It’s officially official. The Boston Bruins have had their introductory press conference for newly-hired head coach Marco Sturm. Now the true work begins as they prepare for the 2025-26 season. There was a lot to digest from the press conference today and what fans could looking forward to with him behind the bench.
Laying the Foundation
It is time to lay the foundation. The Bruins have managed to find themselves in unfamiliar territory. It’s been a while since they’ve undergone a retool, but it was something that had to happen. Sturm is particularly a good voice for this era of Bruins hockey, having experience like this before.
“I’ve been through (rebuild) as a coach. I’ve been through it as a player. Those moments will help me a lot,” he said.
Now, this isn’t a rebuild, but the Bruins are looking to right the ship and get back to their playoff-contending ways. Sturm is a perfect fit because he can draw from his experience and use that to propel this Bruins team to new heights. Sturm also helped take Germany to the Gold Medal game in the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Now it’s about team structure and playing a better brand of hockey. Everyone could see the holes and flaws in the 2024-25 Bruins’ game. They were sloppy defensively, got caved in, and found themselves chasing the game more than taking to the attack. It was not a great recipe for success. Sturm gives a vote of confidence that it will change.
“We’re going to be structured. We’re going to compete. We’re going to make everyone (fans) proud,” he said.
It will help that they will be structured. Sturm comes from a Los Angeles Kings organization that’s been prideful of its structure and team defense. But one thing that will need to improve is the offense.
Offense, Offense, and More Offense
There is no denying that one of the biggest roster flaws for the Bruins is their forward group. The offense is heavily carried by David Pastrnak, who has three 100-plus point seasons in a row and Morgan Geekie who is the first player other than Pastrnak to score 30 goals since the 2022-23 season.
The Bruins struggled mightily offensively during the 2024-25 season. They were bottom 10 in Corsi for percentage (puck possession), expected goals for percentage (goal generation), and their finishing ability lagged behind at negative-14.21. This also trickled into their power play, which ranked 29th overall. They need skill, talent, and a new style of play to right the ship offensively.
We do not know exactly the kind of style that Sturm will bring to the table. But we do know that he will make a significant push to be better offensively. “We have to find a way to be more productive offensively,” he said.
Adding more skill and talent can aid that. But even with their current roster, they need to find ways to be successful offensively and not rely on Pastrnak to carry them across the finish line.
While there is the potential to improve offensively and add structure, you also have to feel good about this hire for the off-ice aspects.
Feeling Good About the Hire as a Whole
You can tell that the Bruins did their due diligence when making this hire. This was without question the most important hire of general manager Don Sweeney’s tenure. This was a great hire and for many reasons.
Sturm’s desire to build relationships with the players is a good thing to see. He is the type of coach who believes in culture and wants his players to know that he cares about them. Given the state of the Bruins and the players who have departed, there needs to be a culture reset and a new identity formed. Former players of his with his time with the American Hockey League’s Ontario Reign touched on this very topic.
“That’s a big part of what he does — builds the camaraderie,” said Reign goalie Pheonix Copley.
Given the youth that will be rising and the veterans that will help lead the charge, Sturm wants to get everyone on the same page and buy in.
“My focus right now, get to know the players, build that relationship. Getting everyone on the same page, and get them excited again to wear this jersey every night,” he said.
This new era of Bruins hockey is officially underway and it’s hard not to feel good about the choice for head coach. Sturm WANTS to be in Boston and wants this opportunity. He will be tasked with taking the Bruins to new heights, but also developing the youth, which he’s had success doing before.
Sturm Will Have Success
Sturm is going to be a good coach for the Bruins. He is going to help develop the youth and bring structure, two things the team badly needs. Fixing the issues and righting the ship are going to be key, and the real work starts now.
