Boston Bruins’ Coaching Search Heats Up: Marco Sturm and Mitch Love Lead the Pack

Boston Bruins’ Coaching Search Heats Up: Marco Sturm and Mitch Love Lead the Pack

The Boston Bruins are ramping up their search for a new head coach, which might eliminate Misha Donskov, but could elevate Marco Sturm. You’re Locked on Bruins, your daily podcast on the Boston Bruins, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. What is up Bruins fans and welcome back to the Locked On Boston Bruins podcast. I’m your host Ian McLaren and this is a daily show where we discuss all things spoke B. Today is Friday, May 23rd. Thank you so much for making Lockdown Bruins your first listen every day. It’s part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. And on today’s episode, we are going to bring you the latest on the Boston Bruins search for a new head coach. a big update offered yesterday by hockey insider Pierre LeBron and we will discuss who the remaining candidates are and who I would like to see elevated from that group. We’re also going to touch on the world championships where on Saturday there will be a big showdown between uh Jeremy Swayman, Andrew Peak on team USA and Elias Lindholm of team Sweden with the checks having been eliminated uh yesterday in the quarterfinals with David Posnock, Jacob Lao going home. Before we get into all that, a quick reminder. You can find the podcast on social media, locked NHL Bruins. That’s X Blue Sky, Instagram, even Tik Tok. You can find me, my hockey thoughts, dad jokes, Ian C McLaren. I am a lifelong Boston Bruins fan. Been covering this team for various outlets and the NHL at large for about 20 years. And of course, you can subscribe to Locked on Boston Bruins on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. On Thursday, hockey insider Pierre Lebron tweeted out the following. On the Bruins coaching search, my understanding is final interviews will be conducted next week and then a decision to come after that. Not sure who made the cut. Boston has talked to a lot of people and he said Marco Sturm, Jay Woodraftoft, Mitch Love, Luke Richardson, Joe Sacko, Jay Leachch among those believed to have interviewed. So, from that group, there’s going to be final interviews next week and a decision could come, I don’t this time next week, we could have a guy behind the bench for the Boston Bruins. Now, LeBron said, among those interviewed were those six that he named. And for me, there’s a clear ranking of these guys. And we’ll discuss the internal options coming up in a bit. But for me, the number one, number two guys are Marco Sturm and Mitch Love. Why Sturm? Well, former Bruin. I would love to see a former Boston Bruin behind the bench. He of course came from the San Jose Sharks to the Bruins in the Joe Thornton trade about 20 years ago now. Uh he is currently the head coach of the Ontario reign of the AHL. Previous roles include assistant coach with the LA Kings. He’s also head coach of the German national team. He doesn’t have NHL head coaching experience, but he does have experience behind the bench and in a high level coaching position in the Kings organization. And of course, the Kings have a new general manager in the mix. So perhaps Ken Holland will be willing to part with Sturm in order to have a bit of a reset. He has a unique profile. Marco Sturm does. NHL veteran with international coaching credentials and a current AHL head coach with the Ontario reign. He’s best known for leading Germany to a very surprise silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics, which is a testament to his leadership ability, ability to perhaps achieve with a limited roster. Softspoken kind of guy, but deeply respected and a strong emphasis on structure and trust. and he’s obviously got some development chops as well as an AHL head coach and a lot of guys have come up and succeeded through the LA Kings organization. He’s maybe not the flashiest pick, but he’s smart, patient, could grow into the job and bring a long-term vision to the Boston Bruins given his international success, his NHL ties, his history with the Bruins. We all remember Fenway Park, Winter Classic, The Gold, The Fight. He could quietly become a top tier NHL coach with the right front office support. And if Misha Donskov of the Dallas Stars is off the table, Sturm is my number one choice. But a close second would be Mitch Love, assistant coach of the Washington Capitals. He previously was the head coach of the Calgary AHL team and he’s widely considered one of the brightest up and cominging coaching minds in hockey. He won the Lewis AR Pier Memorial Award as AHL coach of the year twice 2022 2023. A rare accomplishment that speaks to his tactical ability and his impact on player development. two areas of great need for the Boston Bruins. His teams are known for their high work ethic, buyin, accountability, and he’s consistently gotten