BOSTON BRUINS QUOTES
End of Season Press Conference
May 9, 2023
BOSTON BRUINS CEO CHARLIE JACOBS, PRESIDENT CAM NEELY, GENERAL MANAGER DON SWEENEY AND HEAD COACH JIM MONTGOMERY…
On what was bothering Linus Ullmark throughout Round 1…
Sweeney: “I will clarify that we get a medical report every day as an organization and who is available to us. So, the statement of debilitating and painful injury might have been more pertinent to Patrice Bergeron when he was injured. Again, we get a report that is who is available, and Linus (Ullmark) was fully available to play. He had something that was going on at the very, very end of the season, but it had cleared up for him to be eligible to play and had he not been, we certainly would have made a different decision. We felt very comfortable all year with the rotation we had and confidence in both goaltenders.”
On if there was any regret not going with Jeremy Swayman earlier in the series…
Montgomery: “In hindsight, absolutely, the mistake I made is — I try to put our players in the best situation to excel. There is an added mental grind in the playoffs, and it takes a toll, right? That’s what I’ve learned through this grind is the expectations that were put on our team going into the playoffs, there is a price you pay. Everybody does and I think we are going to learn from this, everybody. The players, especially me, I’m going to learn and I’m going to have to help the players push through, which I didn’t do this year.”
On how much was left on the ice this season compared to years past …
Neely: “Well, based on the regular season, a lot more this year. I can’t sit here and BS anybody, this stung. This stung, this left an empty feeling, not just for us up here, the players, the fans especially. They [the fans] certainly brought it every night in the four games that we played in the first round. So, there was a lot left on the table this year, for sure.”
On teachable moments he learned from the playoffs…
Montgomery: “The overriding one is, it’s my job to get the players to own the moment, seize the moment, and that didn’t happen, right? And that falls on me. I think with the hard times we went through, we have to learn from them. If we don’t learn from them, how are we going to grow? We will just repeat the same thing next year. So, for me it’s being able to connect with the players over the course of the summer and build through training camp about what we have to do to make sure that we don’t have the same energy level. Because we didn’t have the same energy level we had in the regular season, we didn’t have the same puck confidence that we had in the regular season, and it hurts. Right now — I’ve talked to players, it’s hard right now, it’s hard for our fans, it’s hard for us and the price we pay is we have to learn from it so that we move forward. Specifically, I mean… Hindsight, you can go back and look at everything, right? But the two things that come to mind would’ve been, what I’ve learned. I’ve already talked about the toll on the goaltenders and going to Sway [Jeremy Swayman] a little earlier, what game that is, that’s debatable — again, that’s hindsight. Not starting with my normal lines for Game 5, I have my logic as to why it made sense, but it didn’t help us with our start, obviously, right? So, that I learned from. You know, I think I could have switched the D-pairings on who the matchup’s were a little bit quicker. We were shutting down one line really well, we weren’t shutting down another line really well, we did for two games, and we didn’t for five. Those are the things that really stick with me, but the number one thing is my job is to get the players to elevate their games and I didn’t do that.”
On what went into the goaltending decisions for Game 5, 6 and 7…
Montgomery: “Well, first of all, all season long I said that Goalie Bob [Essensa] makes the decision… I make the final decision, right? I’m the one that picks the starter. So, it’s not Goalie Bob’s decision, but I really rely on him heavily, and to answer your question specifically, is we discussed this as a staff. I will talk in the playoffs especially, even more so with Sweens [Don Sweeney] and Cam [Neely] and in the end, we win Games 3 and 4, so you have two days off and you think Game 5 is going to go well and I personally spoke with Linus (Ullmark) and he answered me a real honest question and took ownership of where he was at in Game 5. And what he relayed to me, made me believe that you learn and you grow and he was ready to grow and lead us to a Game 6 win. And that in the end is what made me decide that he was our goaltender for Game 6.
On if it was more confidence in his abilities rather than health by Game 5 for Ullmark…
Montgomery: “Yes.”
