NHL: Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins - Source: Imagn — Bruins ready to move on from Joe Sacco, finalists include Marco Sturm and Jay Woodcroft (Source: Imagn)

Bruins' interim HC Joe Sacco could end up with Maple Leafs amid uncertain future, claims Elliotte Friedman

Modified Jun 02, 2025 15:24 GMT

The Boston Bruins are heading into a new chapter after a tough season. The team no longer looks like a strong playoff contender. Several key players have left, including longtime captain Brad Marchand, who is now with the Florida Panthers. Veterans like Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo are also gone. The team is clearly rebuilding.

Now, the focus shifts to the coaching staff. Interim head coach Joe Sacco will not be staying with the team. Elliotte Friedman shared this update on Monday's 32 Thoughts Podcast. He said Sacco has been told he won’t return as head coach:

"I believe Joe Sacco was told that he will not stay as the head coach of the Boston Bruins. I'm actually kind of wondering if he could end up in Toronto replacing that Lane Lambert. Lambert, we'll see. But I'm under the impression he was told he won't be staying."

The Boston have already started interviewing new candidates. Friedman added:

"There's been a lot of talk about Marco Sturm, and I heard he did really well in his interview last week. They also had Mitch Love in there last week. I believe they had Jay Woodcroft, and they also interviewed Jay Leach."

Sacco finished the season with a 25-30-7 record after replacing Jim Montgomery. Sturm coaches the AHL’s Ontario Reign and played for the Boston from 2005 to 2010. Woodcroft coached the Edmonton Oilers from 2022 to 2023 and reached the Western Conference finals in 2022.

Love is a candidate for Seattle’s coaching job and is a Capitals assistant coach. Leach was an assistant coach for the Boston last season and head coach of the Providence Bruins.

Bruins close to naming new head coach after final interviews, says Pierre LeBrun

The Boston Bruins are close to choosing their new head coach, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said. They will announce the hire early this week after final interviews last week.

"Expect the Bruins to announce their coaching hire early this week. My understanding is that they’re down to 2 candidates. They did in-person, final interviews with candidates last week," LeBrun shared the post on X (formerly Twitter).

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For the first time since 2017, Boston failed to make the playoffs after ending the season at the bottom of the Atlantic Division.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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