Joe Sacco Reportedly Out, Boston Bruins Coaching Finalists + Why Happy Gilmore Still Matters
The Boston Bruins are on the verge of hiring a new head coach and hopefully revealing a new old look in conjunction with the release of Happy Gilmore 2 this summer. You’re Locked On Bruins, your daily podcast on the Boston Bruins, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. What is up Bruins fans and welcome back to the Locked On Boston Bruins podcast. I’m your host Ian McLaren and this is a daily show where we discuss all things spoke beat. Today is Monday, June 2nd. Thank you so much for making Lockdown Bruins your first listen every day as part of the Lockdown podcast network your team every day. And today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get $200 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. How is it June second already? This is going to be a huge month for the Boston Bruins. We’re going to discuss today how they appear to be on the verge of finally announcing a new head coach. We’re also going to have a little fun day Monday where we look at the Happy Gilmore trailer, talk about the significance of that movie on uh Bruins fandom, and also hopefully talk about a jersey reveal in terms of going back to that clean look that we saw in the 90s. Before we get into all that, a quick reminder, you can find the podcast on social media, locked NHL Bruins. That includes Blue Sky, Instagram, Twitter X. You can also, oh, sorry, Tik Tok. And you can also find me, my hockey thoughts, dad jokes, Ian C Mclair. And I’m a lifelong Boston Bruins fan. I’ve been covering this team for various outlets for 20 years now, as well as the NHL as a whole, and uh been hosting this podcast since 2019, if you can believe that. All right, let’s begin with the very latest on the head coach search. And this morning, a couple things uh were announced. First, Pier Lebron tweeted, posted, whatever that uh expect the Bruins their coaching hire early this week. My understanding, he said, is that they’re down to two candidates. They did in-person final interviews with candidates last week. And on top of that, on the 32 thoughts podcast this morning, Elliot Freriedman said that Joe Sacko is out in terms of the running for the head coach and perhaps just altogether. Uh there was some suggestion that when a head coach was announced that maybe he could stay on as a an assistant or an associate as he was before, but he’s out of the running. And that narrows the list down to a handful of guys that we have been discussing here on the podcast. Every day we’ll know that I’ve long been in on Misha Donskov. He’s a longtime NHL assistant with the Stars systems coach, possibly available after Dallas’s elimination at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers last week. Now, there have been no reports in regards to him having interviewed for the job. And unless they snuck something in over the weekend, there’s the four guys that we’ve been hearing about quite a bit over the last little bit. And I’ll go in order of guys who I am not high on to who I would like to see coaching this team. First, there’s uh former Bruins assistant Jay Leech, who was head coach in Providence, spent a couple years in the Kraken organization, came back and was an assistant coach this past year. Um, and I believe last year as well. He is well familiar with the organization. He was instrumental in developing Jeremy Swayman, Charlie Makavoy, Mason Lurai, uh wouldn’t really represent a big shift, however, and would kind of be a bit more of the same in my estimation. Another guy from outside that they’re looking at is Jay Woodcraftoft. He’s got NHL experience with Edmonton. He took the Oilers to the conference finals before being replaced by Chris Knobblock, who is Conor McDavid’s junior coach. The Oilers have been to the finals in back-toback years now under Knoblock and kind of stalled under Woodcraft. He does have experience as well as a video coach with the Red Wings when they won the cup uh most recently. He’s a guy that I could see coming in, but I’m more high on the other two. candidates. Uh Mitch Love, two-time AHL coach of the year, most recently an assistant with the Washington Capitals under Spencer Carbury. We all know when you’re looking at like a retool, the Washington Capitals have done it better than anybody else recently, going from, yeah, they made the playoffs two seasons ago, but a quick one and done, terrible goal differential. this past season. They reinvigorated their offensive scheme, played better defensively, and uh Mitch Love was a big part of that. The other guy is Marco Sturm, former Bruin. He’s a German national head coach, silver medal in 2018, head coach of the Ontario reign, known for leadership, high hockey IQ, able to relate well to players, and he’s been instrumental in developing some young guys in the Kings organization, including um Quinton Biffield, Brandt Clark, among others. I have been pretty outspoken in saying that I hope either Sterm or Love get the job. Um, there is something to be said, I think, for that second job at the NHL level, which is, I think, why the Bruins are keying in on Jay Woodraftoft as a possibility as well. Uh, we all know, of course, Bruce Cassidy