Jay Pandolfo finds niche with hometown Bruins team

Ahead of the Boston Bruins’ 2017-18 season, great attention is understandably on head coach Bruce Cassidy. He’s fresh off returning the Original Six side to the NHL playoffs and is slowly putting the Claude Julien era in the rearview mirror.

But during such heightened attention, it’s easy to lose sight of a holdover from the tail end of Julien’s spell behind the bench, someone for whom Boston runs through his blood. For Jay Pandolfo, a Burlington, Mass., native who won the 1995 NCAA title at Boston University and closed out his storied NHL career in Beantown, the impending NHL season marks his second behind the bench.

"I couldn’t ask for anything more," Pandolfo said. "Following the Bruins my whole life and finishing my career playing for them a short time, and then being from here and knowing how passionate the fans are, I definitely enjoy it, and we’ve luckily had some success."