Well, we almost didn't get you, Bruce Cassidy, but thank you so much.

Thank you for joining us.

Yeah, I thought you ditched me there, fellas. I know. You called in, and then no one to answer. Well, congratulations, sir. Well, thank you. Looking forward to it. Well, look at you. You're a big coach in the NHL now. You got the interim tag off. When did you find out you're going to be the head coach of the Bruins?

We talked on Monday.

You know, Sunday was a tough day for us, you know. Talk to Donnie's Monday. And that was that. We started talking about next year right away. We've got all the young guys here that are kind of trying to push their way through the door. So that's been the focus for us and try to get them up to speed. The way we go. Was there a point during the season when you were still the interim coach that you were given a vote of confidence? Or you kind of, from what maybe either Don Sweeney or someone else in the organization said to you that led you to believe that you were more than likely going to be the head coach well i mean we i've known donnie a long time worked together in providence for jeez i think seven eight years and but i'll tell you it played out uh he took me aside him in can

and said listen he teams yours um and run it like you're the head coach and we'll make our decision at the end of the year. There is no, you have to make the playoffs or you have to do this or that. And that's the way they put it to me and they were very upfront about it. They did tell me when the year was all over. They'd be looking at candidates and they'd make a decision at the end. And that's the way it played out. Obviously, we had conversations along the. But no, there's no pressure, no timeline, no, that you've got to do this or that. So I was appreciative of that. They were true to their word. All right, Bruce, when they made you an assistant coach this season, they promoted you from Providence, you pretty much were assured that when Julian's run was over, you were going to be coached. That's had to be how you felt, correct? No, I don't think there's any assurances in this business. You hope that's the case. I mean, I'd put my time in down there. I thought it was certainly qualified, but there's a lot of good coaches out there. So for me, it was, come up, do your job. I know it sounds like a cliche, but that's it.

Do your job.

Get to know the league again.

I've been out of the NHL for a while.

So learn from Claude. Get to know the players, learn from them, see where it lead you. So, I mean, listen, no one wants those circumstances in the middle of the year. I mean, it wasn't fun for anybody who weren't winning enough games.

Assistant coaches, trainers, everybody feels it. So, you know, that's the part that sucks. But at the end of the day, they made a decision, and you've got to try to take advantage the opportunity. Yeah, from people I know in the organization, it was real bad with Claude at the end in terms of just what was going on. Communication. Well, the relationship with him and the team, I guess, was just very strained. How much of a relief was it? Well, first of all, how bad was it, in your opinion? I'm not asking you to throw him under the bus. Can you describe the environment during those few weeks? Yeah, right. Well, I wouldn't throw him under the bus.

I came here to learn from, and I did for seven, eight years down there. I mean, he made me part of the block aces years ago in the cup run. I got the extra guys, and even though you're kind of just, you know, behind the scenes, it was great for me. I got to be the whole part of it, got the ring, got the whole deal, and it was, you know, just a real good learning experience.

But at the end, I think when you don't win, it's sours, no matter who's at the helm. So no one's having fun. Everyone's looking over their shoulder. Are there going to be trades? What's going on? So, you know, I died and Claude. He's the guy that's feeling the most heat of everybody. So I think it's natural to be, you know, a little bit on pins and needles, and that's what we work. That was the atmosphere. You're all on pins and needles because, you know, the pressure builds, and especially if you haven't been in the playoffs for a few years. I don't think there was anything unnatural about it at the end, to be honestly, I think a lot of places go through that. we were no different. For me, it was a little bit new because I was still trying to feel my way around, get to know the players and a lot of different things. But that was it, you know, at the end of the day. So like I said, there was no nothing there that was, I got no scoops for you in that regard. It just played out like it did.

Well, we talked to Vitano, and I guess this was a sentiment with a lot of the younger players, that there was a great sense of relief when you became coach. I mean, he said it. They have their opinion, right? And for them, maybe it was more difficult. Like I said, I'm not walking in their shoes. I mean, I think for them, the guys that played for me, maybe that's why they were used to have me, you know, call the shots in Providence and they enjoyed it. They had success because they got up. So when you have success with one guy, you like it. When you don't, you don't like it. I mean, you ask any player that's well, that did you like the coach if they've had a good career? They probably do if it didn't,

or if it's season, they probably, you know, it's the other way. You know, it kind of goes,

correlates with their personal success, I think, a lot of times. So that could have been a case with the young guy, they can only answer that.

I mean, I can't speak for them, and I think they have.

Well, seeing that you guys did have a relationship, have you spoken with Clodes since you left from Montreal?

I text them when he left, seeing that you guys did have a relationship, have you spoken with Clod since you left from Montreal?

I text him when he left, but I have not, and I don't think that's unusual in season. I'll see him at the draft. We'll catch up. I'm sure we'll share a few stories. I've known Clod a long time. We're both from Ottawa, different parts of it. He's a little older than me, but we used to skate in summer a long time ago when we were lousy pros, you know, playing in the American Hockey League.

You know, we'd skate in the summer a long time ago when we were lousy pros, you know, playing in the American

hockey league. You know, we'd skate in the summer with a bunch of other guys and

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