The Bruins ended speculation about the direction of their front office on Wednesday morning when they named Don Sweeney as the team's new general manager, and Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was one of the first Bruins to show his support for the move.
"I'm really happy for Don," Bergeron told ESPN's Joe McDonald. "I have seen how hard he has worked to get this opportunity and I think that he has the experience to be really successful."
Despite Bergeron's backing, Boston fans took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the new GM, and many fans seemed to think Sweeney would just be a puppet for team president Cam Neely.
Meet the Bruins' new management team! pic.twitter.com/4KWc0g7jUc
— Dan Ryan (@bruinshockeynow) May 20, 2015
Now available in the Bruins Pro Shop. Use Code: YESMRNEELY for 10% off pic.twitter.com/v189kgmtG9
— (╯°□°）╯︵ ʎǝuǝǝʍs uop (@DOYMarshall) May 20, 2015
Meanwhile, many members of the Boston media called the move predictable, a statement which seems especially true considering Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe said Sweeney would be named GM in a column published on April 15.
"As all organizations pledge to go, the Bruins will go about an 'exhaustive process' to find their next GM," Shinzawa wrote in April. "It’s the right thing to do. By interviewing candidates such as former Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero or Nashville assistant GM Paul Fenton, Jacobs and Neely will hear a lot of ideas. There will be some good ones. Fresh, clear, level-headed thinking is always welcome.
"Then they’ll turn the keys over to Don Sweeney, Chiarelli’s assistant for the last six seasons. Sweeney will be a good GM. But he will have to answer to Neely, his former teammate."
(h/t Twitter)