was very successful with the Bruins. He was let go, immediately hired by the Vegas Golden Knights, won a Stanley Cup. We saw Jim Montgomery fired, quickly gobbled up by the um well by the Bruins after he was fired by the Stars, and he led that team to great regular season heights. And then this season, he was fired by the Bruins, took the St. Louis Blues from near last place to uh uh spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs and just narrowly missed beating the Jets by 1.6 seconds in game seven there. Um so maybe Woodcraftoft after that learning experience in Edmonton comes back and is able to learn from that experience and guide the Bruins to greater heights. Having said that, you don’t get that experience without first being hired as an NHL head coach. And I would really love to see either Love or Sturm coming in as uh the head coach. I’m more personally attached to Sturm as a former Bruin. Obviously, great memories of him as a player, but he has put in a lot of work at the AHL level and the international level. Um, and talk about getting the most out of thin roster. You saw what he did with Germany at the Olympics uh just uh what seven years ago. At the same time though, love equally capable, accomplished, and both would signal a big shift for the Bruins where they’re bringing in some fresh eyes, which I think this organization needs. If you’re maintaining the management group as they have chosen to do, then it would be important to not maintain the status quo by keeping Sacko around. Even hiring Jay Leech isn’t very forward thinking, I don’t think. Even though he’s he’s very deserving of the job and he has put in the work, paid his dues. Um, but maybe it’s better to have some outside eyes come in and really have a fresh voice to guide some of these younger players uh and some of the veterans as well to greater heights. So, that’s the absolute latest on the Bruins head coaching search here as I record on Monday morning, a bit later getting to it. Went out for breakfast with my parents who were visiting. Um, we have Alexander Barkov winning the uh, Selki trophy this morning. We’re well past the Patrice Berseron era. This guy is the best defensive forward in the NHL and and that’s welld deserved as well. Um, some noise about Marco Rossi. We talked about him last week, whether the Bruins would float the seventh overall pick in a trade for him. Today though, we’re talking about the coach search and happy Gilmore. New trailer dropped over the weekend and it reminded me about how uh great it was to see that Bruins jersey prominently displayed in the original. It’s great to see it back in the sequel. We’re gonna talk about the cult hero of Happy Gilmore and a potential jersey reveal here as the podcast continues. Both the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup final begin this week and there’s no better time to get in on the action right now than with FanDuel. And whether it’s a game-winning shot or a triple overtime winner, FanDuel makes it easy to stay in the game before, tip off, puck drive, and live with player props, performance trends, same game parlays, and more. Fans have more ways than ever to play smart and win big. A $200 bonus bet can very much add to the excitement if your first $5 bet wins. All you have to do is go to FanDuel, check the playoff odds, player props for game one in both the NBA and NHL Championship Series, and put $5 down. If you win on your first $5 bet, you will get $200 in bonus bets. It’s the perfect time to sign up. Head to fanduel.com and make every moment more with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Thank you so much once again for making Lockdown Bruins part of your daily routine. It’s available on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. Part of the Lockdown podcast network, your team every day. Today we did a brief coaching search update. Could be an announcement as early as today. And when that drops, I will be sure to pop something up on the YouTube uh channel. So, be sure to be subscribed to that. We’re also talking about Happy Gilmore. And over the weekend, there was a trailer dropped at the Tadum event uh for Netflix, which teased the release of Happy Gilmore 2 on July 5th, 2025. I’m very fired up for that. And it reminded me of teenage Ian watching the original over and over and over. Um, and how psyched I was to see my favorite actor wearing my favorite jersey. And Happy Gilmore introduced a new generation to the Bruins through a wildly unexpected lens, golf. The character of course wore a Bruins jersey, was an aspiring hockey player, swung his stick, swung his skates, carried the attitude of a big bad Bruin on the green. And for many uh Gen Xers, millennials like myself, it was a emotional pop culture connection to Bruins culture. There was those blueco collar roots, uh, fierce loyalty, unapologetic passion, maybe a bit of a short temper as well, and it was all grounded in Adam Sandler’s New England roots. Of course, he’s a Manchester, New Hampshire kid. He is also a Bruins or Boston sports fan and his humor and his energy align perfectly with the Boston Bruins fan base and his style of play has been reflected on the ice as well. Like he might be a golfer by trade, happy, but