more out of less. He brings a modern voice, fresh systems, and a track record of preparing young players for NHL readiness, all of which are crucial for a Bruins team in transition. Love is a high ceiling option who could become the kind of culture defining coach Boston hasn’t had since like Claude Julian in his prime. Those are the two guys that I would love to see the most. The other guy who’s maybe a distant third would be Jay Woodcraftoft, uh, who most recently was head coach of the Edmonton Oilers back in 2022 23 before they replaced him uh, with, you know, Conor McDavid’s junior coach. He was a fast riser who took over the Oilers mid-season in 2022, immediately led them to the Western Conference final. his communication skills, his offensive creativity and ability to manage stars major strength, but he kind of struggled to implement a reliable defensive structure. And after the Oilers had a poor start in 2023 24, he was let go 13 games into the season. Kind of reminds you of what happened with Jim Montgomery. There is still a very promising coach here and there is something to be said for guys who have been given their first opportunity, didn’t succeed, what they learned from that and what they’re able to come back and achieve in their next goound. You saw that with Bruce Cassidy let go from the Bruins immediately gets his next opportunity wins a cup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Jim Montgomery didn’t work out for all sorts of reasons in Dallas, but he comes into Boston, leads the team to President’s Trophy, best record in NHL history in the regular season at Jack Adams. Could Woodraftoft follow in that path? If he learns from his experience in Edmonton, he could thrive in a second opportunity, but his upside isn’t quite as untapped as Lur Love or Sturm and he’s not as fresh. Like he has had that NHL coaching experience, but he flamed out in a big way. And the Oilers after firing him went to the Stanley Cup final. They’re back in the Western Conference final, albeit down 10 to the Dallas Stars. Assistant coached by Misha Donskov, who would still be my number one choice, but failing him. If they’re wanting to get this done sooner than later, I would go with Love. With Sterm, happily either one of those two. Woodcraft a distant third. didn’t see Jeff Halpern’s name mentioned in this update, but he’s a guy that I wouldn’t mind seeing as well, especially over one of the other three guys that were mentioned in LeBron’s report. And we’ll touch on that. Uh we’ll touch on Joe Sacko, Jay Leech, Luke Richardson, and the benefits or lack thereof of hiring them here as the podcast continues. Have you ever checked your bank account and wondered where did all my money go? Between dining out, online shopping, and entertainment, it’s easy to lose track. 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I’m going to go right ahead and take Luke Richardson off of the table. He was most recently a head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. He was an assistant previously with the Montreal Canadians, the New York Islanders, head coach of the Bingmpington Senators, uh now the Belleville Senators, the AHL team for the Ottawa Senators. He is a respected veteran of the NHL bench with a defense first mindset and a calm demeanor. He led the Blackhawks through a very difficult rebuild phase and was praised for creating a healthy culture despite the roster challenges and despite the way the previous culture had really been tarnished uh through the scandal that tore through that organization. Very difficult job that he stepped into. Uh he has of course experience as both a player and a coach which lends him credibility especially with veteranladen teams. Um he brings structure and respect to the organization but his ceiling feels lower than other candidates. He’s more of a stabilizer I’d say than a visionary. If the Bruins want to tighten up defensively, maintain order during these transition years he fits. But it’s not really a bold new direction and doesn’t really fit with Cam Neely and Don Sweeney saying that they wanted to evolve offensively with this group. Another guy I’d probably put above Richardson is of course Jay Leech, assistant coach with the Bruins, formerly an assistant with the Seattle Kraken, head coach of the Providence Bruins. He’s already deeply embedded within the organization. has done excellent work developing players at both the AHL and NHL level. He’s smart, calm, respected by both veterans and prospects alike. Well, he’s not really a system innovator per se. Um, his AHL coaching record of 136,77 and 26 shows he knows how to win and develop and he’s had a hand in developing several current prominent Boston Bruins who have been developed through the organization and he could have the opportunity to do so. Once again, he doesn’t maybe have the sizzle of a breakout star coach, but he’s well regarded enough