Management 1 PM May 22nd - Charlie, Cam, Don and Monty address media - NESN

[Fenway]

Wednesday, May 22 at 1 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA)
- End of season press conference with CEO and Alternate Governor Charlie Jacobs, President Cam Neely, General Manager Don Sweeney and Head Coach Jim Montgomery

- Media should enter through back security and proceed to Legends Club on Level 3

- Light refreshments will be provided to the media​

Click to read more...

 

[bobber]

I haven't seen any bags, have you?

Not in Boston. Referring to a time back in the day when Ballard owned the Leafs. Fans wore paper bags over their heads. Ballard said by the look of their faces they should wear bags. He said as long as they pay do what you like.

 

[LouJersey]

They inherited a team with Bergeron, Krecji, Rask, Chara, Marchand in their prime and a rookie Pasta. That was 9 years ago (if my math is right).
How many Stanley Cups have they won since then?

Can't argue with any of that. The thing is though they are keeping the keys to the car here by all indications and with that they will oversee this transition all the way through it would seem. If Jacobs isnt' going to give them time to see how their huge offseason this summer goes then he should start over now, not after he allows them to sign some big deals and make some big trades.

 

[bwunderlich]

No DK injury, Bruins make a long run in 2010.
2011 . . .if not for a historic reversal of a lifetime of agony save by TT in OT against the Habs, that "great" 2011 team bows out at home in the 1st round.
2019 at home Game 7. No Covid, things coulda been different there? Last year they go on a tear if they win Game 7 against FLA.
Mngt has a respectable body of work with some unfortunate breaks going against the boys.

Seven home playoff games with Geekie and Danton on your first line. I mean come on. Yes mngt created this mess but they gave JJ the best chance to get one last Cup for him.

My only real question is in regards to the dreadfull home playoff record.
Thoughts?
Hypothesis?
Widely regarded as one of the worst ice surfaces in the league. Remedies?

 

[LouJersey]

No DK injury, Bruins make a long run in 2010.
2011 . . .if not for a historic reversal of a lifetime of agony save by TT in OT against the Habs, that "great" 2011 team bows out at home in the 1st round.
2019 at home Game 7. No Covid, things coulda been different there? Last year they go on a tear if they win Game 7 against FLA.
Mngt has a respectable body of work with some unfortunate breaks going against the boys.

Seven home playoff games with Geekie and Danton on your first line. I mean come on. Yes mngt created this mess but they gave JJ the best chance to get one last Cup for him.

My only real question is in regards to the dreadfull home playoff record.
Thoughts?
Hypothesis?
Widely regarded as one of the worst ice surfaces in the league. Remedies?

I subscribe to the theory Sweeney should have had a cup in 2019 (not so much for the team he buiilt but how it shook out). 2020 was a very good year and had the season shutdown had not allowed Hedman to heal and Rask to bolt they had as good a chance as anyone then. 2023 was a clear cup winning team that just spit the bit. Players choked hard. Now, you can say he put them there, but the core Bruins let Chia down a few times as well.

 

[bruinmann77]

Nothing will change but this should be Don Last chance he has the money now

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

Nothing will change but this should be Don Last chance he has the money now

Last chance for what? They have to win the cup or you fire him, that what you're saying?

Bruins have been in the playoffs every year lately. Is that failure?

 

[bruinmann77]

Bruins failing in the playoffs back to back years. Yes cup or changed

Their one goal Raise the Cup or it’s a failure

 

[KillerMillerTime]

I think the time for most of those sorts of questions was 12 months ago, and they either weren't asked or weren't answered. That's when the 2010s era of the Bruins ended, and ended in one last spectacular failure/falling short/choose your term depending on how harsh you want to be.

Sweeney and Neely had a group through 2016-23 that should have won a Cup, and didn't. But for whatever exact reasons ownership were pleased enough regardless to keep them both employed. Which means they've been handed the keys to at least start the next era. What happened in this post-window transition year, where the debts of the past were paid off, didn't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Celebrate the Centennial, make some money, have a low-key crack at some success, and that's it. No real expectations and no high level jobs, except possibly Monty's, on the line.

It's now we move fully into building the next gen roster and hopefully the next Cup run. The past is past and there it must stay. For better or worse, the current mob are still in charge. So the pertinent questions for us fans going forwards are how long a leash do Cam and Don have with this new era? How soon is success expected, and how much? How does the team hope to become a genuine top contender despite having an extremely shallow prospect pool? And so on. Interesting times ahead.

