The Boston Bruins have accomplished their search and Marco Sturm is the franchise’s new head coach.
He’s the third Bruins head coach employed by common supervisor Don Sweeney and the thirtieth head coach in franchise historical past. Sturm takes over for Joe Sacco, who was named interim head coach final November following the firing of Jim Montgomery.
Sturm has numerous NHL expertise — he performed in 938 profession video games — however this might be his first head teaching gig at this degree.
Sturm has beforehand held the place of head coach of the German males’s nationwide hockey crew and led them to a silver medal on the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. He additionally was an assistant head coach for the Los Angeles Kings from 2018 to 2022. He had served as head coach of the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, for the reason that 2022-23 season.
Sturm has helped develop a few of the Kings’ prime younger gamers, together with ahead Quinton Byfield and defenseman Brandt Clarke. Participant improvement must be an enormous focus for the Bruins over the subsequent few years. The franchise has struggled in that space for some time.
“All through this course of, our objective was to establish a coach who may uphold our sturdy defensive basis whereas serving to us evolve offensively,” Sweeney stated in a press release Thursday. “We had been additionally searching for a communicator and chief — somebody who connects with gamers, develops younger expertise, and earns the respect of the room.
“Marco impressed us at each step along with his preparation, readability, and keenness. His path — enjoying for a number of NHL groups, teaching internationally, and main at each the AHL and NHL ranges — has formed a well-rounded coach who’s earned this chance. As a former Bruin, he understands what this crew means to the town and our followers.
“We’re embracing a brand new course with Marco behind the bench and are assured his vitality, requirements, and dedication to a aggressive, hard-nosed model of hockey mirror precisely what Bruins hockey must be.”
Sturm performed 5 seasons for the Bruins from 2005-06 by means of 2009-10. He was the hero of the 2010 Winter Traditional when he scored in additional time to beat the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park. Sturm started his NHL profession with the San Jose Sharks in 1997-98 and retired after spending the 2011-12 marketing campaign with the Florida Panthers.
