Boston Bruins General Manager touched on the team’s head coaching search on Monday after the NHL Draft Lottery slotted the Bruins at the seventh pick in the upcoming NHL Draft in June. In speaking to the media, Sweeney mentioned that the search includes coaches who are still coaching in the NHL playoffs. One name that instantly came to mind was a finalist for the previous Bruins coaching vacancy when Jim Montgomery was eventually hired.
Dallas Stars’ Assistant Coach Misha Donskov has been with Dallas since 2023 and was an assistant with Team Canada in the Four Nations Face-Off, with Sweeney being the General Manager. Donskov spent seven years with the Vegas Golden Knights from 2016-2023. The 47-year-old served as director of hockey operations for his first three years with the Golden Knights before becoming an assistant coach for the remaining four years. He joined the Golden Knights before their expansion draft — and as a result, helped create their Stanley Cup Final roster in their inaugural season in 2017-18. He also served as an assistant coach and manager of hockey operations/analytics with Canada’s National Team from 2015-16, an associate coach with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s from 2012-14, and an assistant coach with the OHL’s London Knights from 2009-2012. Donskov helped the London Knights to an OHL championship in his final season with the team.
Before Montgomery was hired by Boston, Misha Donskov was a viable candidate who impressed the Bruins’ front office. With the Bruins again looking for someone to take the helm of a team that missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, Donskov’s name is resurfacing, and one would believe that Donskov is the top choice for Sweeney this time around.
The Stars begin a best-of-seven series with Winnipeg on Wednesday night. Until the Stars’ season ends, speculation will remain on who the next Bruins’ head coach will be. Other names that have surfaced recently are former Vancouver Canucks’ Head Coach Rick Tocchet, current Bruins’ Assistant Coach Jay Leach, and Ontario Reign Head Coach and former Bruin Marco Sturm.
Rick Tocchet the ‘top target’ for Boston’s next coach
The Flyers buzz has been real around Rick Tocchet, but the Bruins have still made him the top target for their head coach vacancy
The Boston Bruins are one of a handful of NHL teams with a head coach vacancy this offseason. They fired Jim Montgomery early in the season, turning the keys over to Joe Sacco. Montgomery ended up leading the Blues to the playoffs while Sacco and the B's finished last in the Atlantic Division. Now, the Bruins have targeted Rick Tocchet as their top head coaching candidate, even as the Flyers buzz heats up around him.
“If they can secure an interview with him, and yeah, they’re trying, he becomes their top target,” a source told James Murphy of RG.org. Vancouver radio host Rick Dhaliwal also indicated a connection between Tocchet and the Bruins. “Boston is a club. …I’ve been saying about Boston, keep an eye on the Bruins.”
Much has been made about the connection between the Flyers and Tocchet this offseason. He is close with the President of Hockey Operations, Keith Jones, and played 621 games for the franchise. But Tocchet also played for the Bruins, wearing the Spoked B 67 times from 1996-97.
The Canucks did not pick up the option on Tocchet's contract with the intention of negotiating a long-term contract. That did not work out, and they have a head coaching vacancy of their own now. The Rangers were the first team to fill their coaching vacancy with Mike Sullivan. And the Ducks have reportedly filled their opening with Joel Quenneville.
That leaves Tocchet as one of the top candidates on the coaching market. He led the Canucks to a playoff appearance and series win last year and had everything go wrong this year. The Bruins are looking to power out of a year where everything went wrong. Bringing in a proven coach with franchise connections could be the right move.
Tocchet is returning to the TNT intermission squad this weekend.