They will be there until they crash and burn

Bruins failing in the playoffs back to back years. Yes cup or changed

Their one goal Raise the Cup or it’s a failure

ROI always enters into the calculation.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

They will be there until they crash and burn


ROI always enters into the calculation.

Most likely. There is a portion of the fanbase that is happy just to be consistently making playoffs, and there is a larger share still that happy or not will keep turning up, selling out games and buying merch as long as the team is vaguely competitive. In that sense the current management have absolutely done their job and it really does feel like that's enough to keep them employed until the bottom really does fall out and the team takes a proper slide.

And that's how it's generally been. The Bruins have historically had long-tenured GMs and presidents and are an organization that has almost always highly prized stability. That's good but it does tend to mean less proper highs even if it also mostly avoids the real lows. Safe and conservative but somewhat boring. For better or worse, we just have to roll with it and hope for the best.

 

[GordonHowe]

Not in Boston. Referring to a time back in the day when Ballard owned the Leafs. Fans wore paper bags over their heads. Ballard said by the look of their faces they should wear bags. He said as long as they pay do what you like.

Scumbag. His ghost hangs over TO, the stench yet to be exorcised.

If that ever happens, Daryl Sittler should light the ceremonial match to the effigy.

 

[Babajingo]

Can't argue with any of that. The thing is though they are keeping the keys to the car here by all indications and with that they will oversee this transition all the way through it would seem. If Jacobs isnt' going to give them time to see how their huge offseason this summer goes then he should start over now, not after he allows them to sign some big deals and make some big trades.

Good points. You are right, they are keeping the keys. They do have some $$ to play with. I hope they spend it wisely. Guess we'll see.

 

[Lordstanley]

Looks like we are running it back once more!

Yayyyyyy

=[

This will go on for another decade....lol

 

[badbrewin]

Bruins failing in the playoffs back to back years. Yes cup or changed

Their one goal Raise the Cup or it’s a failure

I try to remain level-headed about where the team is in its life cycle and we all knew they were never going to win a cup with this roster.

Not the way 88 played, coupled with a Marchand who started to show his age during the 2nd half of the season, no elite offensive players, no real #1 center and couldn't win a face-off to save their lives. G and D were good to very good, but if you don't score you're cooked.

My concern for 3 years now has been their thin prospect pool and no top end C in the pipeline.

 

[Babajingo]

Well you're wrong about them both inheriting that group of players.
Sweeney was hired in 2006 as Director of Player Development and Neely was hired in 2007, then made President in 2010. This information is real easy to find, just check Capfriendly, try it some time.

Thanks for the heads up. It does state his employment history. He goes from Player Dev to Asst GM to GM (May 2015).
Right below that are 3 tabs that lists his (Signings, Drafted, Trades). On all three of those tabs, there isn't a single event that happened before May 2015.

Now those same 3 tabs for Peter Chiarelli has lists from 2006 to April 2015.

 

[The don godfather]

Sway McAvoy carlo . The triangle of defense. Gotta go for it!

 

[Festy1986]

Well you're wrong about them both inheriting that group of players.
Sweeney was hired in 2006 as Director of Player Development and Neely was hired in 2007, then made President in 2010. This information is real easy to find, just check Capfriendly, try it some time.

Don did inherit the team.

You're going to give him credit for those moves from a Junior position?

No wonder these guys jobs are untouchable. The bar is so f***ing low with the fans.

Last chance for what? They have to win the cup or you fire him, that what you're saying?

Bruins have been in the playoffs every year lately. Is that failure?

Yes. It is. Lol

What are we talking about around here?

It's scary to me just how little a lot of fans care about winning the cup as much as they care about losing in the first round year in and out.

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

What are we talking about around here?

It's scary to me just how little a lot of fans care about winning the cup as much as they care about losing in the first round year in and out.

Of course we want to win the cup, but there's a world of difference between winning the cup and sucking. Only 1 team gets that cup, it's a hard cup to win. Making the playoffs every year is still an accomplishment. You still want to be better, but it's no reason to fire everybody and start over every time you fail to go all the way.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Of course we want to win the cup, but there's a world of difference between winning the cup and sucking. Only 1 team gets that cup, it's a hard cup to win. Making the playoffs every year is still an accomplishment. You still want to be better, but it's no reason to fire everybody and start over every time you fail to go all the way.

