from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

Here he is.

Some people had him fired last summer. A Las Vegas betting site had him listed as the likeliest coach to get axed first this season. And he was asked at a media briefing three games into the season about his job security.

Well guess what, folks, Claude Julien not only made it to the Winter Classic, the league's biggest regular-season stage, but he's a Jack Adams Award candidate right now to boot.

Surprised? Don't be. The 55-year-old from Orleans, Ontario, is a blue-collar battler if there ever was one.

"He's resilient," former Bruins winger Gregory Campbell said over the phone this week from Columbus.

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