Jim Montgomery (ice hockey)

Last updated

Jim Montgomery
Born (1969-06-30) June 30, 1969 (age 54)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for
Current NHL coach Boston Bruins
Coached for Dallas Stars
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 19932005
Coaching career 2005present
Coaching career
Biographical details
Alma mater Maine
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2005–2006 Notre Dame (assistant)
2006–2010 Rensselaer (assistant)
2010–2013 Dubuque Fighting Saints
2013–2018 Denver Pioneers
2018–2019 Dallas Stars
2020–2022 St. Louis Blues (assistant)
2022–present Boston Bruins
Head coaching record
Overall139-58–29 (.679)
Tournaments8–5
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Number 19 retired by University of Maine

Jim Montgomery (born June 30, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Originally undrafted by teams in the NHL, he played a total of six seasons for the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars.

Contents

Playing career

Montgomery played for the Cégep de Saint-Laurent Patriotes in Montreal in 1987–1988, before joining the Pembroke Lumber Kings, junior A hockey team in the Central Canada Hockey League in 1988–1989. The following season he joined the University of Maine and played 4 years with the team, winning numerous awards and establishing himself as one of the best prospects in hockey. Most notably he was named an All-Star 3 years (1991, 1992, 1993) and was named NCAA tournament championship MVP when he captained Maine to a record of 42–1–2 and the 1993 National Championship. His three third-period goals lifted the Black Bears to a 5–4 comeback win over Lake Superior State in the title game. Montgomery finished his career at Maine as the school's all-time leading scorer with 301 points on 103 goals and 198 assists. His number 19 was retired by Maine, one of three players who have that honour, [1] the others being Hobey Baker Award winners Scott Pellerin (#8) and Paul Kariya (#9).

Following college, Montgomery was signed by the St. Louis Blues. For the 1993–94 season he skated in 67 contests and scored 20 points, both NHL career highs. Following the season the highly touted Montgomery was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Guy Carbonneau. For the 1994–95 season however things did not work out and after just 5 games Montgomery was released by the Canadiens. [2] Later in the year he was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers and skated in 8 regular season contests and 7 playoff contests with the Flyers. Montgomery is credited with nicknaming the dominant line of John LeClair, Eric Lindros, and Mikael Renberg the "Legion of Doom". [3] The 1995–96 season saw Montgomery play only 5 games with the Flyers but he had a career year with the Flyers minor league affiliate Hershey Bears of the AHL. He scored 105 points in 78 games and was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team.

It would be another 4 years before Montgomery would return to the NHL. He played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in Germany for the 1996–97 season, followed by two full years with the Philadelphia Phantoms. For The 1999–2000 season Montgomery played part of the year with the Phantoms and spent the majority of the year with the Manitoba Moose.

In 2000, Montgomery was signed by the San Jose Sharks. He played the majority of the 2000–01 season with the Kentucky Thoroughblades but also skated in 28 games with the Sharks. The following year he was signed by the Dallas Stars and played 9 games with the team over two years, spending most of his time with the Utah Grizzlies. Montgomery then played one year in Russia and one year with the Missouri River Otters before retiring in 2005.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1988–89 Pembroke Lumber Kings CCHL 5053101154112
1989–90 University of Maine HE 4526346035
1990–91 University of MaineHE4324578144
1991–92 University of MaineHE3721446546
1992–93 University of MaineHE4532639540
1993–94 St. Louis Blues NHL 676142044
1993–94 Peoria Rivermen IHL 12781510
1994–95 Montreal Canadiens NHL50002
1994–95 Philadelphia Flyers NHL8112671012
1994–95 Hershey Bears AHL 16861414632525
1995–96 Philadelphia FlyersNHL5123910000
1995–96 Hershey BearsAHL7834711059543256
1996–97 Kölner Haie DEL 501235471140116
1997–98 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL68194362752013162955
1998–99 Philadelphia PhantomsAHL7829588789164111520
1999–2000 Philadelphia PhantomsAHL13391222
1999–2000 Manitoba Moose IHL67182846111
2000–01 San Jose Sharks NHL2816719
2000–01 Kentucky Thoroughblades IHL552252744431235
2001–02 Dallas Stars NHL80220
2001–02 Utah Grizzlies AHL7128437190501123
2002–03 Dallas StarsNHL10000
2002–03 Utah GrizzliesAHL7222466810920002
2003–04 Salavat Yulaev Ufa RSL 2007710
2004–05 Missouri River Otters UHL 422027476430000
NHL totals122925348081012
AHL totals45116532849353856243458136

