Bruins give GM Don Sweeney a 2-year extension to lead rebuild after first playoff miss since 2016

BOSTON AP The Boston Bruins have signed general manager Don Sweeney to a two-year contract extension trusting him to rebuild the roster after the group missed the playoffs this season for the first time since The move comes a month after company president Cam Neely disclosed he needed to think about whether to keep Sweeney around after a decade in which the Bruins have seen unprecedented regular-season success followed largely by playoff flops Sweeney fired coach Jim Montgomery who led Boston to NHL records of wins and points in - in November then sold off the roster at the arrangement deadline when it failed to respond under interim Joe Sacco Don has navigated a disappointing period for our club with conviction purpose and a clear vision toward the future of the Boston Bruins Neely noted He made challenging decisions around the deal deadline with the confidence they will pay dividends as we craft a path back to contention In seasons under Sweeney the Bruins have a - - regular-season record with eight playoff berths The group s points and point percentage are tied for the best in the NHL in that period But the Bruins have made it past the second round of the playoffs just once in Sweeney s tenure reaching the Stanley Cup final in under Bruce Cassidy Cassidy was fired three years later and then took the Vegas Golden Knights to the Cup championship in his first season there Montgomery replaced him in Boston and won games in two years but just one playoff series He was fired games into this season and with the group unable to challenge for a playoff berth Sweeney traded captain Brad Marchand the last remaining athlete from the championship in a roster purge that signaled the end of the franchise s the greater part accomplished era since Bobby Orr laced up his skates in the old Boston Garden Neely noted Sweeney has been searching for a new coach while also preparing for the draft I am confident in the plan he has followed these past insufficient months and excited for what s to come for our association the former Bruins forward declared of the former Bruins defenseman The expectations in Boston have invariably been clear It s about winning championships A veteran of seasons in the NHL all but one of them in Boston Sweeney took over the Original Six franchise s front office in and was given the league s General Manager of the Year Award in after the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Final He has also served as GM for Club Canada in its Nations Face-Off supremacy this winter and will serve as the country s assistant GM for the Milan-Cortina Olympics It s an honor to be part of a franchise with such a storied history and passionate fanbase Sweeney reported I fully understand and embrace the responsibility that comes with this role Our fans have high expectations for this organization and so do I The collective goal is to build a club that makes Bruins fans proud and ultimately brings another Stanley Cup back to Boston