On if there is a time frame that he needs Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to make a decision…
Sweeney: “The answer is no. We went through this exercise last off season in putting together two kind of simultaneous rosters. I probably had an indication early enough last summer to go in the direction that we were able to execute. Some things came after that, Pavel Zacha is an example of sort of understanding where we may be and where we want to be. The goal was to build the deepest team that we possibly could, and we fell short, ultimately and the goal will be — you look at the core group of guys that we currently have that had very, very successful regular seasons and we’ll build around that, maybe it’ll be integrating younger players. You can already see where our minds are going in terms of running simultaneous things and we’ll respect the timelines on David [Krejci] and Patrice [Bergeron] as necessary.”
On the legacy and impression that Bergeron and Krejci would leave if they decide to retire …
Jacobs: “It’s hard to put into words frankly. The leadership, the exemplary play that both players have left. In terms of an impression on this organization, I was fortunate enough to be at the draft table when both of those players were drafted, and it is funny how fate unfolds. The days that we drafted those players, frankly as much as scouts and others want to take credit for understanding how special the player, that both of those gentlemen were going to be. You just don’t know and then you get to know those men and understand what they are about; their values and how they approach their day-to-day work, and they are truly professionals, they are real gamers, for lack of a better term. I use that — gamers are people that are all in and both of those players are gamers in my opinion and that is something that is hard to replace. Hopefully the people, the teammates in that locker room find them as leaders and try to mimic and use them as an example for how they approach their own game.”
On if there are any preparations on his end for the Centennial season …
Jacobs: “We have a whole team of associates, both internal and external, that are working on a number of projects in flight. Everything from an era. When I say era, Boston Bruins era is from players from the 60s, 70s, 80s, all the way up to current, that we intend to celebrate throughout the season. We have a Hall of Fame in process, we’re going to title it ‘Heritage Hall,’ it’s going to be here at the TD Garden. There are a number of projects that I’d like to dive into later, perhaps not today at the season ending press conference, but to tell you that there are a lot of really great people doing some really wonderful work and our job as management and ownership here, is to do the best we can to honor the Boston Bruins legacy and we don’t take that lightly. The team of people that we have assembled, I’m very proud of and hopefully when this is all over and behind us, we’ve written a playbook for other U.S.-based franchises that turn 100 years old for years to come.”
On changes he would have made…
Montgomery: You know, peer meetings where we would set players up in groups and they could communicate to another because the hard truths are the hard truths, and your peers know where you need to be a little bit more prudent in your game or in your off-ice habits, whatever the case may be. And I think that kind of inner conflict would, I believe, help our players prepare a little bit better for the hard times ahead because the playoffs are a different animal. We're seeing that even in the second round. I talked to Jon Cooper yesterday. He's like, ‘The first round is the wild, wild West. You just have to get through.’ And we didn't get through. And those are hard times that fall on us right now because of that. So that inner conflict, I believe, helps you mentally prepare. And that's one thing I would change.
On what happened…
Sweeney: Obviously, Jim and I communicate every day. So, you know, in recapping the events, you know, in the playoffs, we went through a litany of things in areas that we would maybe look at a little differently and try to improve as we go forward and put players in different situations. So, we have to have those difficult discussions. It's not about just pointing the finger at any one person. At the end of the day, you know, ill time for execution was a massive problem for us. In particular, in some of the games, you know, breakdown in structure, which we really hadn't done for the vast majority of the season. And our goaltending wasn't at the same levels of the regular season. So those three things combined are going to lead to variance in results. Now you can pinpoint and start to point fingers, but that's not what this organization is about. You take that collective failure, and you have to acknowledge the areas that you're going to improve. And Jim's referencing some of those things, and so am I. So behind closed doors, we are going to call each other out in those areas and pinpoint. It's not any one singular person's fault. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody in the course of the game. But the layers and the structure, as I pointed out in particular, I think Game 6 is a bit of a, you know, a snapshot of what kind of went wrong for us at points of the series where we're in control for a vast majority of games, we close games, so we have the confidence to do those things and it, you know, dissipated in key moments right up until Game 7, where we're in full control of the hockey game with a minute to go. Give credit to the other team, don't get me wrong, give credit to the other team for executing their forecheck and putting pressure to manifest some of those mistakes and poor execution of what to discuss. But we take full responsibility across the board in terms of where our failures are individually, and collectively as an organization. It was not a team that I was comfortable watching in the course of the night. You know, even at four-three, I might have taken a breath because I felt that through periods when we grasp the momentum in games, you know, we were able to lock it down. And we kind of came apart in those situations. And we have leads at four, three and five for, you know, a vast majority of the season. You were watching a team that was in command and even in Game 7 were tied to start the game. Give our fans our credit. You know, we got us back in our game, we're in control of the game at three-two. That's the team that we had. We had expected to continue to play and move through the playoffs because that's what we had done repeatedly. With players injured during the course of the season with a full component of the lineup trusted in our depth, trust and decision making to play any player in situations, getting the right players on the ice. And again, I go back to the fact we ill-timed execution breakdowns in structure, and again the goaltending, which was fantastic for the regular season, it was average as was some of our play.”
