By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
Marco Sturm’s first training camp as head coach of the Boston Bruins is underway. Boston will play six preseason games before opening the 2025-2026 campaign on the road against the Washington Capitals. Bruins fans are wondering what kind of NHL head coach Sturm will be.
Sturm will undoubtedly be able to relate to the players, as he carved out a very successful career in the National Hockey League. The German winger potted 242 goals and dished out 245 assists in 938 games over 14 seasons.
Some of his most productive years came while donning the Spoked-B, as he put up four 20-goal campaigns and set a career high with 56 points as a member of the 2008 Bruins. Sturm was part of the Bruins when the organization was again gaining steam in the Boston community.
That experience will definitely aid Sturm’s tenure behind Boston’s bench. He knows first-hand what it means to represent this organization on and off the ice and how to deal with the pressure and embrace the pride that comes with taking the ice each night in that Black and Gold sweater.
It will be fascinating to see how Sturm’s experience as an NHL player will seep into his coaching philosophy. During his introductory press conference, I asked him which coaching styles he responded to most as a player.
“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 also noted that it is 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.
Sturm understands the importance of accountability. As a former player, he knows it is crucial for the locker room to buy into the head coach’s philosophy and try to implement the instructions into their individual skillsets.
However, he also grasps how important it is to consider each player’s specific personality. With the changing landscape in the league today, the old-school attitude of talking to and coaching every player the same way does not get the best results.
That will be one of Sturm’s most significant challenges this year. He will have to find a way to balance a straightforward coaching style, which is what he best responded to in the league, while conveying his message in a way that gets across to each player.
Sturm will have his hands full in his first year as the Bruins’ head coach. Boston faced a myriad of problems last season. This year, the defensive unit will need to be more stout in its own end. The Bruins’ offense will have to be more effective at consistently generating looks and scoring goals. And the goaltenders must be more solid between the pipes.
After a very disappointing 2024-2025, when the Bruins finished with a 33-39-10 record, Sturm will be trying to improve play on the ice and reinvigorate the organization. It will be fascinating to see what a Marco Sturm-coached NHL team will look like.
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