'He's always looking at the glass half-full'
Marco Sturm is taking the helm while the Boston Bruins are at a crossroads entering the 2025-26 season.
The Bruins have core players like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman, Hampus Lindholm, Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov ready to lead Boston into its new era. With a foundation of high-end players like that, Sturm should be able to get the Bruins to buy in when they enter camp in September.
Sturm not only has to get the players behind him, but also the fans. If you remember, Sturm was one of three players the Bruins acquired in exchange for Joe Thornton in a shocking trade with the San Jose Sharks on November 30, 2005.
Coming to an Original Six franchise in a trade that saw its captain and fan favorite traded could be stressful for any player. However, 2011 Stanley Cup champion and Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron said his longtime linemate never showed it, and the six-time Selke winner believes it will help him as the new coach of the Bruins.
“For me, I didn’t really see it,” Bergeron told the Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy. “He seemed happy to be with the Bruins. I think it was out of his control, to be honest with you. He was the one that got traded here, yes, but he was a big part of that trade and he gave us some really good years and scored some big goals for us.
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“I’ve always admired his energy and the way he is as a person. He’s always smiling, he’s always looking at the glass half-full, and to me, as a coach, that’s a big quality to have.”