Craig Berube Reacts to the Firing of his Former Assistant by the Boston Bruins
Craig Berube was not too happy with the Boston Bruins' decision to fire head coach Jim Montgomery and gave his thoughts on the whole situation.
It's never a fun thing to hear about a head coach being fired, especially due to team performance.
Yes, the coach is supposed to be able to rally the troops but there is only so much one can do before it falls on the players to pick it up.
So out goes Montgomery and in comes former Maple Leafs forward and former Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco to try and turn the season around.
It was a decision many saw coming, as Montgomery's Bruins were a shell of their former self, however it still sent shockwaves through the NHL.
It also irked current Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube.
Montgomery and Berube have history, as Berube had the former Bruins coach as one of his assistants in St. Louis, and found much success with him at his side:
Berube knows all too well the sting of being fired, with St. Louis letting him go a couple of seasons after leading them to their first Stanley Cup.
Berube was hired by the Maple Leafs this offseason and has completely changed the culture of the team.
So far it's been a success for Berube and the new-look Maple Leafs, as they sit 2nd in the Atlantic with an 11-5-2 record and sit only one point behind the Florida Panthers for the top spot.
His style of old-school, no-nonsense hockey is a refreshing change from Sheldon Keefe's old game plan and he's been able to get the most out of his players defensively, even if he wishes the offense would start picking things up.
Montgomery's firing might be the catalyst for teams to start looking at their own records and start wondering if a change needs to be made.
Coaches like Mike Sullivan, Derek Lalonde, and Andrew Brunette are on the hot seat and could be the next to be looking for work elsewhere.
It's never easy when a head coach gets fired, and as much as these teams are rivals and enemies on the ice, the friendliness and camaraderie that coaches have outside of hockey should not be understated.
These are still human beings after all, and it's something Berube acknowledges that though it's part of the business, it still hurts.
