Marco Sturm New Head Coach of the Bruins
The Boston Bruins have announced the hiring of Marco Sturm as their new head coach. With this designation, all NHL teams now have their coaches defined for the upcoming season.
Sturm, whose name had been linked to the Bruins and other teams, becomes the third coach the Bruins have had since November, when they fired Jim Montgomery, now coach of the St. Louis Blues. Montgomery was fired after the team won eight of its first 20 games.
Joe Sacco, who was an assistant since the 2014-15 season, took over as interim coach and led the team that finished with a record of 33-39-10, tying with the Philadelphia Flyers for the fewest points in the Eastern Conference. It was the first time the Bruins failed to qualify for the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.
In the Bruins’ statement about Sturm, it was not specified whether Sacco will remain with the franchise.
Sturm, with a vast experience of 938 games in the NHL, played five seasons with the Bruins, from 2005 to 2010. During his career, he had four seasons with 20 goals or more and played a fundamental role in establishing a pipeline of German players in the NHL. Sturm is the historical leader of Germany in games played in the NHL and ranks second in points, behind Leon Draisaitl, star of the Edmonton Oilers.“During this process, our goal was to identify a coach who could maintain our solid defensive foundation while also helping us evolve offensively. We were also looking for a communicator and leader, someone who would connect with the players, develop young talent, and earn the respect of the locker room. Marco impressed us at every step with his preparation, clarity, and passion,” said Don Sweeney, general manager of the Bruins.
Don Sweeney, general manager of the Bruins
After retiring as a player in Germany in the 2012-13 season, Sturm became general manager of the German U-20 national team and head coach of the senior national team. He guided the German team to the silver medal at the 2018 Olympic Games. It was the first time since 1976 that a German men’s team reached the final for the gold medal and stepped onto the podium.
Sturm’s work with Germany led him to be an assistant for the Los Angeles Kings. He held that position for three seasons until the 2022-23 season, when he was named head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Sturm, 46, led the Reign to the playoffs each season. He achieved a 43-win season, the most under his leadership, before being eliminated in the first round of the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Now that they have a coach, the Bruins can focus on other areas. They are projected to have $26.2 million in cap space to improve a team that ranked 28th in goals per game, seventh in goals allowed per game, and a top-5 power play, which coincided with a top-10 penalty kill.“I am incredibly honored to be named head coach of the Boston Bruins. I want to thank Charlie Jacobs, the Jacobs family, team president Cam Neely, and Don Sweeney for entrusting 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 felt that passion as a player, and I can’t wait to be behind the bench and feel it again,” Sturm said.
Marco Sturm
