Projo Bruins Blog

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins announced this morning that Claude Julien is their new head coach.

The Bruins have a news conference scheduled at 10:30 this morning at TD Banknorth Garden to introduce Julien. He replaces Dave Lewis, who was relieved of his duties and reassigned within the organization last week.

Julien was fired as coach of the New Jersey Devils this year with three games left in their regular season. The Devils were 47-24-8 and in first place in the Atlantic Division in their first season under Julien, 47.

Julien also led the Montreal Canadiens to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2004 and was fired midway through the 2005-06 season with a 19-16-6 record.

The Bruins have had 16 coaches in the last 30 years, and none has served more than three seasons. Harry Sinden held the job twice on an interim basis. Lewis, a former assistant and head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, took over when general manager Peter Chiarelli, shortly after being hired, fired Mike Sullivan as coach last June.

Lewis led the Bruins to a 35-41-6 record in his only season. He was let go more than two months after they missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

On Monday, Chiarelli said there was one clear favorite on his list of four candidates. A possible hitch developed earlier Monday when the Ottawa coaching job became available with the firing of general manager John Muckler and his replacement by coach Bryan Murray, who led the Senators to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost to Anaheim.

Asked if that might affect his hiring of a new coach, Chiarelli said, “That could be the case.” Julien lives in a suburb of Ottawa. Chiarelli was assistant general manager of the Senators before coming to the Bruins.

Chiarelli said Monday he wants a tougher team that will fight for pucks along the boards and a coach who will hold the players accountable if they don’t.

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