Are The Bruins Eyeing Misha Donskov?

Well, if they aren’t, they should be.

Ty Anderson of 95.8 The Sports Hub has been discussing this for a while now—credit to Ty for keeping the conversation going!

After the NHL Draft Lottery, Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney described the process as “ongoing” and mentioned that some coaching candidates he’d like to interview are still competing in the NHL Playoffs. Donskov currently serves as an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars.

NHL Assistant Coaches rarely get the opportunity to lead at international tournaments that involve NHL players, but Sweeney made a savvy decision by appointing Donskov as an assistant for Team Canada at the Four Nations.

After eight seasons working with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers organizations as a consultant and youth hockey instructor, Donskov decided to pursue coaching, taking an assistant role at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario—that’s where I first met him.

Recognizing Donskov’s ability to develop young talent, the London Knights swiftly brought him on as an assistant coach midway through the season. He played a key role in guiding London to an impressive 49-16-1-2 record, though the team ultimately fell in a hard-fought seven-game battle in the second round of the playoffs.

The Knights almost bottomed out the following season with a 34-29-4-1 record and lost in the opening round of the playoffs.

That spring, the Knights expanded Donskov’s responsibilities, naming him Assistant General Manager while he continued his coaching duties. He took charge of rebuilding the team, managing the draft, and steering London to the top of the OHL standings during the 2011-2012 season with a stellar 49-18-0-1 record. His efforts paid off, as the Knights went on to capture the OHL championship, winning 16 games and losing just three.

The Ottawa 67’s successfully recruited Donskov from the Knights, appointing him as Associate Coach for two seasons starting in 2012-2013. However, the team struggled, finishing with a league-worst 16-46-0-6 record. The following season saw a modest improvement, as the 67’s posted a 23-39-3-3 record.

With the 67’s, the focus wasn’t on winning but on rebuilding the team. Donskov played a key role in developing players like Travis Konecny, Jacob Middleton, Sean Monahan, Cody Ceci, and others, preparing them for the NHL. (With London he brought on the likes of Bo Horvat, Max Domi, Josh Anderson, Olli Maatta, Vlad Namestnikov). That season, he also served as a video coach for Team Canada at the WJC U-18 and the Hlinka Memorial.

The following two seasons, Donskov was named video coach for Team Canada at the WJC U-20 and Team Canada at the World Championships as well as assistant coach.

Donskov’s sharp talent evaluation and tactical analysis caught the attention of the NHL expansion Vegas Golden Knights. He joined the organization as Director of Hockey Operations for the 2017-2018 season and was later elevated to assistant coach before the 2020 NHL playoffs.

Donskov spent three more seasons behind the bench with Vegas. He was hired by the Dallas Stars prior to the 2023-2024 season as an assistant coach.

Donskov has proven himself to be a sharp student of the game, excelling at coaching both young prospects and seasoned veterans. His experience spans elite teams and rebuilding projects, consistently helping organizations regain competitiveness in a short time.

It’s uncommon for NHL teams to block an employee from pursuing a role with another organization, particularly assistant coaches. In some cases, contracts include provisions allowing them to leave if a head coaching opportunity arises elsewhere.

The Bruins could do worse than bringing Donskov in to lead this retool the Bruins have planned. But can they do better?