A favorite conversation in all of the sports is coaching. After a while, every fan points the finger at their favorite team’s coach. In this case, I am going to break down the three winningest coaches in Bruins’ history. Hopefully, the post will lead to a good conversation during this terrible pandemic.

For starters, Claude Julien’s name is at the top. Julien has the most wins out of any Bruins coach. His record is 419-246 with 94 overtime losses. In 2011, the Bruins broke a forty-year drought with its first Cup victory since 1972.

This team featured players like Nathan Horton, Mark Recchi, and Tyler Seguin. The current roster still has David Krejci, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Zdeno Chara. The club still plays with fierce tenacity and grit every night.

As time wore on, Julien fell out of favor with management. He was replaced by Bruce Cassidy. Julien has been often criticized for sticking with his veteran player too long. This tendency cost him his tenure in Boston.

Bruce Cassidy

Head Coach Bruce Cassidy took over midway through the 2016 season. Cassidy worked his way up through the Bruins system. Very successful in Providence, Cassidy has since led the Bruins to a second trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately, the Bruins lost in Game Seven to the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

Unlike Julien, Cassidy has a reputation for switching up his lines without hesitation. He is solely responsible for the turnaround of Tuukka Rask late last season. Not happy with his style of play, Cassidy went with backup Jaroslav Halak. The turnaround was remarkable. From that moment on, Rask was unbeatable and took the Bruins to Game Seven of the Stanley Cup.

In four years as head coach, Cassidy has a 161-66 record with 94 overtime losses. Cassidy has a no-nonsense approach that has proven successful thus far. Depending on if the season resumes play, Cassidy and his Bruins have an excellent chance of returning to the Stanley Cup finals. When the season halted as a result of COVID-19, the Bruins had the best record in the NHL.

Harry Sinden

The third candidate is a personal favorite of mine. Sinden was the architect of resurrecting the Bruins in the early 1970s. For almost twenty years, Harry Sinden was the mastermind behind the team.

During his legacy, his name has been on the Stanley Cup twice. Once in 1970 as a head coach and in 2011 as a Bruins executive. For almost fifty years, Sinden has been one of the game’s most winningest coaches. Overall, Sinden has a 337-193 record for 364 points. He was also a successful player. In 1960, Sinden was a member of the United States Olympic team.

When it comes to success, Harry Sinden is an example. He is a perfectionist who demands the most out of his players. When a player puts on a Bruins uniform one must perform like a Bruin.

A Rich History

Like players, the Bruins have a rich tradition of coaches. It is hard to pinpoint which coach is more successful than the other. The list is a long one. Names like Tom Johnson, Bep Guidolin, Mike O’Connell, Terry O’Reilly, Don Cherry, Gerry Cheevers, Pat Burns. The list goes on and on. As a fan of the NHL, I will let you decide which coach is the winningest in Bruin’s history.

Follow me on Twitter at @bobphaneuf1957 and follow us @OT_Heroics for more great content!

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