Rumor: Jim Montgomery fired and Joe Sacco named Bruins head coach

Expectations were high in Boston.

The Bruins were able to pick up some help on the open market this summer, bringing Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm to town, two guys known to be solid NHL players.

But the club hasn’t lived up to expectations since the start of the season, and now we’re hearing a thousand and one rumours about Jim Montgomery.

The latest came from Rich Keefe, a well-known figure in the Boston sports media.

He said on his podcast that it’s only a matter of time before Montgomery is fired.

And he went on to say that it would be Joe Sacco who would take Montgomery’s place behind the bench as Bruins head coach:

BREAKING FROM #SCOOPSKEEFE: Jim Montgomery is OUT. Joe Sacco will take over as head coach. pic.twitter.com/pwXpWiZQH8

– Jones & Keefe (@JonesandKeefe) November 19, 2024

In Boston, it didn’t take long for the rumor to spread on various social platforms.

WEEI (a sports radio station based in Massachusetts), shared the rumor in a text that was published on the station’s website.

Rich Keefe’s information gets around, to put it another way:

Keefe: Bruins to fire Jim Montgomery; Joe Sacco taking over https://t.co/e3Gps810bJ #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/v9fjao894F

– WEEI (@WEEI) November 19, 2024

At the time of writing, nothing has yet been confirmed by the Boston Bruins.

What we do know… is that after yesterday’s game, the team emailed media members to say that Jim Montgomery would be meeting with reporters after Wednesday’s (tomorrow’s) practice.

Has the organization’s plan changed since then?

Bruins send out an email specifying that Jim Montgomery will be available to the media after Wednesday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena with no practice scheduled for tomorrow. So no move imminent with the head coach after another disastrous B’s loss

– Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) November 19, 2024

It’s going to take something to get the club going again in Boston, and seeing Montgomery fired might send a pretty important message to the rest of the group.

That said, it’s been over ten years since Joe Sacco was a head coach in the NHL. He knows the Bruins organization well because he’s been an assistant in Boston since the 2014-2015 season, but we’re not talking about the guy with the most experience either.

To be continued.

Oh, I forgot… In closing, if Montgomery is indeed fired, it will be interesting to see if Kent Hughes will call him.

A talented coach like Montgomery backing up Martin St-Louis sounds like an idea that appeals to me…

Overtime

– It’s good for morale.

It’s good to see the vibes in this Habs squad looking fun & positive & optimistic again

Team spirit & camaraderie. A real, genuine brotherhood. We love to see it, folks pic.twitter.com/o4kVxuCBVz

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 19, 2024

– J.T. Miller must take time off for personal reasons.

Canucks Forward J.T. Miller to take indefinite leave for personal reasons. pic.twitter.com/RzjZT3bKCK

– Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 19, 2024

– He has to get up.

“I’m going to do everything I can to get through this“https://t.co/aKbPoLuqje

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 19, 2024

– Read:

It’s not crazy. https://t.co/8ox35R5wtL

– Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) November 19, 2024

– I love this. You may be the star of the club, but…

Tyrese Maxey calls on Joel Embiid to take responsibilityhttps://t.co/WzJ7tKfCYf

– RDS (@RDSca) November 19, 2024