By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter @TCalauttis
The Boston Bruins finally have a new head coach. Earlier today, general manager Don Sweeney introduced Marco Sturm as the 30th coach in team history. There were plenty of reasons why Sturm was the man for the job, but one of the abilities that made him stand out was his player development.
Don Sweeney was asked point blank if any aspects of Sturm’s coaching portfolio made him an especially attractive candidate. While the newly extended GM didn’t focus on one thing in particular, he made sure to note the importance of player development in taking Boston to the next level.
“The player development part of it was certainly a big part of those conversations,” said Sweeney when asked about the feedback he received during the coaching search. “(Emphasis on) How you integrate the players and when they’re going to be ready and having connectivity with your minor league program, and how that relates to the development they’re doing there. (Those) were some very constructive things that took place during the process that I’m grateful for.”
After spending time as the head coach and general manager for the German National team, LA Kings GM Rob Blake and Director of Player Development (and former Bruin Glenn Murray) recruited Sturm as an assistant coach. After four years, the majority of which were spent under veteran bench boss Todd McLellan, the Kings offered Sturm the head coaching position for the AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.
One crucial detail in Sturm’s career path is the fact that the Kings missed the playoffs from 2018-19 to 2020-21. The shine of their two Stanley Cups had worn off, and the team was ready to rebuild. Throughout those three years, LA made a move similar to Boston this season, selling off expiring contracts and aging veterans in exchange for draft capital and future assets.
By the time Sturm took the Ontario job, the team had amassed four first-round picks, six second-round picks, and four third-round picks. In giving Sturm the AHL position, LA essentially entrusted him with their future, saddling him with the responsibility of developing their new core of players.
When the former Bruin got to Ontario, the roster consisted of several highly touted prospects with high expectations. 2020 second-overall pick Quinton Byfield, 2019 first-round Alex Turcotte, 2021 first-rounder Brandt Clarke, and 2019 fourth-rounder Jordan Spence were all in their first or second seasons in the AHL. With Sturm at the helm, each player took significant steps forward.
Byfield, one of the prospects looked at as the future of the organization, skated two seasons (2020-2022) in Ontario prior to Sturm’s introduction, posting 12-24-26 in 43 games. In his one season with the former German National Coach, his production ballooned to 9-6-15 in 16 games, and he was rewarded with a permanent promotion to the NHL. In the two years since, Byfield had been a back-to-back 20-goal, 50-point forward for the Kings.
Center Alex Turcotte notched 6-11-17 in 32 games during the 22-23 season, numbers almost identical to the year prior. After a full year with Sturm as his bench boss, Turcotte jumped to 10-19-29 in 35 games. He’s been a full-time player for LA since 2024-25 and has notched 9-16-25 in 68 games this season while playing a bottom-six role.
In 22-23, Brandt Clarke posted 1-1-2 in 5 AHL games. Once Sturm got a full offseason with the offensively gifted defenseman, his point totals increased to 10-36-46 in 50 games. Clarke earned a full-time promotion to the NHL following 2023-24 and led all LA defensemen in scoring.
Defenseman Jordan Spence upped his 21-22 point totals from 4-38-42 to 4-41-45 in 22-23. That improvement earned him a full-time gig in LA, where he’s been a blue-line fixture for the last two seasons, culminating in a career year 2024-25, during which he’s registered 4-24-28 over 71 games with a plus-23 rating.
LA’s roster, as currently constructed, contains five regulars who played under Sturm’s tutelage, an incredible feat considering he only coached the minor league affiliate for three seasons. His abilities as a developer of young talent have been crucial to the renaissance of the Kings and their current streak of four straight playoff berths.
Maximizing young and emerging talent will be imperative for the success of the Bruins. With five first-round picks and four second-round picks in the upcoming three drafts, it’s clear that a wave of young players will be making their way to Boston. Whether it’s via the draft, free agency, or trade, Don Sweeney believes Sturm has the pedigree to get that talent up to speed.
Even if the Bruins don’t add young talent this offseason, they still have a young roster. Players like Matt Poitras, Mason Lohrei, and Fraser Minten are expected to play more significant roles next season. Guys like Fabian Lysell, Marat Khusnutdinov, and Frederic Brunet will be fighting for roster spots. Each of those skaters has less than three years of NHL experience under their collective belts, and it’ll be up to Sturm to help them get to the next level.
“(Sturm) has been part of player development, so he knows that path and what it takes to make those steps, so he can challenge whoever it’s going to be,” said Sweeney. “Pick a player, whether it’s [Matt] Poitras or whether it’s [Fraser] Minten. It doesn’t matter. Take that player in those situations…and then stepping back to see them take the jump.”
LA was able to accomplish what the Bruins hope to do over the coming seasons: retool on the fly and quickly develop their young and upcoming talent into productive NHL players. It’s clear that Sturm was one of the key pieces to the Kings accomplishing their goal, and there’s reason to believe he can do the same for the Boston Bruins.
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