With the 2016 Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and long-time rival Montreal Canadiens just hours away, Claude Julien and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick were able to hit the ice together at Gillette Stadium.
The teams they oversee are different, as are the sports they work in, yet both coaches have had championship success in that market, with Belichick and the Patriots winning their most recent title in the 2015 Super Bowl.
Julien believes the parallels between the two coaches can provide a beneficial exchange of knowledge, even if they compete in separate arenas.
“It’s always great, always great to catch up with Bill. I was fortunate enough to be a guest of his yesterday at his practice, and we walked through it. It was nice to see him work with his team. I’ve admired him for a long time for how he handles his team, how he coaches and how prepared he is,” Julien said, as per CSNNE.com.
“We play different sports, but as coaches I think there are a lot of things we can learn from each other, and admire from each other. That’s the one thing I have learned from Bill is his preparation is second to none.”