevin Dean as an assistant coach. Dean previously had served as head coach of the P-Bruins, and he’ll now work under his old boss, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, who was the head man in Providence before being promoted to the B’s last May.
Dean spent a total of five seasons with Boston’s American Hockey League club, including four as an assistant from 2011 to 2015. That means he’s been around the team’s next wave of young players, and he apparently likes what he sees.
“The most important thing is, I’m really excited where the Bruins are headed,” Dean told reporters Tuesday. “… Last year, development camp and the development camp before, you can really see that there are some good, young kids coming in. They’ve obviously got a great core in Boston and I think those two things together make it a really exciting place to have the opportunity to come coach.”
A few of those young players got a taste of NHL action last season — defensemen Brandon Carlo and Colin Miller were regular contributors after spending the previous campaign in Providence, while 19-year-old Boston University product Charlie McAvoy got the chance to prove his worth in the postseason.
Dean made the most of Providence’s talent during his 2016-17 campaign as head coach, leading the P-Bruins to the AHL’s Eastern Conference finals. Now, he’ll look to transfer that success to the NHL level while working with Cassidy.
“(I’m) very comfortable with how Butch wants to play, and I believe in it,” Dean said. “… So, I think it should be a little more seamless than it would be than if I was walking into a room or a coach’s room with a bunch of guys I didn’t know.
“The comfort factor will be huge. I think it’s easier to address issues that you might be having.”
Thumbnail photo via YouTube/WPRI
