Dallas Stars Rumors: Stars Hire Jim Montgomery As Next Head Coach
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars have apparently finished their coaching search early. It was announced on Wednesday afternoon that the team reportedly hired Jim Montgomery to serve as the newest bench boss.
Well, that didn’t take as long as we expected. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Dallas Stars apparently have their newest head coach. That coach is Jim Montgomery.
Reports initially surfaced from Chris Dilks of SBNation yesterday about the move and gained traction on Wednesday when the Dallas media picked them up. And now, the official announcement is expected to take place on Friday.
Though nothing is official just yet, all signs seem to point towards Montgomery being the new bench boss in Dallas.
When Ken Hitchcock retired from coaching on April 13, GM Jim Nill was adamant about taking his time in searching for a replacement. He wanted to “cast a wide net” and look at all available and viable options.
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That included NHL coaches as well as coaches from lower leagues and college level. He expected to compile a long list and go through a slow and dedicated interviewing and examination process.
The original estimates expected Dallas to name a new coach sometime just before the NHL Entry Draft in late June. It’s clear now that a timetable is once again useless when trying to predict Jim Nill’s actions.
Montgomery has been the head coach of the Denver University Pioneers hockey team since 2013. He owns a 125-57-26 record with the Pioneers and helped lead the team to an NCAA Championship in 2017. In addition, he also made two appearances in the Frozen Four.
His track record is an impressive one and he has built a successful culture in Denver. The big question is if he can translate that culture to the NHL level. Montgomery will become just the fifth coach in hockey history to make the direct jump from college to the NHL. The four before him experienced a wide variety of results, so there’s no telling what Montgomery will do.
Next: Stars Need A Coach That Will Trust The Team He Has
But if there is one guarantee, it’s that the Dallas Stars are bringing in a coach currently riding a wave of success. Will he be able to keep the wave rolling to Big D?