The weird offseason rotation of musical coaches around the NHL turned out great for everyone involved, with all three teams leading their respective divisions at the midway point of the season. Montgomery's Bruins are running away with the Eastern Conference, DeBoer's Stars and Cassidy's Golden Knights are also on track to make the playoffs and it seems every situation was a perfect fit.

"Sometimes, a new body comes in, a new voice and things work," Montgomery said Friday at All-Star Weekend in South Florida, where he was joined by DeBoer and Cassidy. "The credit I give both of those guys is Butch and Pete have done a great job for a long time, and I'd like to be able to copy what they've done."

It was almost so perfect a fit that Montgomery came close to buying Cassidy's old house. The only thing stopping him was the desire for a quieter street for his 5-year-old daughter.