Bruins are firing Claude Julien without grace by hiding it behind the Patriots parade

How soon do you think Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee was on the phone this morning?

He (and the rest of the hockey world) woke up to some pretty big news this morning: The Boston Bruins fired Claude Julien after 10 seasons behind the bench and a Stanley Cup run in 2011.

So here’s the running list of coaches available for Vegas to hire: Claude Julien. Jack Capuano. Ken Hitchcock. Gerard Gallant. What if other dominoes start falling? What if Lindy Ruff or Dan Bylsma join the list? Anything’s on the table now that we know the Golden Knights made a deal with the Hockey Gods.

Awfully convenient for the Bruins to fire Julien when Boston is Pats-focused. The Patriots parade begins at 11 a.m. ET. The Bruins are holding their press conference about the firing at 11:30 a.m. ET. It’s straightforward PR tactics, but it feels slimy.

And disingenuous, especially since you’re firing the guy who leads your franchise in wins after a decade with your club. It feels like the Bruins owe Julien and their fans more than burying this under the Patriots rug.

Bruins fans are quite upset about the firing.

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