Bruins-Sturm Hockey

FILE - Los Angeles Kings assistant coach Marco Sturm walks off the ice at the end of the second period against the San Jose Sharks in an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018.

 Tony Avelar - FR155217 AP

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins hired Marco Sturm as coach on Thursday to help the Original Six franchise get back to the playoffs after missing them for the first time since 2016.

The Bruins picked Sturm to replace interim coach Joe Sacco, who took over from Jim Montgomery in November and led the team to a 25-30-7 record — much of it after a trade deadline roster purge. Sturm becomes the 30th head coach in Bruins history after spending the past three seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

Sacco, a Bruins assistant and former Avalanche head coach, replaced Montgomery 20 games into this season, but with the team unable to challenge for a playoff berth general manager Don Sweeney traded captain Brad Marchand and other veterans and the Bruins stumbled to a 33-39-10 record overall, tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

Only three teams in the league were worse.

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