Does Firing NHL Head Coaches During the Season Actually Work?

Joe Sacco is a head coach again. So is Jim Montgomery. Will those moves pay off?

In 2023-24, seven teams fired their coaches in the middle of the season. It’s not even winter of the 2024-25 campaign, yet we have already seen two teams let go of their bench boss. Does this actually work?

On Nov. 19, the Boston Bruins fired Jim Montgomery. Five days later, the St. Louis Blues fired their head coach for the purpose of bringing Montgomery aboard. Were both of these teams in the right? Were either of them?

Jim Montgomery, now the head coach of the St. Louis Blues (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Included in this piece is a data set of the last 10 in-season coaching replacements. Did their teams do better before or after making a change? Then, we’ll more closely assess the events that transpired with Montgomery.

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Coaches Are Mostly Fired for Finishing and Goaltending Woes

You’ll notice a pretty significant record turnaround for teams before and after they fired their coach. However, that is due to two factors that are mostly out of a coach’s control: finishing and goaltending.

Compiled are the stats of the last 10 in-season coaching changes in the NHL, spanning back to Jan. 22, 2023 (Vancouver Canucks; Bruce Boudreau for Rick Tocchet). Using the Boudreau debacle as an example, the Canucks’ pre-Jan. 22 numbers fall under the “pre-firing” category. After Jan. 22 are their “post-firing” metrics. This example only applies to the 2022-23 season, even though Tocchet is still coaching today. Included are eight different stats at even strength: