The Boston Bruins still haven’t found a new head coach, but the latest reports suggest the process is moving along.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported Thursday that the Bruins will be doing final interviews with candidates next week. He also reports they’ve spoken to a bunch of different candidates, including Marco Sturm, Jay Woodcroft, Mitch Love, Luke Richardson, Joe Sacco and Jay Leach.
Joe Sacco took over as interim head coach last November when the Bruins fired Jim Montgomery. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has said a couple times since the regular season ended that Sacco and assistant coach Jay Leach both would be in the mix for the head coach role.
One notable update is Sweeney confirming to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that he is not waiting to interview any potential head coach candidates on teams that remain in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. “Unless something changes, that would eliminate one coach who has been a leader in the rumor mill clubhouse, Dallas assistant Misha Donskov,” Conroy wrote.
One interesting name listed by LeBrun is Jay Woodcroft.
He was the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers from 2021-22 until early in the 2023-24 season when he was fired after the team started out 3-9-1. The Oilers advanced to the Western Conference Final and the second round during his brief tenure. Woodcroft, 48, is considered a bright young coach, and his previous experience as a head coach in a hockey-crazed market is a plus.
The Bruins aren’t the only team still searching for a head coach. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Seattle Kraken need a new bench boss as well.