The Bruins yesterday fired coach Claude Julien, who has the most wins in franchise history with 419, and in Boston, Steve Conroy writes he will "go down as one of the best, if not the best coach the franchise has ever had" (BOSTON HERALD, 2/8). The BOSTON GLOBE's Kevin Paul Dupont writes the firing was "widely denounced as tone deaf because it coincided with the Patriots Super Bowl victory parade" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/8). In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy writes the timing of Julien's firing "goes beyond weak, beyond cowardly." They "chose to do it at the exact hour the parade was unfolding," something that was "disgraceful and embarrassing." The Bruins held their press conference at 11:30am ET, "minutes after the Duck Boats started rolling up Boylston Street." It is an "insult to the great sports/hockey fans of Boston." It is also "disrespectful" to Julien, who was in his 10th season as Bruins coach. Bruins GM Don Sweeney said, "I apologize that it fell on a day when New England is incredibly excited." Shaughnessy: "It's hard to remember a local professional sports stunt worse than this one" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/8). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser: "Clearly this was planned for minimal impact in Boston, because everyone in Boston was paying attention to the Patriots parade" ("PTI," ESPN, 2/7).
BAD TIMING? Sweeney said the announcement was made yesterday "because the PR department had explained that, once you make a decision in that regard, you need to stand up in front of people and acknowledge the reasons behind it and go on from there" (BOSTON HERALD, 2/8). In Boston, Fluto Shinzawa writes, "The Bruins look cowardly for hiding the move under the Patriots’ parade, even if they say it was not their intention" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/8). Shinzawa notes Julien's firing "removes the final buffer from the truth," because if the Bruins miss the playoffs, the masses "filling the organization’s wallets will learn that coaching was not the reason." Neither Sweeney nor President Cam Neely is "fretting about job security." Neely is "tight" with Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. Sweeney and Neely will "continue to work," even if "most of their decisions have not" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/8).
