Marco Sturm has reached his stated goal — becoming head coach of a team in the National Hockey League.
It’s not just another team in the NHL either; the Bruins are an Original Six team and the winner of six Stanley Cups, the last having come in 2011.
‘Preparation and passion’
“Marco impressed us at every step with his preparation, clarity, and passion,” Bruins GM Don Sweeney said in a statement.
“His path — playing for multiple NHL teams, coaching internationally, and leading at both the AHL 8 [American Hockey League] and NHL levels — has shaped a well-rounded coach who’s earned this opportunity.”
The 46-year-old Sturm said he was “incredibly honored” to be named the 30th head coach in the Bruins’ more than a century of history.
“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,” Sturm said.
“I’m excited to get to work and do everything I can to help this team succeed.”
Reaction from German hockey community
Several former German stars reacted with delight to the news of Sturm’s appointment. Many of them, including fellow former Boston Bruins player, Dennis Seidenberg pointed to the fact that Sturm had paid his dues as a coach. They see his move from assistant with the LA Kings to head coach at their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign as key.
“Marco has worked hard to develop as a coach and hasn’t shied away from the step to Los Angeles’ farm team,” Seidenberg told NHL.com.
“He’s learned a lot there in recent years, but also as an assistant coach with the Kings before that… I can only congratulate the Bruins on making the right choice with Marco as their new head coach.”
Former Washington Capitals forward Stefan Ustorf noted that not many coaches are willing to take that “step backwards” to fully prepare themselves for the NHL.
“He’s very good at assessing himself and knows what he needs to develop further. He’s done that,” Ustorf told the latest edition of the “Slapshot” podcast.
“He’s ready.”
‘Great influence on German hockey’
Christian Künast was Sturm’s assistant when he led Germany to a stunning silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. As sporting director of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), Künast credits Sturm with shaking the national team out of its doldrums when he took over as head coach in 2015.
“During his time as national coach, Marco had a great influence on the development of German ice hockey. Marco is largely responsible for the change in the attitude of the German national team toward a team that believes in itself,” Künast told NHL.com.
Sturm did indeed bring in a breath of fresh air, when he took over Germany, remotivating players who had seemed to be reluctant to turn up under a couple of his predecessors. Prior to the 2015 Worlds, then-coach Pat Cortina had 22 players refuse his invitation, albeit some due to injury.
Sturm led Germany to the quarterfinals of his first World Championship as a coach in 2016 — for the first time in five years. Two years later came that Olympic silver medal.
“That (Sturm’s influence) was the foundation for our shared silver medal success in 2018 and has continued even after his tenure,” Künast continued. “We wish Marco much success with the Bruins.”
There’s a parallel between Sturm’s taking over Germany in 2015 and now his first NHL team 10 years later – as the Bruins are coming off a campaign in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
‘Transitions are my strength’
On the positive side, the fact that they have nine first or second-round picks in the NHL Entry Draft over the next three years, means a big part of Sturm’s job promises to be developing talented youngsters.
“I love working with young players, and if you look closely at my resume, transitions are my strength,” Sturm told the SID news agency last month.
“That was the case with the (German) national team and also in my work as a coach for the (Los Angeles) Kings’ farm team,” he added, referring to the Reign, where he spent the past three seasons as head coach in the development league.
Strictly speaking, Sturm is not the first German to coach an NHL team. That was Canadian-born Ralph Krueger, who coached both the Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres. However, Sturm is the first German-born coach who learned the game in the country.
From DEL rookie to solid NHL career
Sturm spent his first two professional seasons as a player with Landshut, then with Germany’s top flight, the DEL, before joining the San Jose Sharks in 1997 — a year after they had made him the 21st overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft.
The centerman would go on to play more than 1,000 games (including playoffs) in the NHL — including five years in Boston — before wrapping up his career in the DEL in 2013 and moving on to coach the national team two years later.
Now, getting the Bruins back into the playoffs will be his first order of business, but that won’t cut it in the long term.
“The expectations in Boston have always been clear.” Bruins President Cam Neely said recently. “It’s about winning championships.”
Edited by Matt Pearson. This story was originally published on June 5, 2025. It was updated with reactions from the German hockey community on June 6.
