The Bruins have found their man. They just aren't ready to unveil his identity yet.
Asked about any progress in the search for a new assistant coach during his conference all to discuss Tyler Seguin's signing on Tuesday, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli announced that the search was actually over. However, the club won't be revealing the name of the new assistant until later in the week, once the contract has been formally signed.
"We've selected and hired an assistant coach," said Chiarelli. "We're just finalizing it."
The opening on Claude Julien's staff came when Craig Ramsay left to become the new head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers in June. Ramsay leaves some big skates to fill, as he helped direct the defense that was ranked first and second in the league the last two years.
Current assistant Doug Houda is expected to actually take over the bulk of Ramsay's duties, stepping down from his role as an observer from the press box during games and moving down behind the bench with Julien and fellow assistant Geoff Ward. The new hire is expected to take Houda's spot in up top, where he will watch the games and present his observations and insights between periods, as well as taking an active role in practice.
