Claude Julien Happy With Extension, But Won't Rest On Laurels
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Bruins and Claude Julien agreed on a multi-year extension over the weekend that will keep the head coach on the Boston bench for the foreseeable future.
Julien couldn't be happier to be manning a team who is a Stanley Cup contender year-in and year-out.
"I'm happy to be here, because as far as I'm concerned this is a great team here and we have an opportunity every year to be contenders for the Stanley Cup," Julien said Monday. "I feel just as hungry this time around as before we won our first one. I'm excited to have an opportunity to have a team who can compete for that."
Julien is in his eighth season with Boston and owns a 317- 171- 65 record, good for a .632 win percentage. He annually has his team in contention for a Cup with the Julien-led Bruins making the playoffs in each of his seven seasons so far, taking home the prized trophy in 2011.
"This is a real good fit for me, and you're proud to be part of an Original Six team. It's pretty awesome," Julien. "There are so many good coaches out there, and when you can stick with a team for this long you consider yourself fortunate."
Julien has always been known as a fair coach to his players, and those that have been with Julien since the beginning are happy the coach will be sticking around.
"It's great that we've had that stability for a while now, and Claude has proven himself as one of the best coaches in the league. He's really done a great job developing the young guys and us as core players, helping us become better leaders. It's well deserved," said Patrice Bergeron. "I think he's had a big role, him and [GM] Peter [Chiarelli], in rebuilding the team and turning the franchise around. Our team identity and mentality needed some changes and I thought he was there to make sure we had a lot more pride in wearing the Spoked-B and playing a lot harder, working harder. By doing that, we got the success we wanted and achieved the goal we wanted in 2011. We definitely want more of that."
"He calls a spade a spade, and as a player that is all you can really ask," said forward Chris Kelly. "If you're playing well he'll let you know, and if you're playing poorly he'll let you know… That's why, for the most part, everyone is accountable and plays hard for him.
"It hasn't always been great times. There were difficult times that we faced, but the thing with Claude is that when it's time for him to get upset with us he does, and when there are times for him to pat us on the back he does that as well," said Kelly. "He does a great job managing his players and getting the most out of us."
Julien, the second longest tenured coach in the NHL after Detroit's Mike Babcock, knows the new pact doesn't necessarily mean he'll be in Boston for the length of the deal. That all depends on him going out and doing his job, and leading the Bruins to another Stanley Cup title.
"There never is a guarantee in our job. An extension is one thing, but whether you work the length of that contract is never guaranteed. That's up to me to make sure I do a good enough job to be able to fulfill my contract," he said. "It's a nice to have the vote of confidence from the organization and I appreciate that from the owner on down. But in my mind it's like a player who signs a new contract; it's nice to get that new contract but you have to go out there and do your job. I'm no different than those guys in my mind."
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