Coaching career

Montgomery was an assistant coach for Notre Dame for the 2005–06 season. In 2006, Montgomery began a four-year stint as assistant coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. On April 12, 2010, he was named head coach of the United States Hockey League (USHL) expansion franchise Dubuque Fighting Saints. In the team's first year, Montgomery guided the Fighting Saints to a 37–14–9 record and the 2010–11 USHL championship with a three games to one victory over the Green Bay Gamblers. He went on to win the Clark Cup again during the 2012–13 season. In 2013, Montgomery was signed by University of Denver as head coach of their Pioneers men's ice hockey team and led them to a berth in the NCAA tournament. He led the Pioneers to the 2016 Frozen Four. In 2017, his fourth year as the head coach of the Pioneers, he led them to the National Championship game after establishing them as the first-seeded team in the country for the majority of the season. [4] In 2016–17 season he was named the Spencer Penrose national coach of the year. [5] [6]

Dallas Stars (2018–2019)

On May 4, 2018, Montgomery was named as the head coach of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). [7] He led the Stars to their first playoff appearance in three years.

On December 10, 2019, the Stars fired Montgomery for "unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League." [8] At a press conference, general manager Jim Nill said the situation had come to light the previous weekend, and involved "a material act of unprofessionalism" egregious enough to demand Montgomery's immediate firing. He did not offer specifics "out of respect for everyone involved," only saying that it did not involve abuse of players or criminal conduct. [9] Rick Bowness, who joined the team a month after Montgomery's hiring in May 2018, was named interim coach, while Derek Laxdal (who was the head coach of the Texas Stars at the time) would be promoted to the assistant coaching position that was vacated by Bowness. [10]

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Montgomery was fired for "a personal behaviour issue," and the Stars were not divulging details to protect the privacy of both the whistleblower and Montgomery's family. [11] Montgomery told WFAA in Dallas that "there will be a time" when he speaks about the circumstances that led to his firing. [12]

On January 3, 2020, Montgomery announced that he had checked himself into rehab to deal with alcohol abuse. He said that the Stars had made "an appropriate call" in firing him, and that his dismissal made him realize he was living a "damaging lifestyle." [13] On January 7, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Montgomery was fired in part due to concerns about his drinking. Nill had reportedly confronted Montgomery on numerous occasions about drinking in public. The Stars had been aware of Montgomery's history with alcohol; he had been arrested for DUI in 2008 during his time at RPI. [14]

St. Louis Blues (2020–2022)

On September 16, 2020, the St. Louis Blues signed Montgomery to a two-year contract, serving as assistant coach under Craig Berube. [15]

Boston Bruins (2022–present)

On June 30, 2022, the Boston Bruins named Montgomery head coach, replacing Bruce Cassidy. [16] Montgomery's "positive coaching" was widely assessed as a significant shift from his predecessor's approach, and lead to major improvements in the team for the 2022–23 season. [17] The Bruins finished with a 65–12–5 record and 135 points, breaking both the previous record for wins (62), jointly held by the 2018–19 Tampa Bay Lightning and the 1995–96 Detroit Red Wings, and for points (132), previously set by the 1976–77 Montreal Canadiens. The team received the Presidents' Trophy, while Montgomery won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. [18]

The Bruins entered the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs as the favourites for the championship. However, they were ousted in the first round by the Florida Panthers, squandering a 3–1 series lead in the process. The series was dubbed "one of the worst choke jobs in Boston sports history." [19] Much recrimination ensued about Montgomery's coaching decisions, in particular the choice to depart from the team's regular season goalie rotation between Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman to playing Ullmark exclusively despite him dealing with an injury. [20] [21] Ullmark defended Montgomery, saying "something that everybody does when things aren't going the way they want to is they're trying to find a scapegoat." [22]

Head coaching record

NHL

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
GWLOTLPtsFinishWLWin%Result
DAL 2018–19 8243327934th in Central 76.538Lost in Second Round (STL)
DAL 2019–20 3117113(37)(fired)
BOS 2022–23 82651251351st in Atlantic 34.429Lost in First Round (FLA)
Total1951255515  1010.5002 playoff appearances

NCAA

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Denver Pioneers (NCHC)(2013–2018)
2013–14 Denver 20–16–614–12–36th NCAA Northeast Regional Semifinals
2014–15 Denver 24–14–216–11–14th NCAA East Regional Final
2015–16 Denver 25–10–619–6–33rd NCAA Frozen Four
2016–17 Denver 33–7–418–3–31st NCAA Champion
2017–18 Denver 23–10–812–6–62nd NCAA Midwest Regional Final
Denver:125–57–2679–38–16
Total:125–57–26

