Boston Bruins
“He is an excellent teacher and communicator who has done a great job developing players throughout his coaching career.”
Marco Sturm rounded out his coaching staff on Thursday. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe
June 11, 2026 | 6:34 PM
2 minutes to read
The Boston Bruins wasted little time in replacing Jay Leach on Marco Sturm’s coaching staff, =announcing the hiring of Matt McIlvane on Thursday evening.
McIlvane, 40, served as head coach of the San Diego Gulls — the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks — for the last three seasons. Over that stretch, San Diego posted a record of 88-97-31, with the Gulls earning their first Calder Cup playoff berth since 2021-22 this past season.
The Naperville, Illinois native also spent four seasons (2019-23) as head coach of EC Red Bull Salzburg in the ICE Hockey League — winning back-to-back league championships in 2022 and 2023.
McIlvane and Sturm have crossed paths before, beyond their clashes as AHL head coaches out on the West Coast.
During the 2018 Winter Olympics, McIlvane was an assistant coach for Sturm on Team Germany and helped lead the team to a silver medal during the international tournament in PyeongChang.
“We are excited to welcome Matt, his wife Megan, and their children Mason and Mila to Boston,” Sturm said in a statement released by the team. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Matt through the German National Team, and I’ve come to know him as an outstanding coach and person.
“He is an excellent teacher and communicator who has done a great job developing players throughout his coaching career.”
McIlvane now joins Chris Kelly (Assistant Coach), Steve Spott (Assistant Coach), and Bob Essensa (Goaltending Coach) on Sturm’s coaching staff entering the 2026-27 season.
While McIlvane’s exact role on Sturm’s staff has not been announced, the writing appears to be on the wall that he’ll take over Leach’s previous duties in Boston.
Leach — who recently became head coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack after his contract was not renewed by Boston — ran Boston’s defense and penalty kill during the 2025-26 campaign.
Last season, the Gulls ranked eighth in the AHL in terms of penalty-kill percentage (83.5 percent).
As noted by Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, San Diego was also just one of three teams in the AHL that had multiple defensemen post double-digit goals this past year.
Considering that Boston ranked 18th in the NHL last season in goals scored by D-men (36), it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if encouraging a more shot-first mindset on the backend stands as a tweak for Sturm and the Bruins moving forward.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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