With no Paul Pierce in the building to stop them, the Bruins did the right thing and honored Claude Julien, who was fired last February, with a video tribute.
“It’s always something that you kind of dread a little bit because it’s a little emotional, and at the same time, trying to keep your emotions intact there so you can coach a game and stuff like that, but I appreciate what they did for me,” Julien said after the loss, his team’s second in as many games against the Bruins this season. “I’ve got nothing but good things to say about this organization that gave me the opportunity to spend 10 years here, an at the same time I’m kind of happy it’s over so we can move on now, but that doesn’t mean you forget what’s happened here. It’s always going to be with you, but now I’m in another chapter of my coaching career, and I’ve got to think about that.”
Julien’s replacement, Bruce Cassidy, also enjoyed the tribute.
“I thought it was a very classy move by the Bruins, and hopefully everyone else thought the same,” Cassidy, who has coached the Bruins to a 42-18-9 record since taking over for Julien, said. “I thought it was well deserved and a good move by the organization.”
Julien and the Canadiens return to Boston on Mar. 3.
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