The Boston Bruins have extended Head Coach Bruce Cassidy to a multi-year extension. The team announced the agreement via its official Twitter account. Cassidy has been the head coach in Boston since partway through the 2016-17 season. He assumed the role after Claude Julien was let go in late winter of that year. The initial announcement did not include the length of the deal or how much money is involved.
Congrats, Coach! Bruce Cassidy has been signed to a multi-year contract extension: https://t.co/HK7wDz5nuH pic.twitter.com/9Y8ENsVjwQ
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) September 11, 2019
Boston Extends Bruce Cassidy
Cassidy has had a successful three-year run with the Bruins. He has won over 100 games over that span while also improving the team’s post-season results each season. 2018-19 saw Cassidy lead Boston to the Stanley Cup playoffs where they fell in seven games to the St. Louis Blues. Cassidy’s overall record in Boston is 117-52 with three playoff appearances.
Cassidy had a long career as a player largely outside of the NHL. He only played 36 games, all with the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored four goals and 13 points over those games. Most of his playing time was spent with the now-defunct IHL and overseas in Europe.
Prior to Boston, Cassidy served as the head coach of the Providence Bruins team, which is Boston’s AHL affiliate. He won over 200 games in five seasons at that level before getting his NHL promotion. He has been a fine coach for much of his career outside of a brief stint with the Washington Capitals from 2002-2004.
What This Means For the Future
Cassidy and the Bruins enter 2019-20 as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Their top line of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron is expected to be among the league’s best for another season. Their defence has plenty of talent and Tuukka Rask remains a quality netminder even as he enters his age-33 season.
Overall, this is a fine move for Boston that has done a little better every year under Bruce Cassidy. The team still needs to worry about extending Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo to new deals, but the head coaching position is locked up for the next few seasons.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 12: Head coach Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins looks on against the St. Louis Blues during the first period in Game Seven of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden on June 12, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
