WILMINGTON, Mass. — Claude Julien has no illusions about the profession he has chosen.
He knows coaching isn't the line of work to pursue if it's stability you're seeking. But then again, what job in hockey actually does have security?
"I know it's a tough profession, but it doesn't seem tough to me because I've never known anything different," said Julien, currently in his 14th year coaching and eighth season in the NHL. "I've always been in this line of work. And you can talk about how it is for coaches, but even as a player you have the same pressure. You have a couple tough years and you're out of the game.
"It's something I've had to live with forever, so I guess I don’t know any different and at some point you just have to accept it for what it is," continued Julien. "I guess the more experience you get, the less stress you get about it because you know you're going to go out there and do the best you can, and if that is not good enough then you have to move on."
Julien has already had to move on several times. Some of those moves were for positive reasons, as he left Hull of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to go up to the pro ranks with Hamilton of the American Hockey League, then moved on from Hamilton to his first NHL job with Montreal. On other occasions, his exits were less pleasant, as Julien was fired in both Montreal and New Jersey.
And while he's felt the heat again in Boston after last spring's playoff collapse and the club's sudden struggles in recent weeks after a strong start this season, Julien has defied the odds with a remarkably long run with the Bruins — long by hockey standards anyway.
Julien was hired less than four years ago in the summer of 2007. Since then, there have been 36 coaching changes in the league. Only five other current coaches have been with their teams longer than Julien, who is the first Bruins head coach to make it into his fourth season since Gerry Cheevers lasted into a fifth season before being fired in 1985.
Still, Julien understands the pressure of the position and the likelihood that he'll eventually be looking for work elsewhere again. He also understands that process can be a lot harder for the people around him.
"That's the toughest thing," said Julien, who is married and has one daughter. "If I was single and just doing this for the love of the game, it's easy to just pack up and go. I've had to move around a lot, whether it's because of a promotion or it's because of being fired. And you always feel the most for your family. They're the ones that have made friends in the area. They've always just packed up and left and gone wherever you've been assigned without basically having a say in it. So that's the toughest thing for me, having to do that to your family."
That cruel reality isn't confined to hockey. Coaches in all sports have to learn to live with the lack of stability in their profession and the toll it can take on their loved ones. That is part of the reason Julien has reached out to the other pro coaches in town who deal with similar pressures.
"I had a chance to talk with Bill Bilichick a little bit a couple years ago and I know I've tried to connect with Doc Rivers," said Julien. "I've been to a couple of Red Sox games, so it's the same thing there. I haven't had the chance to connect with all those guys but I'd love to because I really like and respect all three of those guys for what they've done.
"They've been through a lot as individuals and as teams where they've maybe at one point struggled and gotten better," added Julien. "I think there's something the four of us could definitely relate to and I would certainly love to pick their brains when it comes to that stuff."
When it comes to Red Sox skipper Terry Francona, Julien doesn't just respect his work as a fellow coach. He's also a fan, going back to Francona's playing days.
"I remember I used to go see him play for the Expos years back. I've known of him for a long time," said Julien. "I've been to a few games and I guess as a coach you know when to go talk to those guys and when not to. The timing's got to be right, but hopefully that happens."
Julien has far bigger plans for his future than just finding time to swap stories with the other coaches in town. He's in no hurry to leave coaching, but could see himself eventually moving on to a new role in the game or looking at opportunities outside of hockey.
"I don't know. Right now I really enjoy coaching and as long as I enjoy it, I want to keep doing it," said Julien, who turned 50 in April. "I know it's a challenge, but I get up every day and I'm really happy coming to the rink and doing this job. I don't see any reason why not to [keep coaching]. But certainly I wouldn't close my mind [to other possibilities].
"If I feel there's something down the road that I want to be challenged with, then absolutely [I'd try it]," added Julien. "It doesn't mean it has to be in the world of hockey, either. It could be anything else. But right now it's not even a thought because I'm really into this and enjoying every minute of it."
Julien recently reached one impressive milestone in his coaching career when he was behind the bench for his 500th game as an NHL head coach in a 3-2 win over the Rangers in New York on Nov. 17. Julien didn't think much of the achievement at the time and was surprised by the attention it received. He'd rather wait to celebrate a much bigger milestone, and his goal shows that he's not planning to explore those opportunities outside coaching anytime soon.
"It's funny, that's what people say," said Julien of 500 games being a significant accomplishment. "I didn't think it was that big a number to be honest. Maybe I'm aiming higher. To me, a milestone is 1,000 games. I would be looking more at that.
"Having said that, if you had told me 20 years ago that I would be a head coach in the NHL for 500 games, I might have laughed at you," added Julien. "I hadn't pictured myself ever doing that at the time, so it's nice and hopefully there's another 500 to come."
In the second part of a three-part series on Tuesday, Julien discussed his coaching style and the balancing act between implementing systems and managing egos as an NHL head coach. In the first installment, Julien shared his coaching influences from his lifetime in the game.
