
Bruins name ex-forward Marco Sturm as head coach to replace fired Jim Montgomery
Article content
Sacco, a Bruins assistant and former Avalanche head coach, replaced Montgomery 20 games into this season, but with the team unable to challenge for a playoff berth general manager Don Sweeney traded away captain Brad Marchand and other veterans, and the Bruins stumbled to a 33-39-10 record overall, tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
Only three teams in the league were worse.
CEO Charlie Jacobs said the results were 'absolutely unacceptable' and apologized to the fans for the performance.
'We owe you a better team, and we aim to deliver a better team,' he said after the season. 'I share your disappointment and, frankly, embarrassment on how poorly things played out over the course of this season.'
Sturm, who was a Bruins forward from 2005-2010, is a former head coach and general manager for the German national team and spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Knicks denied permission to interview Kidd, Udoka and Finch in coaching search, AP sources say
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks were denied permission to speak with coaches Jason Kidd of Dallas, Ime Udoka of Houston and Chris Finch of Minnesota in a slow start to find Tom Thibodeau's replacement. All three coaches are under contract and their organizations declined to make them available for interviews with the Knicks, two people with knowledge of the details said Thursday. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the interview process was to remain private. The Knicks fired Thibodeau on June 3, despite reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. They reached the playoffs four times in Thibodeau's five seasons and had won at least 50 games in each of the final two. They appear to be trying to find out if any coaches they like who currently have jobs might be added to their list along with the ones who are currently available. The Mavericks confirmed Thursday that a request was submitted and denied. ESPN first reported on all three decisions. Knicks president Leon Rose interviewed Kidd and Udoka in 2020 before hiring Thibodeau. Both also played for the Knicks, with Kidd ending his Hall of Fame career on the team that reached the 2013 playoffs — which was the Knicks' last appearance before Thibodeau's arrival. Kidd led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, Finch has guided the Timberwolves to back-to-back trips to the West finals and Udoka took a young Rockets team to the No. 2 seed in the West this season, so none of the organizations is interested in searching for a new coach. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Thibodeau thanked the organization, players, coaches and fans in a New York Times ad on Wednesday, saying the experience with the Knicks was 'something I will never forget.' ___ AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Indianapolis contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA:


Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Healthier Panthers are nearing full strength in the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The bumps and bruises and worse started to pile up midway through the Florida Panthers' third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Matthew Tkachuk only returned for the playoff opener after sitting out the final two months of the regular season with the injury he suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and seems to still be gutting through it. Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola each missed time during the Eastern Conference final, and A.J. Greer's injury he tried playing through eventually sidelined him. 'It's very hard to win a Cup with unhealthy bodies,' Greer said. The Panthers found that out the hard way two years ago when they were the skating wounded. Tkachuk had a broken sternum, Aaron Ekblad had a broken foot, two shoulder dislocations and a torn oblique muscle, Radko Gudas had a high ankle sprain and they lost to Vegas in five games in the final. While the Edmonton Oilers looked to be in better shape going into this series with the notable exception of injured forward Zach Hyman, Florida has gotten healthier. Coach Paul Maurice said Reinhart is 'back to full health,' Tkachuk, Mikkola and Greer are making a difference and the defending champions are two wins away from hoisting the Cup for a second year in a row. 'It's always good to have a full team that's healthy,' fourth-liner Tomas Nosek said after practice Wednesday. 'It's been good so far, and hopefully it stays that way.' The Panthers will have their ideal lineup for Game 4 on Thursday night in Sunrise after that same group waxed Edmonton 6-1 earlier this week to take a 2-1 lead in the final. Other than do-it-all defenseman Seth Jones, no one played more than 23 minutes in Game 3. That balance, after so much overtime hockey early in what looked to be an evenly matched series, combined with an extra day between games, makes them rested and ready. 'We've been, I think, great the whole playoffs,' center Anton Lundell said. 'It doesn't really matter when we play. It's always fun to play, so we don't really care. But obviously now we have had a couple days off, so it's fun to get the energy back and prepare.' Reinhart scoring Monday night was his first goal since being out for two games in the Eastern Conference final, ending a drought that dated to the second round against Toronto. He had six shots in Game 2 and has been steadily progressing. 'I'm not worried about him,' Maurice said. 'I think his game is getting stronger — quite a bit stronger.' So is Tkachuk's, even if it's clear the tough winger is not moving as well as he does when 100%. But he had an assist and was noticeably better in Game 3, which Maurice called Tkachuk's best of the playoffs. 'It took him a while to build out,' Maurice said. 'The speed of the Carolina series was probably a really, really good thing. Some of these injuries I'm sure they're dealing with it, you can't condition them and rehab them at the same time. They need some time. And he was out for such a very long time that I would say the last month, but certainly the last three weeks, he's back to form now.' That spells trouble for the Oilers, playing without Hyman and with top-line forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dealing with an undisclosed injury that has him relegated him to game-time-decision uncertainty. Their longest-tenured player not being 100% is a major blow after Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid and Hyman were such an effective trio getting to this point. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Coach Kris Knoblauch foreshadowed a lineup change that may or may not be injury related. Either way, his team's depth is being tested. The same has been the case for the Panthers, who have used 22 skaters in the playoffs following 30 during the season. They've grown accustomed to shuffling players in and out and chugging along like some of the NHL's best teams have to do. 'With our depth this year, even when guys are injured or guys are out of the lineup, there's just so much depth on our team that guys can fill in seamlessly and it doesn't change our lineup that much,' Bennett said. 'That's definitely a huge factor for us.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and


CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
Colorado's Cale Makar wins Norris Trophy as NHL's top defenceman
Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar looks on during a faceoff during the first period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Dallas Stars in Dallas, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) NEW YORK — Cale Makar capped another banner NHL season with the award that goes to the league's top defenceman. The Colorado Avalanche blueliner claimed the James Norris Trophy for the 2024-25 campaign after also earning it in 2022. The 26-year-old from Calgary has been nominated for the Norris five times in his first six years in the league. Makar was the overwhelming choice of Professional Hockey Writers Association voters this year with 176 first-place votes among 191 cast. His 1,861 voting points beat out runner-up Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets (1,266) and last year's winner Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks (918). With 30 goals and 62 assists, Makar set an Avalanche record for points by a defenceman. He became the fifth defenceman all-time in the NHL to post back-to-back 90-point seasons and the first since Paul Coffey and Al MacInnis in 1989-90 and 1990-91. The Avalanche went 49-29-4 this past season before their elimination in the first round in seven games by the Dallas Stars. Makar was golfing in his hometown of Calgary when he was surprised by friends and family, including his wife and parents, with the trophy. The NHL posted a video of the celebration Wednesday. 'Any time you get recognized for something like this it's very cool,' Makar said in the video. 'It's very special to be able to do this a second time. 'It's truly a team award and we had a fun year, and it'll hopefully be more fun continuing, but this one's for them.' Makar opened the season with a 13-game point streak, which was the second-longest to start behind Bobby Orr's 15 games in 1973-74. Makar was also the first defenceman to score 30 goals since Mike Green's 31 with the Washington Capitals in 2008-09. He became the second active defenceman with multiple Norris wins, alongside Pittsburgh Penguin Erik Karlsson with three. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. The Canadian Press