Report: Canadiens pounced after Julien allowed to speak to other teams
The Montreal Canadiens weren't about to let Claude Julien slip away.
After the Boston Bruins made the decision to part ways with the winningest coach in club history on Feb. 7, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin acted quickly, requesting permission to speak to Julien on Feb. 12, according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.
It should shock no one that Montreal wasn't the only team interested.
Habs obviously felt they had to move quickly, other teams also asked Boston for permission to speak to Julien
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) February 14, 2017
(In a related note, the Canadiens had also asked Florida for permission to speak with Gerard Gallant, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. So Montreal was clearly looking at head coaching options.)
That Boston granted its fiercest rivals permission to speak with the deposed head coach may be a bit of a shock, but Joe McDonald of ESPN added the Canadiens weren't the only team allowed to speak to Julien.
In other words, Julien was presented with several options, and while Montreal - a team Julien coached in the past - stood out as the most logical fit, the Bruins weren't going to stand in his way of seeking immediate employment, despite holding him under contract through to the end of 2017-18.