Did Bruins make right move in firing Claude Julien?
Debate the answer with Chad Finn and Boston sports fans at The Sports Q.
COMMENTARYWelcome to Boston.com’s Sports Q, our daily conversation, initiated by you and moderated by Chad Finn, about a compelling topic in Boston sports. Here’s how it works: You submit questions to Chad through Twitter, Facebook, email, his Friday chat, and any other outlet you prefer. He’ll pick one each day (except for Saturday) to answer, then we’ll take the discussion to the comments, where the mission is to have a sports conversation with occasional controversy, but without condescension or contrarianism. Chad will stop by the comments section several times per day to navigate. But you drive the conversation.The Bruins just canned Claude [Julien]. Right move? One of their greatest coaches ever, but the team hadn’t responded in a while. Surprised it didn’t happen sooner, honestly, but it’s kind of sad. – Kevin P.
Funny, I was just wrapping up another Sports Q, where I was asked to rank the best parades/rolling rallies during this run of 10 titles in 16 years. I had the Bruins’ celebration at No. 1. Beautiful June day, huge, overjoyed crowd, with the Stanley Cup as a hell of a hood ornament. Boston at its best right there. Ah, remember the good times, Claude.
That feels like a long time ago, though, doesn’t it? Not much has gone right since then: Veteran leaders left or got old, premium young talent — Tyler Seguin for sure, though time will tell on Dougie Hamilton — was dealt away in the proverbial quarter-for-three-nickels bummer of a deal, Nathan Horton was only temporarily replaced … It’s been a slow and steady regression for a team that was in the Cup Finals just four years ago and had the young core of a potential long-term menace.
Peter Chiarelli paid with his job last April. Cam Neely probably would have between then and now if he weren’t such an icon. And the buzzards have been circling Julien for at least the past year, and maybe the past two — the only two playoff-free seasons at the Garden in his tenure. Jeremy Jacobs can’t sell beer and pretzels to empty seats.
I am sad about this, too, though. Julien is the winningest coach in franchise history. He ended a 39-year Cup drought. He always seemed a good and accountable man, the kind of person you want coaching your team. I wish the team had gotten its act together and found some consistency and he could have stayed longer. I’ll remember him well.
I do not believe the Bruins will hire a better coach than Julien. But it’s clear they needed a new something.The inevitable stinks sometimes, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. They had to do it. You’re on the clock, Cam.
What do you say, hockey folks? Let’s talk about it in the comments.
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