emotionally he’s a Bruin through and through. You can look at guys like Brad Marshon, emotional, relentless, thrives on being underestimated. Go even further back in the day, Terry O’Reilly, the protector, the enforcer, the soul of the team. Uh, more recently, maybe you look at a guy like Charlie Makavoy. Intense, skilled, always playing with purpose, a nice, sensitive guy off the ice. But when you get on the ice, we all saw what he did at the Four Nations faceoff representing uh Team Canada injured. He gets out there and he is just popping uh Conor McDavid, Sydney Crosby like nobody’s business. Happy Gilmore, the only guy to ever take off his skate and try to stab somebody. an exaggerated, hilarious encapsulation of Bruins toughness or reminiscent of Mike Milbury going out into the stands and actually mixing it up with fans. Um, would that fly in today’s NHL? No. Would he be a perfect fit for the big bad Bruins of the 70s? Absolutely. And uh I for one have such great memories of watching Happy Gilmore of a I was a huge Billy Madison guy when I was growing up that came out earlier. I knew every single line. I could recite it verbatim while watching it. There was one summer where I literally watched Billy Madison every single day. Happy Gilmore was the followup. And I was so tickled when they always say that, you know, the Saturday Night Live cast that was in your like early teens through high school is the one that is your favorite. And that’s certainly true for me. Adam Sandler, I absolutely adored when I was growing up. Uh I haven’t watched every one of his newer movies. Um, not all still appeal to me, although you know, Uncut Gems certainly, uh, Hustle a few years ago. I’m very much looking forward to Happy Gilmore, too. But Happy Gilmore for me was so hilarious, different, and also because he was wearing that jersey. He’s wearing the white clean 90s look with however we want to call him uh cocaine bear, meth bear, whatever on the shoulder getting tackled by Bob Barker. Um but also just out there hitting putts, going to his happy place, learning how to um just reing it in. It’s all in the hips and hit that putt to win to beat Shooter McGavin. Um I mean I still use that happy place thing as my It’s hilarious. I went to uh therapy a few years ago and basically the guy was saying go to your happy place. yourself. And it reminded me of course of um Happy Gilmore and how he was able to get there and hit that winning putt with the golden stick there, putter stick uh to win and beat Shooter McGavin. There’s something mythic about the way Bruins fans love their fighters and misfits, but also their good guys off the ice. Uh, and Charlie Makavoy kind of fits that mold right now. A guy with talent, but a guy who cares so deeply he can’t even contain himself. Even with his flaws, quick temper, reckless decisions. It’s part of the charm, right? Bruins legends aren’t saints. They’re emotional, imperfect warriors and happy falls in that lineage, just with a golf bag instead of a stick. uh his style of play, raw power, emotional outbursts, fearless under pressure is everything the Bruins have embodied across generations. And that’s what you still want to see from them. Uh now, um with that said, I am super happy, no pun intended, that a um Happy Gilmore sequel is coming out just next month. When it does drop, I’ll be sure to do a full uh review episode. Why am I so excited about it? Well, not only because of the return of Happy Gilmore as well, but because of the jersey that he is wearing in the trailer. And coming up, I’m going to talk about why I very much hope this movie coincides with an official jersey reveal that takes the Bruins back to that clean 90s look. All right, Happy Gilmore 2 is dropping on Netflix on July 25th. I’m super excited about that. And it’s the return of Adam Sandler as the character we know and love. Uh Julie Bowen is back. Shooter McGavin is back. There’s a clip in the trailer of um Shooter McGavin kind of playing the Bob Barker role in this one where he is uh tackling Happy. Uh there’s also Ben Stiller, uh Christopher McDonald, new faces like Travis Kelce, Margaret Quali, Bad Bunny. Uh, it has been confirmed that Carl Weather’s character Chubs, though absent due to his passing in 2024, Carl Weathers will have a spiritual presence in the sequel. The film sees him reprising his iconic role. And this time around, he is needing to raise some money so that his daughter, his real life daughter, uh, playing his Happy Gilmore dollar can get into ballet school. So, it’s not the same as saving grandma’s house necessarily, but uh still a premise in which he needs to make some money, needs to get back out there for uh the good of his family, which is a heartwarming presence or premise, I should say. Uh, the most important part for Bruins fans, apart from just seeing this comedic legend back in action, is the black Bruins jersey is back. It’s retro styling, clean gold on black color scheme, and it has the old shoulder patch. Look, I have always said on this podcast elsewhere that the 1990s look for the Bruins is my favorite jersey. And they kind of brought it back recently uh with the Centennial look and it’s one that I hope they continue to rock moving forward. And the