The Boston Bruins announced Thursday that they've hired Marco Sturm as their head coach, a move that now means every NHL team has a bench boss in place for next season.
Sturm was one of the names who had been long connected with the Bruins, among other teams, in a cycle in which up to eight different franchises were seeking a head coach.
He becomes the third coach the Bruins have had since November when they fired current St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery. The Bruins fired Montgomery after winning eight of their first 20 games before elevating then-assistant Joe Sacco, who was named interim coach for the rest of the season.
Sacco, who had been an assistant since the 2014-15 season, took over a team that finished 33-39-10 and was tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the fewest points in the Eastern Conference. It was also the first time the Bruins missed the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.
There was no indication in the Bruins' statement about Sturm as to whether Sacco would remain with the franchise.
"Throughout this process, our goal was to identify a coach who could uphold our strong defensive foundation while helping us evolve offensively," Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said. "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."
A veteran of 938 NHL games, Sturm played five of his 15 seasons with the Bruins from 2005 through 2010. He had four 20-goal campaigns for the Bruins in a career that saw him play an instrumental role in becoming a figure who helped established a pipeline of German players to the NHL.
Sturm is Germany's all-time leader in NHL games played and is second in points behind Edmonton Oilers superstar center and Hart Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl.
Sturm retired after the 2012-13 season in Germany and transitioned to the next step in 2015-16 when he became the general manager for Germany's Under-20 men's national team and the head coach for the men's senior national team. Sturm guided the Nationalmannschaft to a silver medal at the 2018 Olympic Games. It was the first time a German men's team made the gold medal game and appeared on the podium since 1976.
Sturm's work with Germany led to him becoming an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings. He served in that role for three seasons until the 2022-23 season in which he was named the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.
The 46-year-old Sturm guided the Reign to the playoffs in every season with the club. He led them to a 43-win season, the most they've had under Sturm before they were eliminated in the first round.
Now that they have a coach in place, the Bruins can move on to other areas they must address. PuckPedia projects they'll have $26.2 million in salary cap space to improve upon a team that was 28th in goals per game, was seventh in terms of most goals allowed per game while having a power play in the bottom five matched a penalty kill that was in the bottom 10.
"I'm incredibly honored to be named head coach of the Boston Bruins," Sturm said in a statement. "I want to thank Charlie Jacobs and the Jacobs family, Cam Neely, and Don Sweeney for trusting me with this opportunity. Boston has always held a special place in my heart, and I know how much this team means to the city and to our fans. I've felt that passion as a player, and I can't wait to be behind the bench and feel it again."
