Claude Julien
What a shady and gutless way to let your fan base know of a major change. To announce this firing during the Patriots parade, it's just not classy at all. This kind of way of treating someone who brought so much to your organization speaks volumes, Julien deserves more respect than that.
Here are a few quotes from Bruins GM Don Sweeney:
"I've got a tremendous level of respect for Claude as a person, working with him over the past couple of years, but had come to a conclusion that, in moving this group forward with an eye towards the plan that we had put in place, that I wasn't ready to commit on a longer-term basis with Claude."
"The expectations have not changed for this organization. We expect the players to make a push and get into the playoffs."
"I expect our practices to change a little bit, in terms of Bruce has always been a coach that wants to practice at a really high pace. He'll probably tweak a few things coming out of the neutral zone. We just discussed in a short period of time, and watching the play of the players that he has coached over the years."
Julien's time with the black and gold
Julien was in his 10th season with the Bruins in 2016-17, having been named the 27th head coach in team history on June 21, 2007. He was the longest tenured active head coach in the NHL. Julien is Boston's all-time coaching wins leader with 419 career victories, compiling a 419-246-94 record and .614 winning percentage in 759 games with the club. The Bruins advanced to the playoffs in seven of his nine years behind the Boston bench, and he owns the club career coaching record with 57 postseason wins. He led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup Championship in 2011, a return to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013 and a Presidents' Trophy in 2014. Julien also won the Jack Adams Trophy as the league's top coach following the 2008-09 season.
Source: nhl.com
Quotes from management
"I want to thank Claude for his service to the Boston Bruins, and wish him and his family the best in the future. I am confident in the direction and vision that Don has for our team, and look forward to seeing the results on the ice."
-Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs
"Claude Julien is the all-time winningest coach in Boston Bruins history, and my family and I join Bruins fans in thanking him for the many great memories that have come while he has been behind the Bruins bench. As a management team, we set a high standard for ourselves, and I believe that our organization is moving in the right direction towards meeting and exceeding those standards."
-Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs
"These decisions are not easy, and Don has my full support. I believe that we have a better team than our results to date show. I also recognize that there are areas that we as a group need to improve upon. This decision does not in any way diminish Claude's legacy as a Bruins coach. I would like to wish him and his family all the best moving forward."
-Bruins President Cam Neely
Source: nhl.com
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