After a tumultuous season last year for the Boston Bruins, they are entering this season with a clear vision for the future. After firing Jim Montgomery during the season and trading Brad Marchand, the Bruins have turned the page, and it is going to be led by Marco Sturm, who was named head coach this summer.
Sturm returned to the franchise where he played over 300 games, but instead of being on the bench, he will be behind the bench. He has extensive coaching experience from four seasons as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings and the last three as the head coach of the Ontario Reign in the AHL.
However, he wanted to be very selective on his first head coaching job in the NHL, and after interviewing for some positions last year, he was selected for the Bruins' job. It was the perfect match because Sturm just felt it was the right moment.
"“You know, a lot of people ask me, ‘When were you ready?’ It just clicked. And I felt it. I think after year two, and especially this summer, I felt it. I felt this is the time,” Sturm said. “Timing is everything, and I couldn’t have ended up in a better spot with Boston.”"
Marco Sturm's strength as a coach will help speed up the Boston Bruins rebuild
The Boston Bruins have been a perennial playoff team with eight straight appearances before seeing that streak end last season. They aim to return to the playoffs, but it may not happen immediately as they attempt to rebuild by developing their younger players.
This approach aligns perfectly with what Sturm has shown he can do recently with the Ontario Reign. He has helped develop some of their top draft picks, and they are now key parts of the Los Angeles Kings roster, like Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke.
Fans might have to be patient as the Boston Bruins rebuild, but Sturm is the perfect coach, with his track record, to develop these younger players and build a core that the franchise can lean on for sustained success. As for Sturm, his patience appears will be paying off as well to find himself in the ideal position to begin his head coaching career in the NHL.