Bruins sign Bruce Cassidy to multi-year extension

Well, the Bruins did get at least one contract situation wrapped up before training camp. 

The team announced Wednesday morning that it has signed head coach Bruce Cassidy to a multi-year contract extension. Terms of the contract, including length and salary, were not disclosed, although Pierre LeBruin tweeted that the new deal will pay Cassidy around $3 million a year.

Cassidy took over the reins of the Bruins back in February 2017 — replacing Boston’s all-time winningest coach in Claude Julien. Since then, Cassidy has led Boston to a 117-52-22 record in 191 career games, good for the fourth-best winning percentage (.670) in team history. It only took him 166 games to reach the 100-win mark, the second shortest amount of time in franchise history – trailing only Tom Johnson (138 games). 

Speaking at a Bruins Fan Fest event in Leominster last month, Don Sweeney praised Cassidy’s efforts in leading a Bruins club that already boasted an established locker room — while also dealing with an influx of young talent. 

“I think Bruce really (says) a lot about what it takes to become a good coach in the National Hockey League,” Sweeney said. “He had a chance early on in his career, had a setback and had to spend years down in Providence, saw a lot of younger players … He does a very good job of making adjustments. 

"He has a short memory, which I think, as players, you also have to have a short memory. Everybody makes mistakes. In Bruce’s case, he’s very critical when it comes to identifying what he wants, at that moment, but the next shift, the next day, it’s all about how to get better and how you move forward, as opposed to what just happened. I think that’s very helpful for all players  — not just young players.”

Cassidy previously coached the Washington Capitals from 2002-04 and was the head coach of the Providence Bruins from 2011-16 before becoming the 28th bench boss in Bruins history. He certainly made a good impression as an interim head coach, leading the team to an 18-8-1 record down the stretch and an appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2014. 

Two years later, Cassidy led Boston to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2013, with the Bruins ultimately falling in Game 7 to the St. Louis Blues. It was the second year in a row in which Boston amassed over 100 points, with the club orchestrating a 19-game point streak from January 29 - March 9, which was the second-longest streak in team history.

Next up for Cassidy? Arguably the greatest challenge of his tenure so far in Boston — getting this club to put Game 7 in the rearview and pushing forward to 2019-20.

"I have not been through it,” Cassidy said Monday of a Stanley Cup “hangover.” "So that's why, again, talking to the veteran guys, it will be good to get their feedback on what they feel should be the approach. I hope we're not talking about it after Day 1 (of camp). It's done. It's over. We've got a few new players. It's not the same team. It's a new year. 

“We've got to be ready to be at our best going into the season — Game 1 against Dallas and then on to Arizona, that type of thing. I hope we don't have a hangover. I certainly don't intend on having one. Again, I don't want to talk about it after the next four, five days. It was a good year, we fell one game short. Now we've got to work on getting back to that position and not falling one game short."