Bruins turn to ex-forward Sturm as head coach

The Boston Bruins announced Thursday that they've hired Marco Sturm arsenic their caput coach, a determination that present means each NHL squad has a seat brag successful spot for adjacent season.

Sturm was 1 of the names who had been agelong connected with the Bruins, among different teams, successful a rhythm successful which up to 8 antithetic franchises were seeking a caput coach.

He becomes the 3rd manager the Bruins person had since November erstwhile they fired existent St. Louis Blues manager Jim Montgomery. The Bruins fired Montgomery aft winning 8 of their archetypal 20 games earlier elevating then-assistant Joe Sacco, who was named interim manager for the remainder of the season.

Sacco, who had been an adjunct since the 2014-15 season, took implicit a squad that finished 33-39-10 and was tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the fewest points successful the Eastern Conference. It was besides the archetypal clip the Bruins missed the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.

There was nary denotation successful the Bruins' connection astir Sturm arsenic to whether Sacco would stay with the franchise.

"Throughout this process, our extremity was to place a manager who could uphold our beardown antiaircraft instauration portion helping america germinate offensively," Bruins wide manager Don Sweeney said. "We were besides looking for a communicator and person -- idiosyncratic who connects with players, develops young talent, and earns the respect of the room. Marco impressed america astatine each measurement with his preparation, clarity, and passion."

A seasoned of 938 NHL games, Sturm played 5 of his 15 seasons with the Bruins from 2005 done 2010. He had 4 20-goal campaigns for the Bruins successful a vocation that saw him play an instrumental relation successful becoming a fig who helped established a pipeline of German players to the NHL.

Sturm is Germany's all-time person successful NHL games played and is 2nd successful points down Edmonton Oilers superstar halfway and Hart Trophy victor Leon Draisaitl.

Sturm retired aft the 2012-13 play successful Germany and transitioned to the adjacent measurement successful 2015-16 erstwhile helium became the wide manager for Germany's Under-20 men's nationalist squad and the caput manager for the men's elder nationalist team. Sturm guided the Nationalmannschaft to a metallic medal astatine the 2018 Olympic Games. It was the archetypal clip a German men's squad made the golden medal crippled and appeared connected the podium since 1976.

Sturm's enactment with Germany led to him becoming an adjunct with the Los Angeles Kings. He served successful that relation for 3 seasons until the 2022-23 play successful which helium was named the caput manager of their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

The 46-year-old Sturm guided the Reign to the playoffs successful each play with the club. He led them to a 43-win season, the astir they've had nether Sturm earlier they were eliminated successful the archetypal round.

Now that they person a manager successful place, the Bruins tin determination connected to different areas they indispensable address. PuckPedia projects they'll person $26.2 cardinal successful wage headdress abstraction to amended upon a squad that was 28th successful goals per game, was seventh successful presumption of astir goals allowed per crippled portion having a powerfulness play successful the bottommost 5 matched a punishment termination that was successful the bottommost 10.

"I'm incredibly honored to beryllium named caput manager of the Boston Bruins," Sturm said successful a statement. "I privation to convey Charlie Jacobs and the Jacobs family, Cam Neely, and Don Sweeney for trusting maine with this opportunity. Boston has ever held a peculiar spot successful my heart, and I cognize however overmuch this squad means to the metropolis and to our fans. I've felt that passionateness arsenic a player, and I can't hold to beryllium down the seat and consciousness it again."