Yes, but where's the limit? How many tries do you get? I think it's very safe to say that the Bruins are not, and just about have never been, a team that's quick to fire people if success doesn't happen rapidly. The current GM and prez have been in position for quite a long time. Neely has one Cup, well over a decade ago now, Sweeney has none. They've been through one core of players, are now firmly on to another, have their 3rd coach in position. How much time do they get to guide the group that's emerging now to a Cup? Is it indefinite as long as they're competitive, or is there any sort of deadline?

 

[Festy1986]

Of course we want to win the cup, but there's a world of difference between winning the cup and sucking. Only 1 team gets that cup, it's a hard cup to win. Making the playoffs every year is still an accomplishment. You still want to be better, but it's no reason to fire everybody and start over every time you fail to go all the way.

I see no evidence to think that Sweeney is the difference between not making the playoffs and making the playoffs.

I do however have 9 full seasons of evidence that he is the difference between a playoff team and a cup team.

 

[Festy1986]

Yes, but where's the limit? How many tries do you get? I think it's very safe to say that the Bruins are not, and just about have never been, a team that's quick to fire people if success doesn't happen rapidly. The current GM and prez have been in position for quite a long time. Neely has one Cup, well over a decade ago now, Sweeney has none. They've been through one core of players, are now firmly on to another, have their 3rd coach in position. How much time do they get to guide the group that's emerging now to a Cup? Is it indefinite as long as they're competitive, or is there any sort of deadline?

My memory seems to tell me that Neely was hired the very year (maybe even half way) through the season they win the cup and the expectation was he was going to fire Peter and Claude.

Until they went on that cup run and he couldn't.

I don't give Neely much, if any credit for that cup.

Edit*

He was on the team in vice president rolw and was promoted to president in 2010.

Still, a huge core of that roster predates him but I guess he's owed more credit for that cup win that I was originally giving. He's definitely had his time and I think the team would benefit much more from a complete shakeup top to bottom.

 

[Sevendust]

Of course we want to win the cup, but there's a world of difference between winning the cup and sucking. Only 1 team gets that cup, it's a hard cup to win. Making the playoffs every year is still an accomplishment. You still want to be better, but it's no reason to fire everybody and start over every time you fail to go all the way.

This is they way of thinking Detroit did until they finally missed the playoffs. Since then they never reached them again.

 

[DKH]

I don’t see why they wouldn’t be back, they overachieved this year. They were much more likely to have been fired after last years collapse than now imo

There are plenty of unemployed people floating around who could come in here and win a Stanley Cup while beating up the other team in the process

Start by trading Pastaneck & McVoy

 

[bruinsfan1968]

My memory seems to tell me that Neely was hired the very year (maybe even half way) through the season they win the cup and the expectation was he was going to fire Peter and Claude.

Until they went on that cup run and he couldn't.

I don't give Neely much, if any credit for that cup.

Edit*

He was on the team in vice president rolw and was promoted to president in 2010.

Still, a huge core of that roster predates him but I guess he's owed more credit for that cup win that I was originally giving. He's definitely had his time and I think the team would benefit much more from a complete shakeup top to bottom.

That's what I was saying! So they didn't inherit the team, they helped to build it!.
Sweeney was an Asst. GM before becoming a GM, so again he helped build the team.

 

[bobber]

Scumbag. His ghost hangs over TO, the stench yet to be exorcised.

If that ever happens, Daryl Sittler should light the ceremonial match to the effigy.

Ballard and a couple of other drifters spent time in a luxury prison for fraud if memory serves my old brain correctly. He was a total areshole. He use to sit in that hole in the wall looking over his domain like some sort of dick tator. Emphasis on dick.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

My memory seems to tell me that Neely was hired the very year (maybe even half way) through the season they win the cup and the expectation was he was going to fire Peter and Claude.

Until they went on that cup run and he couldn't.

I don't give Neely much, if any credit for that cup.

Edit*

He was on the team in vice president rolw and was promoted to president in 2010.

Still, a huge core of that roster predates him but I guess he's owed more credit for that cup win that I was originally giving. He's definitely had his time and I think the team would benefit much more from a complete shakeup top to bottom.

Neely deserves his share of credit. Just he deserves fair critique for what's happened since. I do think the current regime has grown too comfortable, and probably a little stale. They do a lot right, but also tend to keep doing some of the same things wrong. Reality is they're not going anywhere anytime soon.