There’s word around Providence, Rhode Island that a new assistant coach for the Providence Bruins could be named shortly. Baby Bruins insider Mark Divver of the Providence Journal is reporting that the organization is interviewing former Baby B’s player and captain Jay Leach.
Jay Leach is in the running for job on @AHLBruins coaching staff, per sources. @FriarsHockey alum is former P-Bruins captain.
— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) August 2, 2016
Leach’s Playing Career and Coaching Background
Leach, a defenseman, was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the fifth-round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft after playing four seasons at Providence College where he appeared in 142 games, tallying 52 points (6-46-52). After graduating college, he started his professional career in the ECHL (180 GP, 13-38-51), then was promoted to the American Hockey League where he played in almost 500 games contributing 87 points (25-62-87). Unfortunately, his NHL career was limited to only 70 games scoring only one goal and helping out with two assists.
The Syracuse, New York native left the game of hockey after the 2012-13 campaign and immediately found his knack for coaching landing a job in Germany with the Alder Mannheim Club of the Deutsche Eishockey League (DEL). He earned his first championship as an assistant coach capturing the organization’s sixth DEL title in 2014-15. Last season, Leach returned to the AHL as an intern for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins when head coach Mike Sullivan was promoted after Mike Johnston was shown the door in December of 2015 after a terrible start to the regular season.
The 36-year old is now looking for a new job as the AHL Wilkes-Barre team announced they’re moving forward with a new coaching staff. This means he has the say of anywhere he’s offered a position and a place he’s got familiarity with might be an obvious choice.
Baby Pens add 2 assistant coaches. Jay Leach, former assistant and interim head coach, not returning to the… https://t.co/o4oPkUqGtl
— WYLN SPORTS (@wylnsportstalk) August 2, 2016
Look for Jay Leach to land with another AHL team very soon. Perhaps a place he is very familiar with.
— Tom Venesky (@TLTomVenesky) August 2, 2016
Bruins Future Plans
As reported by The Hockey Writers Bruins beat writer Cam Hasbrouck, the Boston Bruins named Kevin Dean head coach of the Baby B’s as former bench boss Bruce Cassidy was promoted alongside Jay Pandolfo to help Bruins head coach Claude Julien and his efforts to turn the NHL organization around and get back to regular appearances in the yearly Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Like Leach, coach Dean was also a defenseman and with the NHL Bruins recent struggles on the backend, it seems like these two would work great together and develop the defensive prospects properly with a transitional defensive structure. With prospect names like defensemen Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk, Jeremy Lauzon, Ryan Lindgren, Charlie McAvoy, and Jakub Zboril in the pipeline, the time might be now to get those in a teaching role to buy into the direction the organization wants to roll with in future. As it looks right now, the Bruins might not be overly concerned with acquiring a top-notch defenseman but might be biding their time with the future generation that may be ready sooner than later.
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