Now boasting a ‘nice shiny ring,’ ex-Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy gets last laugh in return to Boston
"I wanted to win one here, trust me — more than anybody."
As unceremonious as his shocking dismissal as Bruins head coach was nearly 21 months ago, Bruce Cassidy still holds plenty of affinity for the spoked-B and the city of Boston.
A dedicated Bruins fan while growing up in Ottawa, Cassidy spent 14 total seasons with the Original Six franchise — including a six-year run as head coach that included a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019.
Some of the sting from his exit in Boston still resides within the 58-year-old bench boss, as expected. But all it takes is a quick glance at his new hardware to assuage some of that pain.
And in his second game back at TD Garden as the Vegas Golden Knights’ head coach, Bruce Cassidy is well aware that he’s operating with house money.
“I think last year there was the unknown, didn’t know what would happen — you come back in here, you get let go,” Cassidy said Thursday of his expectations whenever he returns to Causeway Street. “You don’t know if you’re gonna get booed out of the building or [get] a nice hand.
“So anyway, we got that over with. It’s nice to come back with a big, nice shiny ring on your finger too — always a good visit with that.”
In the aftermath of a seismic 2022 offseason, both the Bruins and Golden Knights seemed to benefit from their reshuffled coaching staff.
With Jim Montgomery in place, the 2022-23 Bruins rewrote the record books en route to 65 wins, 135 points, and another Presidents’ Trophy.
And after missing the playoffs in 2021-22, the Knights righted the ship under Cassidy’s watch — punching their ticket back to the postseason with the most points in the Western Conference.
For months, it looked as though the hockey gods were penning a Hollywood script, with the Bruins set to face off against their former coach in the Stanley Cup Final.
Of course, said scripts usually get shredded in short order once the postseason actually begins
And while the Bruins licked their wounds after a shocking first-round exit at the hands of the Panthers, Cassidy and the Golden Knights eventually secured hockey’s top prize — besting Florida in five games en route to their first Stanley Cup.
Cassidy noted that he received several messages from his former Boston players after winning with Vegas, and regularly catches up with some of his former coaches and players whenever he returns to his Cape house in the summer — usually via golf tournaments.
“Well, I wanted to win one here, trust me — more than anybody,” Cassidy said of hoisting the Cup with Boston. “Didn’t work out. So that’s our ultimate goal. I think every coach wants to win. So it’s just a nice feeling to be able to get it accomplished. It didn’t happen here, but it happened [in Vegas]. … So again, very proud of that.”
Even with several critical injuries to key cogs like Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, Cassidy and the Golden Knights remain in the playoff picture with a 33-19-7 record this season, good for second in the Pacific Division.
After defeating the Maple Leafs, 6-2, in Toronto on Tuesday, Vegas will look to build some momentum against a Bruins team currently mired in a 3-3-5 slump. But even with Boston’s lackluster play since the All-Star break, Cassidy knows better than to underestimate a Bruins team that remains near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
“I don’t know where I had them pegged this year,” Cassidy said when asked if he’s been surprised at the Bruins’ strong play this season. “Honestly, after the year they had last year, you figure that they can’t drop that much. I mean, they had such a terrific year. … No, I’m not surprised. They’ve still got core guys that have been healthy: [David Pastrnak], [Brad Marchand], the goaltenders, [Charlie] McAvoy. … Those are the guys that lead this team and they’ve been able to bring it most every night.
“So when they’re in the lineup, listen, I know them very well — as well as anybody — and how good they can be. And they filled in with some good pieces around them that have supported the team well, had some young guys come up out of Providence that have done well. They’re well-coached — listen, it’s a great organization and they’ve been there year after year after year, knocking on the door. So no, I guess I’m not [surprised] in the end.”
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