On Tuesday afternoon, the Boston Bruins announced that they had fired head coach Jim Montgomery following an 8-9-3 start to the 2024-25 season. They also announced that assistant coach Joe Sacco would serve as interim head coach for the team effective immediately.
As of the announcement, Boston holds an 8-9-3 record, and they haven’t been able to stay on a consistent trend. Following the Bruins’ 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night, their third in a row, a change behind the bench appeared imminent, at least to WEEI’s Scott McLaughlin.
Related: Bruins Part Ways With Head Coach Jim Montgomery
After initially being reported by Rich Keefe of WEEI earlier in the day, Boston cancelled Montgomery’s media availability for Tuesday afternoon, and even cancelled practice according to Ty Anderson of 98.5 the Sports Hub who made the announcement on Monday, leading to speculation that something was awry.
The Bruins will not practice tomorrow.
— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) November 19, 2024
So, anyway, who is Joe Sacco?
Sacco Has Experience Elsewhere AND Within the Bruins Organization
Sacco has been with the Bruins since he was hired as an assistant coach to then-head coach Claude Julien in 2014, so he’s been around the organization for a while. He served as an assistant under three different head coaches (Julien included) and the waiting has finally paid off.
Sacco previously coached in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Lake Erie Monsters (now Cleveland Monsters) from 2007 to 2009 where he held a record of 60-79-21 and never qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Following his time in the AHL, Sacco got his first opportunity in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche where he stayed from 2009 through 2013. In his first season, he led the Avs to the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the eighth seed, but they were subsequently knocked out in the first round by the San Jose Sharks. That was the first (and last) time Colorado made the playoffs under Sacco, however.
Sacco was the coach there for three more years and only finished above .500 one other time. He finished with a record of 130-134-30.
Joe Sacco the Player
As a player, Sacco played hockey for Medford High School in Massachusetts where he played in a combined 41 games for the Mustangs over two seasons. He scored 52 goals, and assisted on another 62. The most impressive statistic of all is that he didn’t commit a single penalty. Following his final season, he entered the 1987 NHL Entry Draft and was picked 71st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Despite being drafted, Sacco went on to play for Boston University for three seasons. With the Terriers, he played in a combined 111 games, scoring 63 goals and racking up 65 assists. He was on the 1992 United States Olympic Team roster and made it to the bronze medal game.
Sacco finished his career playing in 13 seasons where he amassed 738 games played, 94 goals, and 119 assists. He played for the Maple Leafs, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (now Anaheim Ducks), the Washington Capitals, and the Philadelphia Flyers. He also represented the United States eight times, with his best finish coming when he won a bronze medal at the 1996 World Championship.
How Long Will He Last?
Sacco has been around the organization for 10 years, so there is a chance he could be around for a little bit longer than just the end of the season.
Given how Boston has started the season, however, the onus will be on Sacco to win over the locker room if he is to have his interim tag removed at the end of the season – something that Montgomery appeared to have lost as of late.
