Management Bruins made the following changes to their hockey operations staff:

Fenway

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BOSTON - Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, September 18, that the team has made the following changes to their hockey operations staff: John McLean has been named Assistant Coach; Dan Darrow has been named Assistant Video Coordinator; Josh Pohlkamp-Hartt has been named Associate Director of Hockey Analytics; Campbell Weaver has been named Director of Hockey Systems; Derek MacKinnon has been named Pro Scout; and Milan Jurcina has been named European Scout.

John McLean is entering his second season with the Bruins organization after spending last season as a Skills and Skating Consultant. Previously, McLean co-founded Dynamic Skating, alongside skating consultant Tom Ford and former Bruins Skills and Skating Coach Kim Brandvold in 2010. In 2022, McLean was appointed as head coach of the Austin Prep Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team. Previously, McLean served as head coach of the Malden Catholic School Boys Varsity Ice Hockey team. The Wakefield, Massachusetts native played four seasons in the NCAA for Boston College (1983-87) and appeared in 45 AHL games for the Binghamton Whalers and Maine Mariners.

Dan Darrow joins the Bruins after most recently serving as an Assistant Coach of the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team. Dan additionally served as a Volunteer Assistant Coach at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program with the Under-18 Team. Previously, Darrow spent seven seasons with the San Jose Sharks as Video Coach. Prior to working in the NHL, the Livonia, Michigan native served as the first ever Director of Hockey Operations at the University of Massachusetts Lowell from 2011-15.

Josh Pohlkamp-Hartt is entering his sixth season with the Bruins organization. He has spent the past five seasons with the club’s hockey operations department as a Data Scientist. Prior to his time spent in the NHL, Pohlkamp-Hartt spent time at Apple as a Statistician. He attended Queen’s University in Kingston, most recently completing his Ph.D. in applied statistics in 2016.

Campbell Weaver is entering his fifth season with the Bruins organization. He first joined the club as a Data Engineer in 2019. Previously, Weaver worked at Facebook as a Computer Vision Research Engineer and at Bonbouton as an Engineer.

Derek MacKinnon joins the Bruins as a Pro Scout after spending the past nine seasons with the Calgary Flames as the Director of Player Personnel (2017-23) and a Pro Scout (2014-17). Prior to his time in Calgary, MacKinnon additionally served as a Pro Scout for the Arizona Coyotes (2008-14) and Video Coach for the Dallas Stars (2003-08).

Milan Jurcina is entering his first season with the Bruins as a European Scout. Jurcina was originally selected by Boston in the eighth round (241st overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Jurcina spent nine full seasons in the NHL, playing for the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins. The Slovakia native had career NHL totals of 22 goals and 59 assists for 81 points. Most recently, Jurcina played four seasons (2019-23) with HC Sparta Praha in Czechia.
 

Yeti34

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With McLean being added does that mean Mquiad didn’t accept the assistant job?
 

smithformeragent

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1695066820233.jpeg
 

CamFan81

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Milan Jurcina has been named European Scout.



Milan Jurcina is entering his first season with the Bruins as a European Scout. Jurcina was originally selected by Boston in the eighth round (241st overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Jurcina spent nine full seasons in the NHL, playing for the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins. The Slovakia native had career NHL totals of 22 goals and 59 assists for 81 points. Most recently, Jurcina played four seasons (2019-23) with HC Sparta Praha in Czechia.
Is this in additional to Pj Axelsson ?
 

DominicT

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Is this in additional to Pj Axelsson ?

With P.J. Axelsson as the European Scouting Coordinator and predominantly covering Sweden along with Svenake Svensson and Victor Nybladh, Arseniy Bonderev covering Russia, Teemu Numminen covering Finland, it’s safe to assume Jurcina will spend most of his time in Slovakia and Czechia.
 

CamFan81

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With P.J. Axelsson as the European Scouting Coordinator and predominantly covering Sweden along with Svenake Svensson and Victor Nybladh, Arseniy Bonderev covering Russia, Teemu Numminen covering Finland, it’s safe to assume Jurcina will spend most of his time in Slovakia and Czechia.
Thanks Dom, I thought he was based out of Sweden but still did scouting throughout Europe
 

DominicT

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Thanks Dom, I thought he was based out of Sweden but still did scouting throughout Europe
He does. When one of the guys under him is "pounding the table" for a player, PJ will go out to see him.

I think, from what I am seeing with the Bruins, is that they've gone in a different direction in scouting. The Euro scouts will report to Axelsson, the NCAA scouts to Harkins and the CHL scouts to Malkoc. They then have their own meetings and come up with their consensus rankings in their areas before the big team meeting to make their final draft list.

Which is why I think they added Jurcina because Europe is so large. Not only does he know Slovakia and Czechia but he also knows the DEL in Germany.

If my assumptions are correct, we'll see if it works. In theory its a great strategy.
 

CamFan81

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Mar 22, 2009
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He does. When one of the guys under him is "pounding the table" for a player, PJ will go out to see him.

I think, from what I am seeing with the Bruins, is that they've gone in a different direction in scouting. The Euro scouts will report to Axelsson, the NCAA scouts to Harkins and the CHL scouts to Malkoc. They then have their own meetings and come up with their consensus rankings in their areas before the big team meeting to make their final draft list.

Which is why I think they added Jurcina because Europe is so large. Not only does he know Slovakia and Czechia but he also knows the DEL in Germany.

If my assumptions are correct, we'll see if it works. In theory its a great strategy.
Great stuff, per usual
 

Ivo

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After years of nothing, lots more good Slovak prospects coming up lately, not just top of the draft guys like Slaf, Nemec and Dvorsky, but also deeper in the drafts. Makes sense to get a stronger presence in the central Europe region, which I think what the hiring of Jurcina is about.
 
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