Latest news with #CharlieJacobs
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Bruins tab former player Marco Sturm as new head coach
June 5 - The Boston Bruins hired Marco Sturm as their new head coach Thursday, filling the final vacant position in the NHL. Sturm, 46, will be a head coach for the first time in the league. The Bruins punched their ticket to the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons before limping to an Atlantic Division-worst 33-39-10 record in 2024-25. Boston replaced head coach Jim Montgomery after 20 games on Nov. 19, with interim head coach Joe Sacco finishing the season with a 25-30-7 mark. Sturm said he welcomes the opportunity to preside over a team he represented from 2005-10. "I'm incredibly honored to be named head coach of the Boston Bruins," Sturm said. "I want to thank Charlie Jacobs and the Jacobs family, (Bruins president) Cam Neely, and (general manager) Don Sweeney for trusting me with this opportunity. Boston has always held a special place in my heart, and I know how much this team means to the city and to our fans. I've felt that passion as a player, and I can't wait to be behind the bench and feel it again. I'm excited to get to work and do everything I can to help this team succeed." Sweeney credited Sturm's attention to defensive hockey as one of the reasons for his hiring. "Throughout this process, our goal was to identify a coach who could uphold our strong defensive foundation while helping us evolve offensively," Sweeney said. "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 has coached Ontario of the American Hockey League for the past three seasons, guiding the Reign to the playoffs in all three campaigns. Sturm totaled 487 points (242 goals, 245 assists) in 938 career games with the San Jose Sharks, Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers. He was traded from the Sharks to the Bruins as part of the Joe Thornton deal on Nov. 30, 2005. Sturm is Germany's all-time leader in NHL games played. --Field Level Media
National Post
3 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Bruins name ex-forward Marco Sturm as head coach to replace fired Jim Montgomery
The Boston Bruins hired Marco Sturm as coach on Thursday to help the Original Six franchise get back to the playoffs after missing them for the first time since 2016. Article content The Bruins picked Sturm to replace interim coach Joe Sacco, who took over from Jim Montgomery in November and led the team to a 25-30-7 record — much of it after a trade deadline roster purge. Sturm becomes the 30th head coach in Bruins history after spending the past three seasons as head coach of the AHL's Ontario Reign. 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. Article content Only three teams in the league were worse. Article content CEO Charlie Jacobs said the results were 'absolutely unacceptable' and apologized to the fans for the performance. Article content '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.' Article content 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. Article content Sturm's Ontario Reign team went 119-80-11-6 and made three consecutive playoff appearances. Article content Article content As a player, Sturm skated in 938 career NHL games with Boston, Florida, Vancouver, Los Angeles and San Jose — the team the drafted him in the first round in 1996 — from 1997-2012. He recorded 242 career goals and 245 assists with a with a plus-59 rating. Article content Sacco was a candidate for the permanent job. Others who reportedly received consideration were Washington Capitals assistant Mitch Love, former Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson and Bruins assistant Jay Leach. Article content Montgomery, 55, was 120-41-23 in two-plus seasons in Boston. The Bruins finished with more than 100 points in each of his first two years — including a record-setting debut, when their 65 wins and 135 points were both the most in NHL history. Article content But the team lost in the first round of the playoffs that season and advanced to only the second round last year. The struggles carried over into the new season, when Boston began 8-9-3 and Montgomery was fired. He was hired five days later by the St. Louis Blues and was given a five-year contract; the Blues reached the playoffs and lost in the first round in seven games to the Winnipeg Jets.
Boston Globe
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
They missed the playoffs but the losses continue to pile up for the Bruins, and other thoughts
Advertisement Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up As much as team CEO Charlie Jacobs Advertisement And, of course, a coach less likely to be scared off by Sweeney's relatively quick hook. Numbers don't lie, and despite his defensiveness at the year-end autopsy press conference, Sweeney has fired three coaches in his tenure. So it was interesting to hear him point out this reaction on the part of prospective candidates. 'This is an exciting opportunity for coaches to be interviewing for this position, and that's the indication — that they would be very excited about maybe being the head coach of the Boston Bruins,' Sweeney said Monday. 'That's the first and foremost thing that [I've] come across, happy to be part of the selection of being interviewed.' ⋅ Another reminder why it hurts so much to miss the NHL playoffs, the most exciting and dramatic format of them all? Game 7 between Winnipeg and St. Louis. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets escaped the first-round series ⋅ Did you see ousted Jim Montgomery coming thisclose to pulling off the very same upset that befell his Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins in 2023? Even after this loss, kudos to Monty for Advertisement ⋅ Meanwhile, another former Bruin keeps on pumping. Brad Marchand, our favorite energizer bunny, is fitting in quite nicely in Florida, helping the defending champion Panthers into their second-round meeting with the Maple Leafs. After recording four assists in Florida's opening-series win over Tampa Bay, the 36-year-old notched two more assists in the opening Round 2 loss to the Leafs, sparking a rally from an early 4-1 deficit. It's fun to read of his new teammates' surprise at how much they actually 'like' their onetime heated foe. 'Good person and fun to be around,' Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad told the Associated Press. 'Great poker player, as well.' ⋅ What a tough break for ⋅ Sorry we won't see Gregg Popovich on the sidelines anymore, but so good to see him Advertisement ⋅ The Ravens really, really want you to know 'Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances. Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker,' GM Eric DeCosta said as part of a statement that made no mention of any off-the-field concerns. ⋅ No to Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
16-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Read the letter Charlie Jacobs sent to Bruins fans following a season without a playoffs appearance
The 2024-25 season was undoubtedly one of the most challenging of my tenure with the Boston Bruins. Like you, our diehard fans, I bleed black and gold. Today I share your disappointment as the team clears out their locker stalls ahead of a long offseason. While we have certainly enjoyed some exciting moments this past year, including a Centennial Game and 100th anniversary celebration for the history books, we ultimately fell far short of expectations. Yet, your passion never faltered. You showed up and you believed until the final horn. We cannot thank you enough for your support. Simply put, you are the greatest fans in hockey. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Over the past decade, hockey operations, on-ice talent, hard work and commitment brought Bruins hockey to a level of success we are proud of – but we are not satisfied. Our goal of winning another Stanley Cup remains unchanged. Advertisement It's clear that we have a lot of work to do, and that work is already underway. Despite how difficult it has been to say goodbye to some of our most beloved Bruins this season, these decisions were rooted in the best interests of the future of our franchise. Together with our hockey operations leaders, we are actively preparing for the NHL Draft and anticipate a top-tier selection with more draft capital in hand than we have had in recent years. We are also eager to bolster our roster through free agency and open the door for some of our young prospects to take the next steps in their development. Advertisement There is only one way forward from here; expectations and accountability are higher than ever. I'm incredibly proud to be a Bostonian. I take even greater pride in being a Boston Bruin. Together with leadership, we are embarking on an ambitious journey to restore glory to this great franchise. Thank you for your unwavering support. Charlie Jacobs
