NHL all-star game coaches named
Bruins' Julien, Sharks' McLellan prepare for showdown in Montreal
Last Updated: Saturday, January 10, 2009 | 1:41 PM ET
CBC Sports
The All-Star Game will be held in Montreal, where Eastern Conference coach Claude Julien coached the Canadiens for three seasons.
(Andy Marlin/Getty Images) The head coaches of the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks will square off in the NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 25 (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 6 p.m. ET).
The Bruins' Claude Julien will lead the Eastern Conference team at the showdown in Montreal, while the Sharks' Todd McLellan will take the helm of the Western Conference squad.
According to the selection process, all-star coaches come from the teams with the best winning percentages in their respective conferences.
Julien, who will be making his first all-star appearance, has guided Boston to its best start since the 1929-30 season. The Bruins have a winning percentage of .780, posting 64 points in 41 games (30-7-4).
Julien has served as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens for three seasons and the New Jersey Devils for one.
McLellan, in his first season as an NHL coach, has guided the Sharks (.813, 30-5-5) to the top of the league standings.
The assistant coaches at the All-Star Game are the head coaches of the teams that have the second-best winning percentages in each conference.
Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals (27-12-3, .679) and Guy Carbonneau of the Montreal Canadiens (24-10-6, .675) are in contention to be Julien's second in command. The results of Saturday's regular season games will determine who gets the nod.
Head coach Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings (28-7-5, .763) will serve as McLellan's assistant.
