By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
This past Tuesday, the Boston Bruins officially brought on Marco Sturm as the 30th head coach in franchise history. After finishing with a 33-39-10 record last season, Sturm will look to get the Bruins back on the winning track.
Sturm has hinted he has an idea of what his system will entail, but he will refine that when the roster becomes more solidified. What Sturm has made clear is accountability and honesty will be key elements of his coaching style.
I was fortunate enough to represent Black N’ Gold Productions during Tuesday’s press conference when Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney introduced Sturm as Boston’s new head coach. I asked Sturm which types of coaching styles he responded to as an NHL player and what kind of attributes he would want to bring into the Bruins locker room.
“The old generation, with Darryl Sutter and Claude Julien, were, by far for me, the best coaches I ever had,” Sturm said. “Because they were very honest to me, very direct, even if I liked it or not.”
Sturm noted that it is also crucial to have a good sense of how to coach specific players. Each player will have their own unique personality, so the coaching and communication style will vary accordingly.
After the opening press conference, Sturm continued the media circuit and went on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger & Mazz. Michael Felger asked Sturm if Mason Lohrei could become an all-around defenseman.
“We’ll see,” Sturm said. “He’s going to dictate that.”
The new Bruins head coach went on to say he thought Lohrei played well when paired with Charlie McAvoy. But Sturm mentioned Lohrei has room for improvement.
“At the end of the day, he needs to get better,” Sturm said. “It’s another year. Hopefully, you learn from it. And with me coming in, it’s going to be a fresh start for him as well. I love working with young guys, too, so hopefully, we can get him to the next level.”
What is noteworthy is that Sturm came up with a blunt answer to that question. He did not immediately say he believes Lohrei will become an excellent two-way defenseman. Sturm answered honestly that he did not know if Lohrei would take that next step but that he would work with the young defenseman to become that kind of player.
Sturm has not shared much on his coaching style from a technical standpoint. But he will not shy away from honestly answering direct questions about his players.
It is fascinating that on his first day interacting with the media as Boston’s head coach, Sturm mentions how he appreciated an old-school style of coaching as a player and gives an honest assessment of Lohrei’s current level of play. After a disappointing season for the Bruins last season, it will be interesting to see how Sturm’s emphasis on accountability impacts Boston’s play this upcoming season.
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