Jay Leach is out on Marco Sturm's Bruins staff after one season behind the Boston bench.

Boston's coaching group won't stay intact after its first-round exit against the Buffalo Sabres, and Leach is the first clear change to surface.

The report came from David Pagnotta.

This was Leach's third stop with the Bruins organization, which gives the move a little more weight than a routine staff shuffle. He wasn't an outsider brought in for a quick look.

Leach's history in Boston runs deep. He played over 200 AHL games in Providence and 2 NHL games with the Bruins from 2004 through 2007.

He came back roughly a decade later and spent five seasons as Providence's head coach after one earlier year as an assistant. From there, he moved on to the Seattle Kraken's NHL staff.

Leach then returned again in June 2024 under Jim Montgomery, and Sturm kept him on for the 2025-26 season.

That makes this a decision tied directly to the new head coach's first full read on his bench.

Bruins may not be done behind the bench

The backdrop matters. Boston's team defense had too many rough nights this season, and when that happens, assistant coaches usually feel it before core players do.

Leach has drawn NHL head coaching interest before, but he still hasn't landed that top job. Now he heads back into the market after another short Bruins run.

The other angle here is Steve Spott. The Islanders are looking for a new assistant to run their power play, and that opens a possible lane to Boston's current power-play coach.

Spott and Peter DeBoer have worked together for 22 of the last 29 hockey seasons, going back to 1997-98 in the OHL.

That kind of history always gets attention when a vacancy opens.

There's still no confirmation that Spott is available or out of contract. But around the league, those connections matter, especially when a coach is trying to build out a trusted staff fast.

One quote from the Islanders' side shows how quickly these changes can move:

“The organization would like to thank Ray for his hard work and dedication to the organization last season.”

Boston could soon be dealing with that same kind of follow-up if another bench spot opens.

For now, Sturm has one opening to fill. He may need to keep an eye on a second one, too.