Volkswacht Bodensee - Germany's Sturm named coach of NHL Bruins

The 46-year-old German will have his first NHL head coaching job. He replaces interim coach Joe Sacco, who took over after Jim Montgomery was fired in November.

"I'm incredibly honored to be named head coach of the Boston Bruins," Sturm said. "I'm excited to get to work and do everything I can to help this team succeed."

Sturm, who played in Boston from 2005-2010, was a coach for the top development team of the Los Angeles Kings the past three years after serving as a Kings assistant coach from 2018-22. He guided Germany's national team from 2015-18, a run that included a silver medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The Bruins went 33-39 with 10 overtime losses this past season to finish last in the Atlantic Division, ending a run of eight consecutive trips to the NHL playoffs.

"Our goal was to identify a coach who could uphold our strong defensive foundation while helping us evolve offensively," said Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. "We were also looking for a communicator and leader, someone who connects with players, develops young talent, and earns the respect of the room."

Sturm, a three-time Olympian, scored 242 goals in 938 NHL games over 14 seasons with Boston, san Jose, Washington, Vancouver, Florida and the Kings.

He becomes the latest NHL coach to be hired looking ahead to next season, joining Boston a day after Pittsburgh hired Dan Muse.

P.Keller--VB