The Boston Bruins announced Sunday that head coach Claude Julien has signed a multiyear contract extension.
Terms weren’t released by the Bruins, and it isn’t known when Julien’s deal was set to expire.
“This morning, Claude and I finalized the terms of a multiyear contract extension agreement for him,” Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said in a statement issued by the team. “We have worked at this for a few months, but there was never any doubt in my mind that this would get done. Claude is one of the top coaches in the NHL and has consistently shown a passion for winning through his coaching.
“Coaching is a difficult profession at the best of times and what Claude does in implementing structure in his systems, and having a solid defensive foundation while allowing freedom in offensive play is no easy task. During his time with the Bruins, he has excelled in maintaining this difficult balance, and his longevity here speaks volumes. He has coached the Bruins to a Stanley Cup and a Cup Final appearance and our goal to win with him at the helm remains the same as we move forward.”
Julien is in his eighth season as the Bruins’ head coach and owns a 317-171-65 record in 553 regular-season games behind the Boston bench. He’s the second-winningest coach in team history and needs 45 more wins to pass Art Ross’s franchise record of 361 career wins.
The Bruins have reached the playoffs in all seven of Julien’s previous seasons, including five trips to the second round or further, a Stanley Cup title in 2010-11 and another Cup Final appearance in 2012-13. Julien won the Jack Adams Award as the league’s best head coach in 2008-09.
Julien also won a gold medal as an assistant for Team Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
“He’s proven in the past that he knows how to coach; he knows how to teach a young team to play a system,” Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg said after Saturday’s win over the Ottawa Senators. “Great if that (an extension) happens — hopefully it happens. … I really enjoy playing for him and I think all the guys in here do. It would be great if that happens.”
Photo via Jonathan Hayward/Associated Press
