Bruins name Marco Sturm as team’s 30th head coach

The Boston Bruins announced on Thursday that they have hired Marco Sturm as the 30th head coach in franchise history.

Sturm, who was a member of the Bruins as a player from 2005-2010, had spent the past three seasons as the head coach of the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings.

Under Sturm’s watch, the Reign posted a record 119-80-11-6 while qualifying for the Calder Cup playoffs in all three seasons.

“We’re proud to name Marco as the 30th Head Coach of the Boston Bruins and welcome him, Astrid, Mason, and Kaydie to Boston,” said General Manager Don Sweeney via the team’s press release. “Throughout this process, our goal was to identify a coach who could uphold our strong defensive foundation while helping us evolve offensively. We were also looking for a communicator and leader – someone who connects with players, develops young talent, and earns the respect of the room.”

The Bruins make the move after a season in which they dismissed Jim Montgomery in November and named Joe Sacco as the interim head coach for the remainder of the campaign.

Montgomery was quickly hired by the St. Louis Blues, who turned their season around and made the playoffs after the move.

Under Montgomery and Sacco, Boston finished with a record of 33-39-10, with its .463 points percentage matching the franchise’s worst mark since the 2006-2007 season.

“I’m incredibly honored to be named head coach of the Boston Bruins,” said Sturm. “I want to thank Charlie Jacobs and the Jacobs family, Cam Neely, and Don Sweeney for trusting 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’ve felt that passion as a player, and I can’t wait to be behind the bench and feel it again. I’m excited to get to work and do everything I can to help this team succeed.”

Sturm will inherit a roster led by David Pastrnak, who topped 100 points for the third consecutive season despite the team’s down year, and defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who missed the remainder of the NHL season after suffering an injury and subsequent infection during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The Bruins head into an offseason with plenty of opportunity to improve the roster, as they possess five first round picks in the next three drafts and have over $26 million in salary cap space, according to Puckpedia.