A game just like any other… almost…

BOSTON - While Claude Julien is saying that Wednesday night's contest is a game like any other, that's not entirely true.

This morning, he fielded questions from 30 journalists during a lengthy press conference, and tonight the Bruins will celebrate his decade-long tenure behind the bench with a video tribute commemorating, among other things, the team's Stanley Cup run back in 2011.
The Canadiens' bench boss doesn't really know how he'll react when the tribute is featured on the scoreboard.
"We'll see when it happens. For now, though, I'm just trying not to think about things like that," admitted Julien, who generally prefers the spotlight to be focused on people other than himself.
Boston is and will always be a special city for Julien, particularly because it's where his kids grew up. In fact, his family still live there.
"Everyone loves to have a stable situation for their family, and we had that here. As a young family, this is where our roots are. There's a lot to love about this city. It's a great sports town, the fans are good. There really isn't anything not to like about this city," mentioned Julien.
"This time, though, I'm going to try to get them not to like me at the end of the game," he added with a laugh.

Of course, the fact that he's a "visitor" this time around is a little bit strange for him. Running into TD Garden employees and security guards, and meeting up with former players is, too.
"You don't coach a team for 10 years without getting to know the people who work in the building. I always had a good relationship with them. It will be good to see them again, but I can't forget the reason why I'm here. I have to be ready, just like my players have to be," he noted.
Julien kept in touch with many of his former charges. He sends them text messages when they get married or when they have kids. And, he received a number of text messages when his stint with the Bruins came to an end, in addition to when he was named head coach of the Canadiens a few days later in February of last year.
"I created ties with players because you don't win a Cup and then just disappear from their lives. We'll always be connected. There's proof of that with what happened to me over the last year. The guys also texted me after the last game against them. But, those are off-ice things. On the ice, we'll have two teams that each want the two points," concluded Julien, who has coached more than 1,000 games in the NHL.