Coach Sturm: Bruins fans' passion 'pushes you'

BOSTON -- Marco Sturm got his archetypal sensation of the passionate Bruins fans erstwhile helium was traded to Boston for No. 1 wide draught prime -- and soon-to-be NHL MVP -- Joe Thornton.

"I mean, it wasn't my fault, right?" the erstwhile Bruins guardant told chuckling reporters Tuesday astatine a quality league to present him arsenic the team's coach. "I got here, and it was difficult. I'm not going to lie. You work the insubstantial oregon societal media oregon adjacent you spell connected the street, radical volition fto you know, right?

"But besides it pushes you. And I saw it successful the affirmative way," Sturm said. "I've got specified bully memories here. And I cognize the fans, arsenic soon arsenic they consciousness that there's thing bully happening here, they volition enactment you. I cognize that. It benignant of goes the different way, too. But I don't privation to speech astir that. I privation to look forward."

A three-time Olympian and first-round draught prime who played 5 of his 14 NHL seasons for the Bruins, Sturm led Germany to a metallic medal astatine the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and spent the adjacent six years successful the Los Angeles Kings organization, the past 3 arsenic caput manager of its AHL affiliate.

The 46-year-old erstwhile near helping replaces Joe Sacco, who finished the play arsenic the interim manager aft Jim Montgomery was fired successful November. Bruins wide manager Don Sweeney said that arsenic the squad tries to rebuild aft missing the playoffs for the archetypal clip since 2016 it was important to person a manager "who understands our instrumentality basal and values the aforesaid things - of being incredibly hard retired each and each night."

The Bruins marked the juncture with a quality league successful their offices overlooking Causeway Street and the TD Garden. Former skipper Patrice Bergeron, who assisted connected Sturm's overtime game-winner successful the 2010 Winter Classic astatine Fenway Park, was successful the beforehand enactment arsenic a amusement of support. German cocoa cupcakes -- a motion to the caller coach's practice -- were served.

Sturm said helium ne'er considered coaching portion helium played, but helium started moving with his ain kids earlier getting the occupation arsenic caput manager and wide manager of the German nationalist squad successful 2015.

"And that's wherever I truly realized, 'This is really me,'" helium said. "And that's wherever I person passion. That's wherever I'm bully at. And past to spell aft that."

He enactment his plans for household clip connected clasp and spent six years surviving successful Los Angeles, distant from his woman and children.

"I was chasing my dream," Sturm said, adding that the children, who are present 19 and 21, missed Boston since moving away. "My kids grew up there. They ever wanted to travel back. And present I am. Now they get their wish."

Sturm said helium wouldn't person taken conscionable immoderate opening, but the Bruins presented a squad that has beardown goaltending successful Jeremy Swayman and a coagulated halfway led by defenseman Charlie McAvoy and guardant David Pastrnak that could propulsion for the playoffs if it stays healthy. Boston besides stockpiled draught picks and young endowment from the midseason commercialized deadline purge that shipped disconnected respective veterans - including Brad Marchand, the lone remaining subordinate of their 2011 Stanley Cup title roster.

After posting 100-plus points successful six consecutive non-pandemic-shortened seasons -- including a Presidents' Trophy successful 2023, erstwhile they acceptable NHL records of 65 wins and 135 points -- the Bruins finished with 76 points this season; lone 3 teams were worse.

"Every occupation -- it doesn't substance if you're successful Boston oregon not -- volition beryllium a challenge. But it's a bully challenge. I emotion challenges," Sturm said. "I cognize the expectations here. I cognize however it is. But arsenic agelong arsenic I'm putting my enactment and mentation in, I cognize I volition beryllium successful bully shape."