2024-25
Record: 33-39-10, 8th in Atlantic Division
Playoffs: Missed Stanley Cup Playoffs
Key Losses
Jakub Lauko (F – Not Given Qualifying Offer), Parker Wotherspoon (D – Signed with PIT), and Joe Sacco (Interim Coach – Relieved of Duties)
Key Additions
Tanner Jeannot (F – Signed via FA), Viktor Arvidsson (F – Trade with EDM), Sean Kuraly (F – Signed via FA), Michael Eyssimont (F – Signed via FA), and Marco Sturm (Coach – Hired)
2025-26 Preview
A New Voice
On November 19th, 2024, the Bruins fired Jim Montgomery and named Joe Sacco as interim head coach. On June 5th, 2025, they decided to go in another direction and hired Marco Sturm as head coach.
“We’re proud to name Marco as the 30th Head Coach of the Boston Bruins and welcome him, Astrid, Mason, and Kaydie to Boston,” said General Manager Don Sweeney. “Throughout this process, our goal was to identify a coach who could uphold our strong defensive foundation while helping us evolve offensively. We were also looking for a communicator and leader – someone who connects with players, develops young talent, and earns the respect of the room. Marco impressed us at every step with his preparation, clarity, and passion. His path – playing for multiple NHL teams, coaching internationally, and leading at both the AHL and NHL levels – has shaped a well-rounded coach who’s earned this opportunity. As a former Bruin, he understands what this team means to the city and our fans. We’re embracing a new direction with Marco behind the bench and are confident his energy, standards, and commitment to a competitive, hard-nosed brand of hockey reflect exactly what Bruins hockey should be.”
“I’m incredibly honored to be named head coach of the Boston Bruins,” said Sturm. “I want to thank Charlie Jacobs and the Jacobs family, Cam Neely, and 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.”
This is Sturm’s first NHL head coaching job after coaching the Ontario Reign of the AHL for the past three seasons, and coaching the German National team from 2015-2018, including a silver medal finish in the 2018 Olympic Games. The 2018 Olympics also marked the first time the Germans had played in the gold medal game, and first time since 1976 to make it to the Olympic podium.
Grittier, but Still Lacking Scoring
On July 1st, 2025, to kick off NHL Free Agency, general manager Don Sweeney traded for forward Viktor Arvidsson from the Edmonton Oilers.
“He’s got some grease there,” said Sweeney. “Knows timing is also part of the net front. Most of the guys that are effective there, they get their sticks on a lot of pucks. It’s not a coincidence that they’re in the right spots when the puck is there. He’s got courage as well. He’s not the biggest guy but he’s played the same way his whole career and he’s produced. He recovers pucks well as well. That’s also a part of that net front ability.”
“I’m gonna come there, I’m gonna play a responsible game, and I think Marco knows exactly what he’s getting from me,” said Arvidsson. “I’m gonna help offensively and bring scoring. I know I can do that. I know I had a little bit of a tough time last year with that and the opportunity. I’m gonna bring that, I know that. I’m really confident that I’m gonna make the team better.
“Just really happy and excited, first of all – both me and my whole family are excited to be a part of the Bruins. Just coming to a great sports city, it’s gonna be really fun.”
Also on July 1st, the Bruins signed forwards Michael Eyssimont, Tanner Jeannot, and Sean Kuraly to contracts, adding more grit to the team.
“He [Tanner Jeannot] popped a few years ago, he’s had some injuries since then that have probably derailed a little bit in that regard,” said Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. “I don’t know if he’s getting back to scoring [24] goals. I sure hope so. Deep down we believe he’ll bring a lot more energy to our group, physically is there. We run through a tough division. I just think everybody gets a little taller.
“I think if we fast forward with what we tried to do from a Draft perspective, an eye toward that as well, introducing those young players that we hope are infusing skill. I do believe that the complement that Tanner brings will help in that regard as we move forward in improving our organizational depth and talent.”
“I bring a really physical game, hard to play against. I try to make other guys know that I’m on the ice, and make them feel uncomfortable, and maybe that makes them get rid of pucks a little bit quicker, put their teammate in a tougher spot,” said Jeannot. “And that tends to create more turnovers and gets the puck into my team’s hands a little bit more often. So that’s the type of element that I can bring to a line.
“And then when we do have the puck, then I can be hard down low and make plays down low and things like that. And just try to put the puck in my team’s hands and create chances that way.
“As far as creating space for my linemates, I think it’s just from playing a really physical, hard-nosed game, throwing my body around and making sure guys are aware of my presence on the ice.”
“A lot of juice there, forechecking ability, can get down ice. Also chipped in his share of goals,” Sweeney said on the signing of forward Michael Eyssimont to a two-year deal. “We’re gonna have to probably give a little bit of trust building the penalty killing to a little bit more of a consistent level and that will be an area that we’re gonna tease out of Mikey…the juice, the competitiveness. Everybody you’ve talked to in terms of how Mikey shows up to practice every day, he’s a pain in the ass and I want him to be a pain in the ass for us.”
For Kuraly, this reunion is one he became excited for after spending the first five years of his career with the Bruins before spending the last four seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Sean was really excited today to be coming back,” Sweeney said on Tuesday [July 1st] afternoon at Warrior Ice Arena. “He knows what we’re trying to do. He’s been here and grown up as a player in the National Hockey League, cut his teeth under that leadership. He’s now in that leadership category. He knows a lot of these guys. It’s plug and play for him too.
“There’s an energy piece of it, there’s a penalty killing, stability aspect with Sean. He can play little bit up and down, both left wing and center. He’s good on draws. He’s also a guy that takes a lot of pride in professionalism on and off the ice.
“We had great knowledge of him…I think it aligns pretty well for us.”
“Having those players [David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy] and [Jeremy Swayman] was there so I’m familiar with him and I obviously played with Andrew Peeke in Columbus, and just some really good additions on the team from then on,” said Kuraly. “It’s really exciting when you have what we have at every position. You get around the League and realize how much respect those players have.
“To be able to have those players on your team is a chance I didn’t want to pass up. I know them as people too so that’s just all the better. Really just an opportunity I’m excited to be a part of.”
However, for the Bruins, these moves did not address their biggest need. Scoring. Sweeney added more grit to the Bruins to make them a tougher team to play against, but he didn’t add anyone who can really support David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie in the scoring department. Unless players like Arvidsson, Pavel Zacha, and others can step up and produce more, it’s going to be another really long season for the Bruins.
Projected Lineup
Offense
Morgan Geekie – Elias Lindholm – David Pastrnak
Pavel Zacha – Casey Mittelstadt – Viktor Arvidsson
Tanner Jeannot – Matthew Poitras – Marat Khusnutdinov
John Beecher – Sean Kuraly – Michael Eyssimont
Defense
Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Henri Jokiharju
Nikita Zadorov – Andrew Peeke
Goalies
Jeremy Swayman
Joonas Korpisalo
Resources
- PR, Bruins. Marco Sturm Named 30th Head Coach in Boston Bruins History, June 5, 2025. https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/topic/press-release/marco-sturm-named-30th-head-coach-in-boston-bruins-history.
- Russo, Eric. Arvidsson Confident He’ll be Good Fit with Bruins, July 1, 2025. https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/arvidsson-confident-he-ll-be-good-fit-with-bruins.
- Russo, Eric. Jeannot Believes His Style, Bruins Are Perfect Fit, July 7, 2025. https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/jeannot-believes-his-style-bruins-are-perfect-fit.
- Russo, Eric. Kuraly Embracing Challenge of Starting New Chapter, July 2, 2025. https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/kuraly-embracing-challenge-of-starting-new-chapter.
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