The silence is deafening.

Well, it's been a few days since the guys at The Fourth Period.com quote "beat TSN to the story" that Claude Julien had been hired as the next head coach of the Boston Bruins, and the silence is deafening.

According to Sportsnet Canada, the announcement was "expected Tuesday."

So, um- what gives?

The Fourth Period story cites an "anonymous source," and no other outlet that I can find says anything more than that.

Could the silence have anything to do with the fact that there is another high profile coaching job available with the Ottawa Senators, who also haven't made any coaching decisions after their head coach went to the front office?

Did anybody consider that those same Senators might just love a chance to make the Bruins look stupid? Remember, this was the team that had Zdeno Chara plucked away from them in a questionable arrangement by ex-Senator Assistant GM and current Bruin GM Peter Charelli. You think that club wouldn't love to steal one from the Bruins?

Also consider, if you're Claude Julien, and you have a winning record as an NHL coach despite being fired twice, would you rather head to a team that finished in the Stanley Cup Finals or one that finished six games under .500, under a rookie GM who has already fired two coaches in 11 months?

Add that the latest official on topic announcement from the Bruins has been from Charlie Jacobsspawn (Excuse me, I mean Charlie Jacobs, Executive VP of the Bruins)who said "We... need to get grittier."

Well then, you better immediately hire a French Canadian.

Hmmm....







UPDATE: The Boston Herald has a great article on this, that includes the following gem:

Julien lives in Kanata, the suburb in which Ottawa’s home arena - Scotiabank Place - is located.

UPDATE #2: The Bruins have announced a press conference tomorrow morning at 10:30 AM "regarding their head coaching position."

I think I have a good shot at the job. If you know Chiarelli, put in a good word for me, kay?