I suspect Tara will show up at the news conference on Monday. She pushed Belichick last season when the beat writers wouldn't and putting this column in the Sunday Globe sets her up to pursue this.
www.bostonglobe.com
But it was in the middle of a pre-draft conversation with reporters that Bruins president Cam Neely, intentionally or not, shed a little more light on what still has to be considered a shocking dismissal of a successful coach.
In the midst of confirming that Jake DeBrusk had rescinded his trade demand, Neely made it pretty clear players were chafing under Cassidy’s tough hand and were clearly ready for a change. The long-rumored notion was amplified when former NHL defenseman Ryan Whitney said on his podcast that he’d heard “the players really hated him.”
Given the chance to dispel the assertion, Neely all but did the opposite, saying, “I like to keep things in the locker room. Obviously, if others want to talk, that’s their prerogative. Right or wrong, when you have a coach five, six, seven years and the players remain on a club . . . unfortunately at some point the voice does get old.
“We’re going to see a little bit of a different approach, maybe change things up a little, that hopefully excites our fanbase. I’m excited about it.”
Which, really, is fine. Coaches, at least those not named Bill Belichick, are hired to be fired. They know it, we know it, players know it.
But what should concern the Bruins’ front office now is how much the players know it, and how risky it could be to put Montgomery in a position where he knows the players know it. Players should certainly be heard, but it’s a fine line when they have a hand in pulling the strings, and no coach wants to be on the wrong side of that line knowing how much it can erode respect inside a locker room.
Word is out that Bruins players had their say in Bruce Cassidy’s firing. It’s a risky revelation. - The Boston Globe
Players should certainly be heard, but it’s a fine line when they have a hand in pulling the strings.
www.bostonglobe.com
But it was in the middle of a pre-draft conversation with reporters that Bruins president Cam Neely, intentionally or not, shed a little more light on what still has to be considered a shocking dismissal of a successful coach.
In the midst of confirming that Jake DeBrusk had rescinded his trade demand, Neely made it pretty clear players were chafing under Cassidy’s tough hand and were clearly ready for a change. The long-rumored notion was amplified when former NHL defenseman Ryan Whitney said on his podcast that he’d heard “the players really hated him.”
Given the chance to dispel the assertion, Neely all but did the opposite, saying, “I like to keep things in the locker room. Obviously, if others want to talk, that’s their prerogative. Right or wrong, when you have a coach five, six, seven years and the players remain on a club . . . unfortunately at some point the voice does get old.
“We’re going to see a little bit of a different approach, maybe change things up a little, that hopefully excites our fanbase. I’m excited about it.”
Which, really, is fine. Coaches, at least those not named Bill Belichick, are hired to be fired. They know it, we know it, players know it.
But what should concern the Bruins’ front office now is how much the players know it, and how risky it could be to put Montgomery in a position where he knows the players know it. Players should certainly be heard, but it’s a fine line when they have a hand in pulling the strings, and no coach wants to be on the wrong side of that line knowing how much it can erode respect inside a locker room.
