When the Boston Bruins hired Marco Sturm to be the team’s new head coach June 5, 2025, expectations were minimal for the 2025-26 season. Bringing in a first-time head coach after a disastrous season the year prior signaled the franchise was entering a retooling period. Despite those tempered expectations, the Bruins shocked the NHL, posting a 45-win season and securing a playoff berth in a much quicker turnaround than anyone expected.
Regardless of how this postseason unfolds, the Bruins have already accomplished something even more significant: establishing a foundation that should give fans reason for optimism under Sturm.
The most immediate impact Sturm had on the team was the level of buy-in he got from his players. For a roster that underwent a great deal of turnover and lacked the presence of an official team captain, legitimate questions about the team’s chemistry loomed. That lack of familiarity was evidenced with a rocky start to the season, which featured an ugly six-game losing streak in mid-October.
Yet the Bruins proved to be a resilient group this season, never wavering in the face of adversity. The locker room remained upbeat, and there was a collective belief that they could compete with anyone on any given night, with players fully committed to the identity Sturm sought to implement in his first season.
The addition of Sturm as the Bruins’ new bench boss seemed to breathe new life into a team that was left battered and bruised from a challenging 2024-25 season in which the roster and coaching staff underwent significant turnover.
“The guys, they buy in. I don’t know what else to say. You can see it in the game today, everyone is excited to play. Everyone works. We’re a family,” Sturm said following a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres Oct. 11, 2025.
Alternate captain and star defenseman Charlie McAvoy spoke on the positive difference felt in the locker room this year during a media scrum back in December 2025.
“I don’t want to take a shot at last year or anything, because there’s a lot of guys that aren’t here anymore that I love deeply, but I think the chemistry this year, it feels a little different,” McAvoy said Dec. 16, 2025.
While Sturm has relied on star players like McAvoy and David Pastrnak, with the latter recording his fourth straight 100-point season, other Bruins have emerged as key contributors with breakout and bounce-back performances throughout the lineup.
Perhaps the most significant development — especially for a front office that awarded him an eight-year, $66 million contract in 2024 — was goaltender Jeremy Swayman rediscovering his form as a reliable presence between the pipes after a disappointing 2024-25 season. Swayman was steady for the Black and Gold this season, winning 31 games and posting a 2.71 goals-against average, looking every bit like the goaltender who earned that extension.
Several other Bruins also made huge steps in their development. Forward Morgan Geekie seemed to come out of nowhere and turned into the team’s top scorer, netting 39 goals in total. Youngsters Frasier Minten and Marat Khusnidinov, both of whom were acquired during the 2025 trade deadline, also made significant leaps this season and appear to be penciled in as key pieces to the Bruins’ future plans.
Sturm deserves credit for that individual growth as well. From veterans to younger players, he has instilled confidence and trust throughout the lineup, allowing players to settle into roles and develop consistency over the course of the season. His presence has helped accelerate the Bruins’ turnaround in a short time and suggests General Manager Don Sweeney’s decision to hire him was the right move.
This Bruins team is not perfect, and it would take some luck for Boston to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup, but the fact it has reached this point is worth noting. Boston fans should feel encouraged about what the future holds for the franchise as it appears to be rediscovering the foundation and culture that once made winning the standard.