On injuries and if there needs to be any surgeries…
Sweeney: We do not have any impending surgeries on the books. We have guys that have gone through some bumps and bruises that take a little bit of time, but nothing impending in surgery.”
On cap space and the future of the team…
Sweeney: I couldn't just categorically sign those players today. You know, our cap situation, we leveraged a little bit. Everybody knows our overage at four and a half. So, we have some constraints, as do several other teams around the league. Our goal was to put the season on the absolute best roster we could put together and try and take a real legitimate run and we failed, no question. So, we have to pay that forward a little bit. That might mean we're instituting younger players, that might mean roster changes, which we would like to make. That might mean I might be able to sign, as you referenced, one of those three players or other unrestricted players. We have to address the two RFAs in Frederic and Swayman, which we will do. And roster changes are likely coming. You know, we're not going to be the same team, but our mandate internally, collectively as a group, is we have a really strong core of guys that hopefully as Jim was talking about, will continue to grow, will take leadership responsibility moving forward regardless of whether or not Patrice and David walk back through the door because they need to. Charlie referenced the 100 years. Well, these guys are part of the next hundred and they should understand that the expectations don't change in that regard.”
On staff changes…
Sweeney: “We're going back through that stuff right now. We don't have anything impending, but I reserve the right that we're going to have to continue to unpack what what's best for our organization and what Jim feels would help continue to move this group going forward and we'll make better decisions.”
On the trade deadline…
Sweeney: “Well, I mean, you can always compare Seattle — they added one piece to the deadline. You know, there have been years where we have stayed, you know, pretty steady. I think we try to take our P's and Q's as to where our team is, where our performance level is, and react accordingly. Clearly, the market dictates whether or not players are available and how aggressive you need to be. The acquisition costs are generally quite steep, at the deadline you're trying to fill holes. In our case we had two and then shortly thereafter had three significant injuries. And in some of those cases, we weren't sure they were actually going to play in the playoffs. So, again, you have to take your direction of how your team is playing first and foremost. And we were in a very good spot, and we expected to have a deep roster to take a run if we got healthy and made the decisions. So, you know I look back — I didn't say at times you're sitting there at the table, and you know, you’re kind of going all in and then you have to do the job afterwards. No different than years past where we've had to draft with less capital. And now we had a lot of capital to draft. I mean, roster decisions are coming in, changes are coming. So, you know, if the opportunity presents itself in the draft, perspective this year or in future years, where you have to look at everything and make the best decision for the organization.”
On off-season plans…
Sweeney: Ideally, I wouldn't be sitting here. I'll be perfectly honest with you, and I think everybody knows that. And I take a lot of ownership in the fact that we're sitting here. So, we have a really good group of young players that are committed to this organization in some key positions for our organization. We have to grow and foster some younger players that will play some roles. So, we feel good about, you know, if you look at guys who can go and play a top-six role right now, I think we have to fill the bottom part of our roster. I believe our core of, when you start with Carlo, Lindholm and McAvoy, you know, is really at the top level of the league and how they performed in particular in the regular season and in pockets in the playoffs to the same degree. We had very, very good goaltending in the regular season. As I referenced earlier, structure breakdowns and team-wide breakdowns led to the fact that we're not playing today. They have to take some ownership of that, but you have to feel good about playing either one of them, you know, moving forward. So, we have some challenges and that just might mean that younger players will have their ears pinned back in terms of the opportunity that is presented to them as well. The cap flexibility will certainly be an area that I'm going to try and explore.”
