Don Sweeney says Bruins players aren't "driving the bus" on his decision-making
BOSTON -- Don Sweeney said it was a tough decision to fire his old pal Bruce Cassidy, but he said it was clear that the Boston Bruins needed a new leader to deliver the message in the locker room.
Cassidy led Boston to the playoffs in each of his six seasons on the bench, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019. He won the Jack Adams Award for the NHL's best head coach the following season, and his Bruins racked up 100 or more points four times during his tenure.
But after a disappointing first-round ousting at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, Sweeney felt that the Bruins left a lot on the table. Bruins players agreed. Now the team is looking for a new head coach.
Sweeney owned his decision Tuesday when chatting with reporters at the Bruins' practice facility in Brighton, and said it was not an easy one to make. Cassidy did not take his firing well on Monday night, and Sweeney wasn't particularly thrilled to deliver it.
But it was the decision that Sweeney made, and he's ready to move on. He said Tuesday that while Bruins players provided their input, the decision to move on from Cassidy was ultimately his.
"They're not driving the bus in terms of making my decisions," Sweeney said of his players. "They impact our hockey club more than any of us. They're invested and they want to know how invested the organization is. I honestly believe it doesn't matter what they're saying individually, but collectively as a group. They agreed with me because I felt we left something on the table.
"Young or old, I think a new voice will resonate with them," Sweeney added.
Sweeney said that he spoke about Cassidy's leadership with Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, but said that Bergeron did not make a recommendation one way or another.
"He has too much respect for Bruce, or me, to make recommendations about coaches," said Sweeney. "I did not ask whether this impacts his decision [to return]. It's his decision."
While Sweeney said that Bruins players don't drive the bus, Bergeron is firmly in the driver's seat this offseason. Whether or not Bergeron comes back for another season will dictate the direction the Bruins go the rest of the summer. The Bruins will have to shift toward younger players regardless, much like they did in the 2015 season before Cassidy arrived.
But losing their captain and a longtime impact player like Bergeron could start a much bigger rebuild for Boston hockey. Sweeney said that Bergeron's decision "could signify a directional shift" for the organization.
"Bringing back a similar roster, he's a big part of that. I have to wait for that decision," said Sweeney. I don't have that answer as I sit. We are going to take shift, not unlike in 2015 when we introduced young players. We have to do a good job at that when they're ready."
Compacting matters is the fact that several other key players will start next season on the shelf as they recover from offseason surgery. Both Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy are sidelined for six months, while Matt Grzelcyk will be on the mend for five months.
Rough times could be ahead for the Bruins, and with Cassidy now gone, Sweeney won't have a scapegoat going forward. He understands that, and knows that he and Bruins president Cam Neely are on the hot seat to get the franchise turned around.
"It may fall that way. Today is not that day," he said Tuesday. "We have a good team. Do we have to pivot because of injuries? That may come.
"As it stands now, I have the support of the people I work with and work for and I'm grateful for that," he said of the Boston ownership. "To be held to that standard to inspire to be the best in the class, that is the standard you want to be held to."