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

USHL

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
GWLOTLPtsFinishWLWin%Result
DBQ 2010–11 6037149831st in Western Conference92.818Won Clark Cup
DBQ 2011–12 6036204763rd in Eastern Conference23.400Lost in Conference Semifinals
DBQ 2012–13 6445118981st in Eastern Conference92.818Won Clark Cup
Total1841184521257 20774 

Awards and honours

AwardYearRef
All-Hockey East Rookie Team 1989–90
All-Hockey East Second Team 1990–91
AHCA East Second-Team All-American 1990–91
All-Hockey East Second Team 1991–92
Hockey East All-Tournament team 1992, 1993 [23]
All-Hockey East First Team 1992–93
AHCA East Second-Team All-American 1992–93
All-NCAA All-Tournament team 1993 [24]
NHL All-Star Game coach 2023, 2024 [25]
Most wins in an NHL season (65) 2023 [26]
Jack Adams Award 2023 [27]

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References

  1. "Jim Montgomery". denverpioneers.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  2. Cowan, Stu (August 19, 2014). "Marking the 20th anniversary of Habs trading captain Carbonneau". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  3. Meltzer, Bill (November 11, 2006). "Legion of the Doomed". Inside Hockey. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  4. Maiman, Beth (April 8, 2017). "Frozen Four: Denver beats Minnesota Duluth 3-2 to win first NCAA hockey title since 2005". NCAA.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  5. "Denver's Jim Montgomery is CCM/AHCA Men's Division I Coach of the Year". ahcahockey.com. April 4, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  6. "Denver's Montgomery Wins AHCA's Penrose Award as Division I Men's Coach of the Year". www.nchchockey.com. April 4, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  7. "Stars name Jim Montgomery as head coach". NHL.com. May 4, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. "Jim Montgomery dismissed as head coach of Stars". NHL.com. December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  9. DeFranks, Matthew (December 10, 2019). "Dallas Stars fire coach Jim Montgomery 'due to unprofessional conduct'". Dallas News. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  10. "Dallas Stars fire head coach Jim Montgomery for 'unprofessional conduct'". CBC.ca. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  11. Elliotte Friedman (December 11, 2019). "31 Thoughts: Jim Montgomery firing hockey's latest bombshell". Sportsnet.
  12. Alex Rozier; Mike Leslie (December 11, 2019). "Fired Dallas Stars head coach promises 'there will be a time' he'll talk". WFAA.
  13. Shanna McCarriston (January 3, 2020). "Former Stars coach Jim Montgomery releases first comments since being fired for 'unprofessional conduct'". CBS Sports .
  14. Mac Engel (January 7, 2020). "Dallas Stars previously had warned Jim Montgomery about his relationship with alcohol". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  15. Miller, Corey (September 16, 2020). "Former Stars head coach, Blues forward Jim Montgomery named assistant coach in St. Louis". ksdk.com. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  16. "Jim Montgomery Named 29th Head Coach Of The Boston Bruins". NHL.com. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  17. Shinzawa, Fluto (April 14, 2023). "Jim Montgomery, Bruce Cassidy and how positive coaching helped transform the Bruins". The Athletic . Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  18. Satriano, David (May 5, 2023). "Hakstol, Montgomery, Ruff named Jack Adams Award finalists for best coach". NHL.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  19. Murphy, Jimmy (May 1, 2023). "Despite Epic Collapse, Montgomery Doesn't Regret Much". Boston Hockey Now. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  20. Shinzawa, Fluto (May 1, 2023). "Bruins coach Jim Montgomery made too many wrong moves to overcome". The Athletic . Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  21. Roche, Scott (May 1, 2023). "Blame for Bruins' Playoff Collapse Spreads Deep in Locker Room". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  22. Ryan, Conor (May 3, 2023). "Linus Ullmark offers support for Jim Montgomery amid criticism for Bruins' first-round exit". Boston.com . Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  23. "2013–14 Hockey East Media Guide". Hockey East. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  24. "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  25. "Montgomery, DeBoer, Brind'Amour, Cassidy named NHL All-Star coaches". sportsnet.ca. January 11, 2023.
  26. Russo, Eric (April 14, 2023). "Bruins Close Out Historic Regular Season with Win in Montreal". nhl.com.
  27. "Montgomery of Bruins wins Jack Adams Award as top coach in NHL". nhl.com. June 26, 2023.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Head coach of the Dallas Stars
2018–2019
Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Boston Bruins
2022–present
Incumbent
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Jack Adams Award
2023
Incumbent
Preceded by William Flynn Tournament Most Valuable Player
1993
Succeeded by
Preceded by NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
1993
Succeeded by
Preceded by Spencer Penrose Award
2016–17
Succeeded by