Bruins Name John McLean As New Assistant Coach

The Boston Bruins announced Monday that they have hired John McLean as their new assistant coach as part of a series of hirings made by the team.

No, that’s not former New Jersey Devils winger and head coach John MacLean; this is former Malden Catholic and Austin Prep high school hockey head coach John McLean from Wakefield, MA. In addition to being a high school hockey coach, McLean spent the 2022-23 season as a Skills and Skating Consultant with the Boston Bruins. The former Boston College Eagles co-founded Dynamic Skating alongside skating consultant Tom Ford and former Bruins Skills and Skating Coach Kim Brandvold in 2010.

McLean replaces former Boston Bruins assistant coach John Gruden after Gruden was named head coach of the Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate for the Toronto Maple Leafs. McLean is expected to serve as the eye in the sky for head coach Jim Montgomery and assistant coaches Chris Kelly, and Joe Sacco down on the bench.

The Boston Bruins also announced that they have named Dan Darrow Assistant Video Coordinator; Josh Pohlkamp-Hartt has been named Associate Director of Hockey Analytics; Campbell Weaver has been named Director of Hockey Systems; Derek MacKinnon has been named Pro Scout; and former Boston Bruins defenseman Milan Jurcina was named as a European Scout.

Darrow comes over from the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team, where he served as an assistant coach. Darrow was also a video coach with the San Jose Sharks for seven seasons. The Livonia, Michigan native has a New England connection as the first-ever Director of Hockey Operations at the University of Massachusetts Lowell from 2011-15.

Pohlkamp-Hartt is entering his sixth season with the Bruins organization. He has spent the past five seasons with the club’s hockey operations department as a Data Scientist.

Weaver is entering his fifth season with the Bruins organization. He first joined the club as a Data Engineer in 2019.

MacKinnon joins the Bruins as a Pro Scout for nine seasons with the Calgary Flames as the Director of Player Personnel (2017-23) and a Pro Scout (2014-17). Before working for the Flames, MacKinnon additionally served as a Pro Scout for the Arizona Coyotes (2008-14) and Video Coach for the Dallas Stars (2003-08).

Jurcina is entering his first season with the Bruins as a European Scout. Boston initially selected Jurcina in the eighth round (241^st overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Jurcina spent nine seasons in the NHL, playing for the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals, and Boston Bruins.