What Marco Sturm Hire Says About Where Bruins Are Headed

Marco Sturm climbed every rung to reach this moment.

The Boston Bruins officially named Sturm their new head coach last Thursday, completing a journey that took him from Germany’s national team to coaching roles in the Los Angeles Kings’ system. Now, Sturm is back in Boston, where his NHL coaching ambitions took root.

Sturm’s return might never have happened without the 2005 trade that first brought him to the Bruins. That deal, which sent Joe Thornton to San Jose, delivered Sturm, Brad Stuart, and Wayne Primeau to Boston. Sturm spent five seasons with the Bruins and left a lasting impression.

Former Bruins general manager Mike O’Connell, who later worked with Sturm in Los Angeles, saw the trajectory years ago.

“He did all the right things with his career,” O’Connell told Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. “Put in the time, made the commitment, got the experience. He is a really bright guy and a tremendous person.”

Though the two were in different roles with the Kings, O’Connell believes Sturm’s outlook fits Boston’s current identity.

“He knows the young players and the direction the game is going,” O’Connell said. “He sees it from all angles.”

As a player, Sturm was viewed as a mentor, something that stood out to O’Connell right away.

“Dean Lombardi told me, ‘Marco’s a terrific human being. Serious about the game, great teammate,’” O’Connell recalled.

The 2005–06 Bruins struggled, and O’Connell was dismissed that season. But his influence remained. He drafted Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, hired Mike Sullivan and Jeff Gorton, and signed Tim Thomas.

Sturm never got a chance to lift the Stanley Cup in Boston. Now he has a chance to lead them back to it.