Changes around the NHL happen every season, some right after the regular season, and some weeks later. Every year, a few people end up hanging in the wind, and that is the case yet again this year. One of those guys hanging in the wind is Claude Julien, currently the coach of the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins, who fired Peter Chiarelli following the season, are looking for a new GM, who will then decide the fate of the coach. Julien worked under the new Oiler GM for years, and helped create a dominating team in Boston.
Julien’s Resume:
Claude Julien is a veteran NHL coach, no doubts about that. Julien began coaching at the junior level, coaching the QMJHL’s Hull Olympiques for a number of seasons. He enjoyed success there, winning the 1997 Memorial Cup and keeping Hull competitive most seasons.
Julien made the jump to the AHL in 2000, serving as the head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs until 2003. Hamilton was, at the time, affiliated with two NHL teams, the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers. Julien helped develop a handful of Habs and Oilers, and kept the ‘Dogs competitive year after year.
His work was rewarded, as part-way through the 2002-03 season he was promoted to Montreal, taking over as the head coach of the Habs. He led Montreal to the playoffs in 2004, but was fired during the 2005-06 season, just 41 games in. In Montreal, he finished with a 72-62-10-15 record, and won a playoff series in 2004, beating Boston.
Following his stint in Montreal, Julien ended up in New Jersey, coaching the 2006-07 season for the team. Julien had a 47-24-8 record through 79 games that season, but somehow lost his job just two games before the post-season in one of the most bizarre twists ever in NHL history.
Julien recovered however, and was hired by Peter Chiarelli to take over the struggling Boston Bruins in the summer of 2007. Julien led the Bruins to the post-season for seven straight seasons before this one, and won the 2011 Stanley Cup. He led the B’s to the finals in 2013, and won the President’s Trophy during the 2013-14 season. Even in his non-playoff season, Julien’s Bruins ended up with 96 points.
Throughout his career, Julien has a 395-236-10-80 record, a sparkling mark that also has a Stanley Cup and another trip to the finals in it. Julien is a veteran coach who has had success at this level.
What Does He Do Well:
Say it with me, defense. Claude Julien is a defensive specialist who gets his teams to play a certain way. Julien’s teams play physical, are tough to go up against, work hard, and rarely give their opponent much space. Julien is totally defense first, and believes in taking care of his own zone first.
Julien’s teams always have great penalty killing units, and usually give up minimal scoring chances. Each year in Boston, Julien had the Bruins as one of the best teams in the NHL when it came to goals against, shot attempts against, and in most advance stat metrics.
His teams are highly structured, and play a suffocating game. He’s a guy who eases in young talent as well, and never rushes guys into his lineups. In fact, in Boston, he’d wait until a young player was more than ready for the role, I can’t remember the last guy who was clearly in over his head with that Bruin team.
Julien has his warts; terrible power-play units, usually low scoring teams, but the results do not lie. Claude Julien is a quality coach whose teams play defense first and bring it physically on a nightly basis. When you play a Julien coached team you usually remember it.
Is The Fit Right?:
In terms of adding a veteran coach who has had success before and can stabilize the position, yes, Julien is a good fit for the Oilers. In terms of roster build and Claude’s style, the answer is no, he isn’t a good fit for this hockey club. Julien plays a physical, defense first style that requires strong goaltending, strong defenders, and physical forwards.
Edmonton’s goaltending was the worst in the NHL last year, their defense wasn’t much better, and their forward group is fast and skilled, not big and physical. If you were looking for a team that is the complete opposite of a Julien team, this is it. The Oilers, to make this work, would need to make many roster changes.
That said, the connections are there. Chiarelli and Julien are close, and PC was loyal to Julien while the two were in Boston together. If Claude gets canned by the new GM in Boston, and the Oil miss out on Babcock and McLellan, I think Julien would have the inside track.
That said, it isn’t the best fit, and I don’t think Julien would be the top pick of the current management group.
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