On Matt Grzelcyk…
Sweeney: “Matt had a really, really strong year. You know, the lineup changes that we decided to make with him and Connor, situations be it on the road or physicality or some of the opportunities that we felt comfortable playing all seven, eight defensemen that we had on our roster. We felt in years past, we certainly have tested that to the level of 10 deep. So, Matt had a really good year. Jim is moving the pieces around and playing players. We certainly upset the apple cart and his usage, bringing in Orlov and that was to address the depth and need that we felt we could really utilize throughout a long playoff run. So, we're going to look at all the roster things that that you referenced. It’s not just that Grizzy could fit in and play with Charlie. There's a tremendous amount of flexibility with Matt and we're happy he is a Bruin.”
On why it happened the way it did…
Sweeney: I don't think there's any one single reason. Jimmy mentioned a couple of things. You know how our team was handling expectations individually, collectively. You know, we're still in control of the series, in our opinion. Coming home 3-1, had lost very few games at TD Garden during the course of the season. Now they know you've got to win two of the next three if you do get to a Game 7. So, we weren't feeling overconfident by any means, but we were feeling confident in going out. We still hadn't played maybe our absolute best or what we had seen consistently in the regular season. Game 3 was probably our best, most complete game. The catastrophic mistakes — and then give me reference after Game 2, they were blatantly obvious. Give credit, Florida's forecheck is giving Toronto trouble. It gave us a struggle. They played that way for probably the last two and a half, three months of the season. So, we knew what was coming. And it's another thing to handle. The moment you go back and look at every player and their situations, they either get the job done or don't. In some cases, we didn't. And puck management was an issue, generally mostly an issue for us in the neutral zone. More so the defensive zone because we were a transitional, a really good team. We weren't going to be reliant on the rush. You know, we felt we could play in a different style. We just failed to execute in some of those key, key moments. And the margins are small. That's just how playoff hockey goes.
On remaining competitive…
Neely: “Well, the goal is always to remain competitive. Don mentioned the pieces that we have coming back are pretty good hockey players. You know, I think we got a little taste of potentially what the team might look like in games three and four. I thought those two games obviously put us up three games to one. So, I think we can still be a better team, but there's a lot of work to do this summer, there’s no question.
On how they feel a week after the loss...
Neely: “For me, it’s been quite an empty feeling to be honest with you. You take a look at 2019, the loss in Game 7, this is a close second for me.”
Montgomery: “Frustrated, mad, accountable.”
Jacobs: “I at times have a hard time finding words for just how empty I feel – knowing all that was put into this season, all the potential we had for this run, and it’s incredibly disappointing.”
Sweeney: “I echo all the responses thus far. It’s an empty feeling knowing the players are going through it. You look at the season, and you lose sight of the accomplishment because of the failure. That’s what you’re ultimately going to be judged upon and that’s what we sign up for. So, you take the responsibility and ownership as Monty [Jim Montgomery] just said. Accountability rests with each and every one of us, and it lives with you, it just does. It sits in the bones and people might not quite understand, but it does. The disappointment for our fan base, because you just know the energy that they’re going to provide if you’re able to continue through the playoffs. That’s discerning.”
On Jeremy Jacobs’ thoughts after this season and if he is complacent...
Jacobs: “It’s certainly not complacent. I talk to the Chairman every day, and he watches every hockey game for the Boston Bruins and frankly watches a lot of other teams play, too. I think at first, it was disbelief, perhaps, that we were out in the first. And then like all of us, the fans — he wants answers. He wants to understand how can this personally transpire. I feel, personally, I feel the same way. I feel incredibly disappointed — in that regard, feel the same way. On some level, on many levels, I feel accountable for the fanbase here. The responsibility to deliver the best club we possibly can for the people of Boston and New England. I do feel like our management pushed all the right buttons this year to deliver the best possible team we could for our fans. At some point, you have to hand that off to the coach, and the general manager and the team president to execute. We’re all in this together, and we share in the disappointment.”
