Editor's Note: This story last updated Nov. 20, 2024.
When last we updated our NHL next head coach fired odds, we mentioned that Jim Montgomery was likely to be added to the board on our next update.
Well, it turns out the Boston Bruins could not wait. On Tuesday, the Bruins fired Montgomery after two-and-a-quarter seasons in Beantown. Montgomery won nearly two-thirds of his games with the Bruins and was honored with the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2022-23 when Boston won an NHL-record 65 games. But postseason success eluded him.
Montgomery’s name no longer appears on our Next Head Coach Fired board at OntarioBets.com, where we cover all Ontario sports betting issues. But we did add one new name to the board.
Team | Coach | Odds | Percent Chance |
Pittsburgh Penguins | Mike Sullivan | 28.6% | +250 |
Detroit Red Wings | Derek Lalonde | 20.0% | +400 |
Montreal Canadiens | Martin St. Louis | 16.7% | +500 |
Nashville Predators | Andrew Brunette | 12.5% | +700 |
Chicago Blackhawks | Luke Richardson | 8.3% | +1100 |
Philadelphia Flyers | John Tortorella | 8.3% | +1100 |
Other |
| 7.4% | +1250 |
At BetMGM Ontario Sportsbook, Boston’s odds of winning the Stanley Cup are +3000, 14th among all teams. This season, the Bruins struggled somewhat. The day before his firing, Boston lost at home 5-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, putting them at 8-9-3 and on the outside looking in regarding the playoffs.
If the performance wasn’t the final straw, perhaps Montgomery’s postgame comments about losing goalie Jeremy Swayman, who missed training camp while seeking a new contract and has yielded a league-high 47 goals, forced management’s hands.
“Our team’s inconsistency and performance in the first 20 games of the 2024-25 season has been concerning and below how the Bruins want to reward our fans,” general manager Don Sweeney said in a statement.
For now, Joe Sacco, an assistant under Montgomery, is Boston’s interim head coach. His odds of getting the job on a permanent basis will depend on whether he can turn the tide on Causeway Street.
As a reminder, these odds are for infotainment purposes only. You will not find them at any authorized Ontario sports betting apps, such as Pinnacle Ontario Sportsbook or Bet99.
The other name we mentioned last week was Andrew Brunette in Nashville, and he debuts on the board this week at +700 odds. The Predators spent big in the offseason and brought in Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault in a bid for the Cup. Instead, the Preds have stumbled out of the gate, and at 6-10-3, they’re down near the cellar in the Central Division with dwindling Stanley Cup odds.
Brunette’s team has struggled to score. The Predators’ 46 goals rank fourth-worst in the league. Stamkos and Marchessault have just 10 points each through 19 games, and they’ve combined for a minus-24 rating.
Nashville wraps up a five-game western road trip on Wednesday in Seattle. They’ve gone 1-1-2 so far, winning Sunday in Vancouver and posting a couple of overtime losses in Colorado and Edmonton. Still, Nashville only has three wins this month and returns home Saturday to face league-leading Winnipeg on Saturday. If the wins don’t come soon, general manager Barry Trotz may have his hand forced.
Oddsmakers at 888 Sport Ontario Sportsbook have the Preds priced at +3300 on its Stanley Cup futures board as of Nov. 20.
Meanwhile, Mike Sullivan (+250 odds) remains the favorite on our board, with as the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to struggle, especially on defense.
The Pens managed a point on Tuesday in a 3-2 overtime loss against Tampa Bay, but the downside is they squandered a 2-0 lead after two periods. They’ve lost four out of their past five, and have allowed a league-high 83 goals in 21 games.
We’ve noted before that Sullivan’s three-year contract extension kicked in this season. Still, the team is just two points ahead of last-place Columbus in the Metropolitan Division. And Winnipeg, which has a league-best 32 points and leads the NHL with 80 goals, will play in Pittsburgh on Friday. Pittsburgh has already lost seven games by three or more goals. At some point, you have to wonder how many more ugly losses the team can take before a change is made.
DraftKings Ontario Sportsbook has the Penguins season point total set at 81.5, which definitely would not be enough to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Odds for over and under are both at -115.
USA Today photo by Philip G. Pavely
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters. He shares his expertise on OntarioBets, among other sites.
Cited by leading media organizations, such as:
