Zdeno Chara wasn't all that surprised to see former Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien snapped up by the rival Montreal Canadiens.
From a zoomed-out, non-emotional perspective, it actually made all kinds of sense to the Bruins captain.
"First off, he's a very good coach," Chara said Thursday, according to Mike Zeisberger of Postmedia. "He's bilingual, which is important for that market. He's coached in Montreal before, so he knows the pressures involved. And he helped us win a Stanley Cup and go to another final, so he has a strong resume.
"It makes sense. (Canadiens general manager) Marc Bergevin and Claude worked together with Team Canada at the World Cup last September and, from what I read, they seemed to see things the same way."
Chara added he knew Julien would not be out of work for long, with some openings around the league and the addition of a 31st team.
The Bruins and Canadiens aren't scheduled to play again this season, barring a playoff series matchup. For now, Chara is intent on making sure his team gets to the postseason, where the fondest of memories were formed with his old coach.
"Claude and I went through a lot together. He joined the organization a year after I did and we had some success. You never forget the people you win a Stanley Cup with.
"But it's a business. That's all part of it."
As such, there'll likely be no love lost next time Boston plays Montreal.
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