On if Jeremy Jacobs wants change...
Jacobs: “I’m here to speak on behalf of the Boston Bruins as the CEO of the organization. He’s the Chairman of the National Hockey League. I couldn’t say he’s called me and said, ‘I want somebody gone,’ or, ‘I want this guy gone, or that guy gone or this person promoted,’ that’s not how he operates. He put faith in the management team that we have here, and counts on us to execute, and when we don’t, he’s disappointed.”
On if he echoes that he wants change...
Jacobs: “So we’re clear, I feel just now, you put words into my mouth. I didn’t ask for change. I don’t — I just got finished mentioning that I feel like our general manager, our team president pushed all the right buttons to deliver the best possible team we could for this year. I applaud them for the work they’ve done, I’m far from asking for a management change.”
On the discussions about when Bergeron should play....
Sweeney: “I’ll start, and then Jim [Jim Montgomery] can weigh in as a coach. I’ll go back to the same answer. We get a medical report every day. Patrice was categorically unavailable for games one through four. He had progressed to the point where he and medical staff felt very comfortable that he was back, able to play to the level that he wants to. He had missed time, so, you’re jumping into the middle of the series, but he was ready to play. I won’t speak for Jim [Jim Montgomery], I’m guessing he might say, I’m playing Patrice [Bergeron] if he’s ready to play, and that’s really how it went, you know, the decision-making.”
Montgomery: “After Game 3, I called Patrice. We were in Florida, and I was talking to him, and I said, ‘I know you’re doing better, I’ve seen the video of your rehab skates. If we win Game 4, is it prudent to us to give you more time?’ And he goes, ‘What do you mean?’ I go, ‘Do we not play you Game 5?’ And he said, ‘Monty, I’m playing Game 5.’ That was enough for me to know. You don’t keep Hall of Fame players out of the lineup.”
On the players’ execution of management’s plan...
Neely: “If you recall going into last season, everybody had us as a potential wildcard team. So, there was zero expectations going into this past season. Especially with all the injuries, we had to start the year. I think with the change we made with the head coach, everybody was questioning where we were going. So, we end up having this historic year, my concern was, okay, are the guys going to put too much pressure on themselves because of the regular season we had, and the expectation just went through the roof. So, I had a couple players at the exit meetings actually apologize, say, ‘You guys gave us a wagon of a team, and we didn’t execute.’ So, the players, they know. Players know when you have a chance to win and when you don’t. They knew we had a chance to win. They knew we had a chance to go deep. And for whatever reason, we didn’t play the way we played in the regular season. We touched on, Game 3 was probably our best game. But we didn’t play in the way we played in the regular season. The confidence, the nerves, I don’t know what it was, but these are the things that we have to dig into. Narratives started to change, you win the President's trophy, teams rarely win the Stanley Cup. So, all those things, the outside noise, maybe creeped a little bit in for me.”
Sweeney: “Again, it’s not any one single item. As I referenced, the reasons why you get into a series and lose a series, they’re all parts of it. We’re humans. We are trying to execute, both at the management and ownership level, down to the coaching level, down to the players level. And when you have failure, you have players come in, as Cam referenced, going into the room, it had a lot of feeling to ‘19. You’re talking about a Game 7, on the precipice of winning, and now you’re losing in the first round, and it had the same feeling of failure, and players acknowledged it. Missed opportunity is exactly how it's described. We missed a massive opportunity and again, not to push aside a historic season, but it’s going to get lost in the translation of this as a result.”
On if the playoff run altered his thinking about players who want to play hurt...
Montgomery: “No. I think we’re going to trust our medical people when they give us the advice. I’m always going to talk to the players. I believe the players are honest with me. Of course they want to play, and you always analyze what percentage he might be at, depending on the player. The decisions we make as Boston Bruins, we make them collectively. In the end, I got to make that final decision. Which I’m really comfortable with the decisions we made.”
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