Boston Bruins' Jim Montgomery was fascinated with the head coach position ever since high school

Jim Montgomery, the current head coach of the Boston Bruins, has always had a burning desire to be a coach. In a recent episode of "The Raw Knuckles Podcast" hosted by Chris Nilan, Montgomery shared his unwavering ambition and recounted pivotal moments from his hockey career that solidified his passion for coaching.

When Nilan asked Montgomery about the origins of his coaching aspirations during his playing career, Montgomery revealed that his dream had taken root in high school.

Jim Montgomery said:

"You know, like, I honestly thought I wanted to be a coach when I was in high school."

It was during one of these formative experiences that Montgomery encountered the influential presence of Scotty Bowman.

Jim Montgomery said:

"You know, I remember going to hockey schools when I was like 12 years old. And I remember Scotty Bowman came to one of the hockey schools. And we could do a question answer with them."

Montgomery's genuine fascination with the complexities of coaching became evident through his probing questions to Scotty Bowman.

Jim Montgomery said:

"I asked every question no other kid was wanted to ask. I was asking him about how he handles the big three. ... I asked him why he had Savard at the net front in the 78 playoffs. Like my brain went to how the pieces were."

As Montgomery progressed through his playing career, his passion for coaching only grew stronger. Eventually, he transitioned from the ice to the coaching bench, where he has made a significant impact at both the collegiate and professional levels.

The official draft order for the Boston Bruins in the 2023 NHL Draft

The Boston Bruins will have limited involvement in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft due to their current number of picks. They will not be participating in the first round since they traded their 2023 first-round pick to the Washington Capitals in a previous deal involving Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov.

Unless they make a trade to regain a first-round pick, the Bruins will have only made two first-round selections in the past six drafts spanning from 2018 to 2023.

In addition, the Boston Bruins do not possess a second-round pick this year as it was traded to the Anaheim Ducks as part of the Hampus Lindholm trade in 2022. Furthermore, they are lacking a fifth-round pick in 2023, which was included in the trade with the Capitals.

The league recently announced the draft order for all seven rounds, and here is a breakdown of the Bruins' remaining picks and their respective slots:

Third round: No. 92 overall

Fourth round: No. 124 overall

Sixth round: No. 188 overall

Seventh round: No. 214 overall (via L.A. Kings)

Seventh round: No. 220 overall

On a positive note, the Boston Bruins do have an extra seventh-round pick acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in July 2022.