The Boston Bruins rarely have a bad season, but their start to the 2024-25 season hasn’t been that convincing. They lost 4-0 to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday and now hold a 3-3-1 record. This past weekend, they also had a controversial moment on the bench involving head coach Jim Montgomery and captain Brad Marchand that went viral.
During a game against Utah HC, which the Bruins would eventually lose in OT, cameras showed a heated exchange between Montgomery and Marchand, where the coach completely snapped at his captain and even appeared to make physical contact with him.
Many reacted to the exchange between the two, which came after Marchand had a turnover that led to a Utah goal that was later overturned by replay for offsides. Now, top NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shares his views on the incidents in the ’32 Thoughts’ podcast.
”You know, it was… it was jarring,” Friedman said, per Athlon Sports. ”I would say you don’t see coaches yell at players like that on the bench too much anymore.”
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Friedman stated that it’s not unusual for coaches to snap at less experienced players, but Marchand is the captain, with 16 NHL seasons on his resume.
”There is that line that can’t be crossed,” host Kyle Bukauskas said.
Friedman also wondered if there’s a deeper issue between Marchand and Montgomery, and it’s not something Bruins fans want to hear right now.
”In this day and age, there isn’t supposed to be contact,” Friedman said. ”If it’s a regular occurrence, you’ve really got a breakdown in communication between player and coach.”
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