Bruins themselves teased this trailer uh on their social media yesterday and I’m hopeful that it means that there will be a bit of a reset in terms of their jersey look. The Centennial game was very close to these old jerseys, the ones that they wore. I’m talking specifically from 1981 to 1995. This movie first came out in 1996, so already it was kind of vintage. Uh, it’s just the clean black with the white and gold stripes, the gold bee in the middle, the shoulder patch, and then white with the black be in the middle and the uh black and gold and white striping as well. I would love love love to see the Bruins take this opportunity to jump on the um hype of this movie and bring this jersey back 100%. Uh not just as a alternate jersey, but as the fulltime home and road jerseys. I would love to see David Posnock, Charlie Makavoy, Jeremy Swayman just rocking these uh clean retro looks full time. Like there’s no reason to have moved on from that jersey. I don’t love the full stripe down the sleeve. just nothing apart from the spoke to be the two shoulder patches the required advertising now but uh please bring that back as part of this release and what perfect timing then July 25th or even at the draft earlier on uh to reveal that they have a new jersey. There have been other Bruins jersey moments in pop culture. You had Jimmy Fallon rocking Bruins gear at Fenway Park in Fever Pitch. Jeremy Rener wears a Bruins hat during a robbery scene in the town. Melissa McCarthy’s character wears Bruins merch throughout the heat. It’s shorthand for like tough, loyal, no BS, and Happy Gilmore is the ultimate example of that. Uh, I sincerely hope that as the Bruins narrow their coaching search, we look at Happy Gilmore, his iconic jersey, and it reminds us that this character, this team still matter 30 years later, and as these guys look to retool, as they look to move forward in a positive way, that they should very touch, make this jersey a permanent look and have David Poshnock lighting the lamp, raising his arms in a happy Gilmore way to um celebrate his next goal. The Bruins should lean into this pop culture crossover and they should do everything they can to um remind Bruins fans of what makes this character so great, so memorable. Bring that passion, that loyalty, that sense of fun back to the ice. Like I said, it’s going to be a big month for Boston Bruins fans this week. likely we’re gonna have a new head coach. Few weeks there’s going to be the NHL draft. Less than a month from now, we have the NHL free agency period. So, even though the Stanley Cup finals on, we’re watching Brad Marshon take on Trent Frederick. There’s mixed feelings about that. I encourage you, I urge you to continue tuning into the podcast each and every day so that we can chat together about the future of this team, who the new coach is going to be, what kind of talent they’re going to add at the draft and in free agency, and also have some fun as well. Talking about um Happy Gilmore, among other things. How do you feel about the trailer? Do you agree that they should bring that jersey back? Hit me up in the comments and on YouTube so that we can continue the discussion uh offline. Thank you so much for making lockdown Bruins part of your daily routine. Please do hit that subscribe button if you have not already. Check out the locked on NHL game night podcast next every game every night until a Stanley Cup champion is crowned. You can find it on the NHL locked on NHL YouTube feed or wherever you listen to podcasts. It’s all part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day. Please do take care of yourselves, friends. Take care of each other. Uh happy pride to all those who are celebrating and yes, this podcast is a safe space. All are welcome. And um that’s about it for today’s episode. Thank you so much. We’ll talk to you again tomorrow hopefully to discuss a new head coach and uh it’s all part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your favorite team every single day.
This episode of Locked on Bruins covers the latest developments in the team’s head coach search, with potential candidates narrowed down to four. The host analyzes each candidate’s strengths and expresses preference for Mitch Love or Marco Sturm. The podcast also discusses the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2 movie, exploring its connection to Bruins culture and the iconic jersey featured in the original film. The host expresses hope that the movie’s release will coincide with the Bruins reverting to their classic 90s jersey design. Throughout, the episode blends team analysis with pop culture references, maintaining an engaging and informative tone for Bruins fans.
Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧https://link.chtbl.com/LOBruins?sid=YouTube
Locked On NHL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNHL
#BostonBruins #Bruins #NHLHockey
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Monarch Money
Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNHL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.
Wonderful Pistachios
Get snackin’ and get crackin’ with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more!
FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
