What Bruins Fans Can Expect From Marco Sturm

'I'm going to do everything in my power to get them better'

Marco Sturm received a new jersey number from the Boston Bruins.

While the Black and Gold colors and Spoked-B remained, gone was No. 16, the number Sturm wore for five seasons as a player in Boston. Instead, general manager Don Sweeney handed Sturm a new jersey with the No. 30 on the back, officially introducing the 46-year-old German as the new head coach of the historic Original Six franchise.

“I’m going to tell you this, when I saw Don Sweeney’s name on my text, it was pretty special,” Sturm said Tuesday at TD Garden, per team-provided video. “It got me really excited, right? And, of course, I want to be an NHL coach, but this means more, right?

“And why? I think there’s a few reasons. I think the identity and […] and the culture we built here 20 years ago. It’s still here, that’s the style and the winning mindset we had. I think that’s something that just gets me really excited, and that’s what I believe in.”

As excited as Sturm is to be back in Boston, he admitted the Black and Gold cannot simply remain the same old Bruins and hope to succeed in the league. He knows the team has to be better offensively and on special teams.

“We want to score more goals,” he said. “Scoring goals is not just an offensive zone, yes, that’s where the puck’s going to end up. But, for me, it all starts with how are we going to get there?

“That’s a big part too, just focusing on one area. I think there’s different areas in the game where we can definitely get better. It’s coming up with the puck. We want to have the puck more. We got to have better entries, not turn pucks over. […] We also got to be more hungry, and we got to have a better mindset.”

One way to achieve Sturm’s vision is to incorporate younger players into the lineup and not pull them if they make a mistake.

“We’re all going to make mistakes,” Sturm said. “Old, young, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to support them, but you also have to be very honest and direct with them. You got to work with them. And they also have to learn from our core group, our older guys. And that’s why the whole thing is so important.

“It’s not just me. It’s the team, right? They’ve got to see it every day in practice. They’ve got to see how guys practice every day so the young guys can follow. There shouldn’t be any excuses. It’s an easy way out, and a lot of guys take that route. And I’m just not one of them.”

One thing is certain: Sturm is very clear in his message on what’s to be expected.

“I love going to work every day. I love competing every day with my team, with my players, with my coaches,” he said. “And that’s something I want to address and want to make sure they know the other side of Marco Sturm.

“I can’t wait to just go in the locker room and just work with my guys. I know that’s what I love to do, that’s what I want to do. I can’t wait for day one to see the Bruins fan behind me … or behind us and pushing us to the next level.”