The Boston Bruins made the choice to hearth head coach Jim Montgomery Tuesday after simply 20 video games into the 2024-25 season.
Montgomery coached the Bruins to a 120-41-23 document throughout his tenure, together with a historic 65-win season in his first yr that earned him the Jack Adams Award because the NHL’s prime head coach.
This case just isn’t distinctive. Teaching modifications have occurred early within the season previously and, in some cases, have been useful to the franchise.
Listed here are 4 examples of NHL groups that fired their head coach and the membership both went on a deep playoff run and even received the Stanley Cup in the identical season.
EDMONTON OILERS, 2023-24
The Oilers started the 2023-24 marketing campaign with a 3-9-1 document below Jay Woodcroft.
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Like Montgomery, Woodcroft had misplaced simply 41 video games within the common season throughout his tenure on the helm however did not get the Oilers going to start the season. He was fired on Nov. 12.
Edmonton changed Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch and the five-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise completed the season with a 46-18-5 document and a visit to the Remaining towards the Florida Panthers.
Though the Oilers got here up brief within the final aim of successful a title, the crew definitely benefitted from the teaching change.
ST. LOUIS BLUES, 2018-19
In actuality, each single Bruins fan is aware of the result of this teaching change.
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After lacking the playoffs in 2018 and struggling a 7-9-3 begin, the Blues fired head coach Mike Yeo and changed him with Craig Berube on Nov. 19.
Berube’s begin was not nice — going 6-6-1 to finish the calendar yr, however after Jordan Binnington was recalled from the AHL, the membership went on a 30-10-5 run to finish the season.
From there, they went all the best way to the Stanley Cup, successful two sequence in six video games and the opposite two in seven video games to seize the Blues’ first title in franchise historical past.
LOS ANGELES KINGS, 2011-12
The Kings weren’t off to a horrendous begin, however nonetheless, Los Angeles fired Terry Murray after a 13-12-4 begin to the season and changed him with interim coach John Stevens.
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Stevens had a modest 2-2-0 document earlier than the Kings employed Darryl Sutter as the brand new coach on Dec. 17. Sutter would coach the Kings to the ultimate playoff spot within the Western Convention that season, going 11-4-3 down the stretch.
The crew turned a defensive juggernaut and captured the Stanley Cup in simply 20 video games by 4 rounds of the playoffs.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS, 2008-09
The Blackhawks wasted completely no time firing Denis Savard after a 1-2-1 begin to the 2008-09 season.
The membership employed Joel Quenneville as Savard’s alternative and the outcomes weren’t that nice at first. Chicago went 6-1-3 of their first 10 video games below Quenneville however rallied to complete the season with an general document of 46-24-12 and 104 factors.
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The Blackhawks misplaced within the Western Convention Finals to the Detroit Purple Wings. Quenneville would lead Chicago to a Stanley Cup championship the next season.