to have been poached for a time by the Seattle Kraken. Uh, he would represent continuity without complacency. He’s got internal familiarity, leadership, makes him a safe, sensible bet. Uh, maybe that’s what Don Sweeney wants right now, what he needs after being given this contract extension earlier this week. but still has a somewhat tenuous standing with the team. He could be a long-term organizational culture builder, steady but not spectacular. Hey, maybe that’s just what this team needs right now. Not a sexy gamble, but kind of a safe choice. The safest choice could be just taking the interim tag off Joe Sacko, who’s been an associate coach with the Bruins, head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. He’s been with this team since before Don Sweeney came aboard, 2014. He survived the firing of Claude Julian, the firing of Bruce Cassidy, the firing of Jim Montgomery, briefly head coach of the ABS back in 20 2009 to 2013 with a mixed record. That was before they really took off in the Nathan McKinnon, Miko Rantin era. His appointment as interim coach following Jim Montgomery’s dismissal was logical, but that doesn’t make him the best long-term solution. He has a known quantity with no major flaws, but no like elite qualities either. He did bring a modicum of stability after Montgomery was fired, a brief improvement, but then kind of the roster was torn out from under him. Uh he could step in and run the bench without disruption. But if the Bruins are looking to evolve or reinvent themselves, keeping a guy who’s been around longer than Don Sweeney likely isn’t uh going to kind of bring about that change. Safe fall back, but low upside. And I think Don Sweeney needs the optics of bringing somebody in new. They can’t just extend Sweeney and then take the interim tag off Sacko and expect that to be a popular move. So, among the reported finalists for the Bruins head coaching job, Mitch Love stands out as the highest upside candidate thanks to his modern approach, development success, back-to-back AHL coach of the year awards. But Marco Sturm is right behind him, offering a calm, structured presence with international pedigree, and strong leadership potential. He’s also familiar with the Bruins, but also been gone long enough that he’ll bring in some fresh eyes. Woodcraft proven NHL experience, offensive creativity, but slightly downgraded due his abrupt due to his abrupt exit from Edmonton. Jay Leech offers continuity and internal familiarity. Sacko presents low ceiling potential. Seems best suited as the transitional or stop gap option. Luke Richardson brings steadiness defensive structure. I could see them going with Richardson for that defensive bit head coaching experience. Woodcraftoft for the offensive evolution. There’s red flags or at least yellow flags with both of those guys. Love and Sturm are both risky as well because they don’t have that NHL head coaching experience, but at the end of the day, I would still prefer the Bruins to take a chance on one of these guys with much higher potential and upside and who deserve an opportunity to become an NHL head coach. You don’t get that experience without being first given a shot. Woodcraftoft had a shot with a loaded Oilers team. Couldn’t get the job done. Richardson, had a tough gig in Chicago, but still, I don’t really see him as the guy. So, if this time next week, we’re looking at a new head coach. My hope is that it is either Mitch Love or Mo or Marco Sturm, sorry. and um hopefully he has a rejuvenated Jeremy Swayman and Elias Lindholm in the lineup. Both of those guys are still alive at the World Championships. They’re going to go head-to-head on Saturday in the semi-finals and we’ll discuss uh that here as the podcast continues. Thursday was quarterfinals day at the IIHF World Championships. Czecha entered the day as the reigning champions going up against uh team Sweden who came out with a 52 victory over uh over the checks. So, David Posternok and Jacob Lao eliminated from this tournament with a loss. Post did get uh a assist on a goal scored by Roman Cervanka and he did finish the tournament as one of the leading scorers. In fact, he has the tournament lead with 15 points in eight games for Czecha. And uh the next closest guy was Cervanka also from Czecha. Nathan McKinnon, Travis Kknney, Cindy Crosby came in next with 13 and 12 points respectively. They were eliminated by Denmark. So two that was a huge upset like one of the biggest in IIHF history. No Canadians on team Canada of course with the checks being eliminated. The Swedes moving on. Uh, our boy Elias Lindholm did not record a point in that quarterfinal game, but he is now the active leading scorer at this tournament with 11 points in eight games. He’s got seven goals, four assists for 11 total points. And that’s without recording one in that game yesterday against uh Czecha in which he played more of a