Bruins Fire Claude Julien in Most Bruins Way Possible
Photo by Matthew Reid on Flickr/Creative Commons
Given that Claude Julien is the winningest coach in team history, perhaps it’s appropriate the Bruins brass relieved him of his duties in the most Bruins way possible.
That Julien’s out of a job isn’t terribly surprising. His future with the Bruins, currently fourth in their division, has been in question the last few seasons, especially since Peter Chiarelli’s departure. The front office has a vision for this team, and neither GM Don Sweeney nor team president Cam Neely see the longtime coach fitting into it.
(Maybe that’s because Neely has been long rumored to be interested in a stint behind the bench. This will almost certainly be bad.)
It’s the awe-inspiring cynicism of the Bruins’ decision to announce Julien’s dismissal shortly after sunrise on a Tuesday, two days before the B’s take the ice again, that makes you shake your head and brace for the next few years, more than any perceived shortcoming on interim coach Bruce Cassidy’s resume.
The defensive-minded Julien helped end the city’s 39-year Stanley Cup drought, and came tantalizingly close to repeating in 2013. The longest tenured active head coach in the NHL, he brought stability to a post notorious for the opposite. And his defenestration was announced thusly:
In case you don't believe the Bruins are burying the lede here, this is their website right now. Missing something? pic.twitter.com/HYpnUqWbac
— Dan (@bruinshockeynow) February 7, 2017
Julien deserved a lot better than to be cut lose the same morning as the Patriots’ Super Bowl victory parade, set to kick off around the same time Sweeney and Neely are scheduled to address the media. Sadly, it’s the rule, rather than the exception.
The timing of everything is weird, too. Then again, remember, the Bruins fired Chiarelli the same day Aaron Hernandez was found guilty.
— Mike Miccoli (@MikeMiccoli) February 7, 2017
Julien will be able to find work, if he wants it. As for the Bruins, the long road back to relevance just got a lot longer.
