Former Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery will be back in TD Garden tonight - but this time behind the bench of his new club, the St. Louis Blues.

Montgomery didn't shy away from the awkwardness of the moment.

“I got fired,” he admitted with a chuckle during a pregame media availability. “Call it what it is.” Despite the rough ending, he spoke with genuine warmth about his time in Boston, highlighting relationships and shared effort. “For me, it's always about people. The great players, the management … everybody here made me better.”

Montgomery coached the Bruins for roughly two and a half seasons and compiled a 120-41-23 record, including the 2022-23 campaign that produced the NHL's greatest regular-season ever and earned him the Jack Adams Award.

But a disappointing 8-9-3 start to the 2024-25 season candidly exposed cracks in the foundation. His dismissal despite past success remains a sore spot for many fans.

Return to Boston carries emotion and unfinished business

As he steps on the Garden ice wearing Blues colors, Montgomery says this game matters more than any other right now. He told reporters he's not dwelling on what went wrong, but rather on what Boston gave him: lessons, trust, and lifelong bonds.

Montgomery also took some accountability for what led to his firing.

Jim Montgomery: "Any time teams fail it's not just one person. It's impossible. Everybody had a hand in the great success we had my 1st season [in Boston] and everybody had a hand in why we failed last season. I would say the same thing [this year] in St. Louis."

Boston, now coached by Marco Sturm, navigates a season filled with injuries and uncertainty - including questions around stars like David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.

Meanwhile, Montgomery has reinvented himself in St. Louis. The Blues surged under his watch last season, posting a 35-18-7 record and clinching a wild-card spot after a long slump.

Regardless of the scoreboard, tonight's game is bigger than two points. It's about a reunion, unfinished business, and a reminder of how quickly hockey careers - and loyalties - can shift.

For Bruins fans, watching Montgomery guide another team in their home rink will feel strange, but it might also offer perspective on change, growth, and what it really means to be part of a franchise's journey.