important shutdown role. Uh so he’s got 11 points tied with Frank Nazar of team USA and Tyler Moy of Switzerland who’s still alive as well and Teuo Terravidan of Finland who has been eliminated. Uh, Switzerland beat Austria, Canada lost to Denmark, Sweden beat Czecha, and then the Americans beat team Finland to uh advance as well. And of course, a couple key Bruins in that one. Uh, Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves on 22 shots for the win. And uh Andrew Peak also played in that one. Did not get a point, but has been a contributor in this tournament. Our boy Mason Lurai was scratched. He hasn’t played in a few games. And you know, they’re carrying eight defenseman. I think Zev Buim getting in there over Mason Lauri. This sets up a Sweden Finland quarterfinal. Oh, sorry, semi-final on Saturday. Sorry, what am I saying? Sweden, USA semifinal on Saturday. The winner will take on the winner of Switzerland and Denmark. So, it will be Jeremy Swayman going up against Elias Lindholm in that final. Now, among goalenders in this tournament, Swayman has now played in um a bunch of games for USA, the majority, five games. He’s got a 1.97 goals against average, but his save percentage not super stellar. He ranks 13th with a save percentage of 89.69. So, while it’s encouraging to see him uh stepping up and starting for this team, taking them to the semi-finals, it would be very encouraging, of course, to see him have a monster game in the semifinals and to lead Team USA to a gold medal. The best case scenario at this point for the Bruins and for Swayman is for uh him to yeah win a gold medal for this team, shut down Sweden, shut down Switzerland or Denmark and get that confidence back to be a winning goalie. The quarterfinal wasn’t his sharpest outing, but he made key saves when needed and helped the US reach the semifinals where they will take on the Swedes. Uh Swayman still on the hunt for gold. Lindholm also still in the hunt for gold and he’s been instrumental in Sweden’s journey to the semis leading the team with seven goals, 11 points, tied for the most among still active players in this tournament. He had a standout performance in with a natural hat-tick in a win over Slovenia. Secured a perfect 6-0 record in the group stage. And then of course in the quarters, Sweden defeated Czecha. Lindholm contributed significantly throughout the tournament with his offense consistent two-way play as well vital for Sweden’s success. and his resurgence on the international stage is encouraging for the Bruins as he looks to carry this momentum into the upcoming NHL season. Both guys, regardless of the outcome, on Saturday, have a chance to finish with medals to finish uh positive note what has been a down season for both. And that would be a great thing to uh report back on here on the next episode of Locked On Boston Bruins. That game goes at I believe 2:20 on Saturday afternoon. Should be a good one for sure. Oilers Stars game two tonight. If you aren’t checking out locked on NHL game night, you’re missing out on fantastic analysis on every game every night until a Stanley Cup champion is crowned. You can find that on the Locked On NHL feed on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. Please do subscribe to Locked On Bruins on your favorite Pod app and on YouTube if you haven’t already and it’s all part of the Locked On podcast network, your favorite team every single day. Thank you so much for listening, friends. Please do take care of yourselves. Take care of each other. Have a good weekend. It’s been super rainy up here. I know it’s a long weekend down there. Weather’s not looking too good in New England either, it looks like. I likely will be back on Monday with an episode because not a holiday up here. So, I’ll bring you all the latest on the Boston Bruins, but please do have a happy and safe fun Memorial Day weekend and uh whatever you’re doing, whether it’s going to see Mission Impossible, Lilo and Stitch, hitting the beach, going to a baseball game, please do take care of yourselves and have a great time. And we’ll talk to you here on the next episode of Locked On Boston Bruins.

The Boston Bruins’ search for a new head coach intensifies, with final interviews scheduled for next week. Hockey insider Pierre LeBrun reveals potential candidates, including Marco Sturm and Mitch Love. The podcast host analyzes each candidate’s strengths and potential fit with the team. Meanwhile, at the IIHF World Championships, Bruins players Jeremy Swayman and Elias Lindholm advance to the semifinals with their respective national teams. The host discusses their performances and the potential impact on their NHL careers. The episode provides in-depth analysis of coaching prospects and updates on Bruins players’ international success, offering fans valuable insights into the team’s future.

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