Jim Montgomery will get another shot at an NHL head coaching job with the Bruins.
Boston on Friday made it official by naming the St. Louis Blues assistant as the new head coach of the Black and Gold.
Montgomery’s first head coaching job came to an abrupt end in 2019 with the Dallas Stars when he was dismissed for “unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League.” Montgomery revealed to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that he entered an in-patient program for alcohol abuse and that his firing from Dallas likely saved his life.
The 53-year-old has been sober ever since.
Montgomery was well-liked within the Stars organization and often was referred to as a players coach with an outgoing person who engages with his team — a different approach from ex-Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, who never shied away from calling out his players when he believed he needed to do so.
Montgomery was successful in Dallas before his departure and found success as an assistant with the St. Louis Blues since Sept. 2020 when he was hired by the team. Montgomery appeared to click with the younger players, found success on the power play — something the Bruins desperately need to fix and helped the Blues turn around their 5-on-5 offense.
On paper, Montgomery looks like the right guy for the Bruins. But it will be no easy task to begin 2022-23 NHL season due to Boston likely being without Brad Marchand, Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy after they underwent offseason surgeries. The work will be cut out for Montgomery, sure, but he’s getting a second chance with a team that’s expected to succeed both in the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It appears Montgomery is someone who is able to get the most out of his players, especially the younger ones, and that could go a long way in the Bruins organization. Plus, as Boston Sports Journal’s Conor Ryan pointed out, Montgomery has had success in plenty of his coaching stops.
The new season begins Oct. 11 and while Montgomery faces a challenge in front of him, it will be fun to see how far he can take the Bruins.
