Marco Sturm left the Los Angeles Kings and Ontario Reign this offseason to become the next head coach of the Boston Bruins. In his first head coaching opportunity in the NHL, Sturm gets a big gift as one of the top prospects slipped in the 2025 NHL Draft to the Bruins at seventh overall in James Hagens.
There was some that thought that Hagens could go as early as third or fourth overall in the NHL Draft and there were rumblings that the New York Islanders might trade up for him. However, in the end neither happens and it is Marco Sturm and the Boston Bruins that benefit with the selection.
Hagens is a dynamic forward who is coming off a solid season at Boston College, where he had 11 goals, 26 assists, and averaged a point per game in the 37 games at the NCAA level. He also played for Team USA at the IIHF U20 World Championships and had five goals and four assists in seven games.
Marco Sturm and James Hagens are a perfect pair to turn the Boston Bruins around
One of the strengths of Marco Sturm, and why he earned the head coaching job at the Boston Bruins, is his ability to develop young talent. The Los Angeles Kings benefited from Sturm's coaching at the AHL level with the Ontario Reign.
He was the head coach for the Reign for three seasons and helped develop some of the Kings' top prospects who have reached the NHL. This includes players like Brandt Clarke, Alex Turcotte, and Alex Laferriere who had a big role in the Kings' success this past season.
The Bruins are coming off a down season and will be looking to rebuild to get back to the playoffs. The combination of Marco Sturm and James Hagens has a chance to do that in the near future.