Though surprised of firing by Boston Bruins, Bruce Cassidy doesn't expect to be unemployed for long | Opinion

It’s no surprise numerous NHL teams with coaching vacancies have already connected with former Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy about future employment.

He’s a proven winner. At one time he was the youngest coach in the NHL as a 37-year-old with the Washington Capitals. Now the 57-year-old has the experience, a winning pedigree, along with an impressive hockey IQ to lead his next team to victory.

The current teams other than the Bruins looking for a head coach – Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights – along with the teams with interim coaches – Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers – were likely all immediately interested when Cassidy was let go in Boston.

Cassidy admitted during a nearly 50-minute Zoom call with local media that numerous teams have already been in contact with him and it appears his free-agent status will be short-lived.

So, what happened in Boston remains unclear even after media/fans have heard from both Bruins management and now Cassidy.

The Bruins enjoyed tremendous success with Cassidy behind the bench, but general manager Don Sweeney felt the team needed a new voice, a new message moving forward, so it relieved Cassidy of his duties Monday.

It’s a bit strange that Sweeney told Cassidy during his season-ending exit meeting two weeks ago that the Bruins would honor his contract, which runs through the end of the 2022-23 season and that everything was status quo. Basically, the coach was told his job was safe.

Then, Sweeney showed up at Cassidy’s house Monday and told him otherwise. Cassidy admitted he was stunned by the turnaround.

“You’re always on the clock as a coach, so it did catch me a bit by surprise when he came over,” Cassidy said. “He did explain his process and I respect what he has to do as a general manager. He was very respectful how he delivered the message. I don’t agree with it, obviously, because I want to coach the Boston Bruins. I’m onto the next challenge and hopefully I can be successful.”

Since Cassidy took over in February 2017 for Stanley Cup-winning coach Claude Julien, the Bruins had the third-most wins in the NHL. They also had one of the top power-play units, which is one of Cassidy’s strengths. Team Canada hired him to run the PP for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games until the NHL decided it would not allow league personnel to participate due to COVID-19.

As the Bruins were battling for a postseason berth, and finally accomplished it with a 51-26-5 record this season, it marked the sixth time the team reached the Stanley Cup playoffs under Cassidy.

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After the Bruins fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, the narrative began that Cassidy lost the room, especially with the younger players. That wasn’t the case and the team’s overall success proves it.

“The messaging for us was good,” Cassidy said. “We were successful. We played the right way. We played to our identity. Did we have lapses? Of course. Did we need to fix some things? Of course – all those things. It shows in our record that the players received the message.”

The narrative that he doesn’t develop young players, or communicates well with young players is simply wrong. He has a track record dating back to his AHL days with the Providence Bruins of helping young players, including David Pastrnak, Brandon Carlo, Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk, Anders Bjork, Danton Heinen and Matt Grzelcyk, Trent Frederic, Jack Studnicka, Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, Jeremy Swayman.

“I’m very proud of my record with younger guys,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy mentioned how the entire coaching staff poured it “heart and soul” into making these players better players on and off the ice.

“I believe in myself when it comes to coaching young guys and in my next challenge I’ll make sure I’m mindful of the messaging, because I respect Donnie when he talks to me about what I need to do better. He’s been in the game a long time, so that’s something I’ll have to take with me to the next job.”

Cassidy also pointed out the accountability aspect to a winning team.

“I don’t think you have much of a team if players aren’t held accountable to a standard,” Cassidy said.

It’s no different than his working relationship with the veteran core. Cassidy admitted he has a strong relationship with captain Patrice Bergeron. Cassidy added no matter where he lands his next coaching job, he wants to take Bergeron with him.

Cassidy also helped guide the veteran players.

Case in point: When Marchand was suspended five games in February 2018 for an elbow to the head of then-New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson, Cassidy had the first of a few heart-to-heart conversations with Marchand about the player’s legacy in the league.

At that point, Marchand had been suspended for a total of 19 games and fined nearly $900,000 for his on-ice antics. His reputation was trending south. Cassidy explained to Marchand he was losing credibility as being one of the best players in the NHL, and it was time to mature as a player and family man.

That conversation forged a strong relationship between the two and Marchand heeded the advice. Now, he’s a future Hall of Famer and his No. 63 should one day hang from the rafters of TD Garden.

Cassidy spent 14 years in the Bruins organization in different capacities and was one victory shy of winning the Stanley Cup against the St. Louis Blues in 2019. It’s a memory he said he’d never forget and it bothers him he wasn’t able to help the Bruins achieve hockey’s ultimate goal again.

Cassidy thanked Bruins fans and the City of Boston for the tremendous support he received during his tenure with the organization. He described it, as he always did, as an honor and privilege to coach the Original Six team he’s been rooting for since he was a kid growing up in Ottawa.

“The Bruins is basically tattooed to me,” he said.

Now, it’s onto his next challenge, and wherever he lands it’s a safe bet that organization will have success with Cassidy behind the bench.

It shouldn’t go unnoticed that Cassidy asked to speak with the local media and the Bruins helped facilitate that with the blessing of Cam Neely and Sweeney. That never happens after a coach has been let go. Cassidy spoke for nearly 50 minutes about his time in Boston and was thankful for the opportunity.

It appears things are a mess on Causeway Street. The organization is about to rebuild on and off the ice. It will be awhile before it wins another championship.

Cassidy will win a Stanley Cup before the Bruins do.

“It’s exhilarating to have that opportunity and that’s my goal to get my name on the Stanley Cup,” Cassidy said.

—Contact Joe McDonald at JMcDonald2@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeyMacHockey.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Bruce Cassidy expects to find new job soon after Bruins fired him