Bruins begin to narrow search for next head coach

Fresh off signing his own contract extension, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney stated that the organization is narrowing its coaching search and no longer considering candidates still active in the playoffs, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald.

Sweeney said his goal is to have a coach in place “well before” June’s NHL draft, so it would seem a decision will be made soon. While Sweeney didn’t provide a list of candidates, he did note that interim coach Joe Sacco and assistant Jay Leach are under consideration. He also acknowledged that the Bruins had discussions with Rick Tocchet, a former teammate of Sweeney’s, though no formal offer was extended. He also mentioned that the future head coach will not be someone currently coaching a playoff team, further narrowing the candidate pool. Aside from Tocchet, another known external candidate is Jay Woodcroft, though he appears to be in the running for multiple teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sweeney also acknowledged that his recent two-year contract extension supports his ability to find the right coaching candidate, as they can now hold authentic conversations about the future of the Bruins.

“Does it help in terms of alignment when we’re talking? Yeah, there’s no question it takes away some of the question marks as you’re going through the process. One of the things I talked about as a priority is a coach that knows how to communicate across a wide spectrum of players. That’s what’s required of head coaches now at this level. You’ve got young players, you’ve got established players, you’ve got players that are working their way up the lineup. So to have a line of communication between the coach and the GM, it’s always an important variable, so I’m appreciative that we have that.”