Marco Sturm hired as Bruins new head coach. What the former Bruin brings back to Boston.
The Boston Bruins have hired Marco Sturm to be the team's next head coach, general manager Don Sweeney announced Thursday morning.
Sturm, who played five seasons in Boston during his NHL career, will formally be introduced by the Bruins at a press conference on Tuesday. Boston was the last team to fill its head-coaching vacancy this offseason.
"I'm incredibly honored to be named head coach of the Boston Bruins," Sturm said in a statement. "Boston has always held a special place in my heart, and I know how much this team means to the city and our fans. I've felt that passion as a player, and I can't wait to be behind the bench and feel it again. I'm excited to get to work and do everything I can to help this team succeed."
Sturm also thanked Boston ownership and the front office for making him the 30th head coach in Bruins history. He takes over a team that went 33-39-10 under Jim Montgomery and Joe Sacco last season, and missed the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.
Why Marco Strum?
"Throughout this process, our goal was to identify a coach who could uphold our strong defensive foundation while helping us evolve offensively," Sweeney said in Thursday's release. "We were also looking for a communicator and leader – someone who connects with players, develops young talent, and earns the respect of the room. Marco impressed us at every step with his preparation, clarity, and passion. His path – playing for multiple NHL teams, coaching internationally, and leading at both the AHL and NHL levels – has shaped a well-rounded coach who's earned this opportunity.
"As a former Bruin, he understands what this team means to the city and our fans," Sweeney continued. "We're embracing a new direction with Marco behind the bench and are confident his energy, standards, and commitment to a competitive, hard-nosed brand of hockey reflect exactly what Bruins hockey should be."
Who is Marco Sturm?
Bruins fans are familiar with Sturm from his playing days, when he spent five of his 14 NHL seasons in Boston. He arrived in the blockbuster Joe Thornton trade in 2005, and had 106 goals and 87 assists over 305 games for the Bruins. His biggest goal for Boston , lifting the Bruins to a 2-1 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Sturm played for the San Jose Sharks, the Bruins, the Florida Panthers, the Washington Capitals, the L.A. Kings, and the Vancouver Canucks during his career, and finished with 242 goals and 245 assists over 938 games.
While he has no head-coaching experience at the NHL level, the 46-year-old Sturm has been coaching since 2015. He spent three years as the head coach of Germany's Olympic team, which included a silver medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics and trips to the quarterfinals in the Worlds. He was back in the NHL as an assistant for the Kings from 2018-22, before he was promoted to head coach of L.A.'s AHL affiliate.
Sturm has spent the last three seasons as the head coach of the Ontario Reign, where he's compiled a 119-80-11-6 record and made three consecutive playoff appearances.
Now he's tasked with turning around the Boston Bruins as he navigates the waters as an NHL head coach for the first time.
