Jim Montgomery was introduced as the Boston Bruins’ new head coach on Monday, and shared what has impressed him about his new team in his first few weeks on the job.
“I probably have touched base with over half the roster,” Montgomery said at his introductory press conference, as seen on NESN. “And it’s been very positive in the sense that I’ve been very impressed with the team-first attitude that’s emanating from the players.”
The team-first attitude that Montgomery mentions has been apparent from Boston’s top players for years. Long-time Bruins like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy have notably played through injuries and dealt with shuffling lineups to help the team win. While the future of Bergeron is uncertain, Montgomery did speak with the Bruins captain — and he came away impressed.
“That was my first phone call,” Montgomery said. “It was really good. It was enlightening. It felt like I was talking to a coach, not a player. Just how he thinks about the team first, he thinks about ways to get better. So I was very impressed, it was an open and honest conversation about how he’s excited about what the Bruins family can do, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
While the roster is far from set, Montgomery can enter his first year with the Bruins knowing he has a team willing to work for each other.
