EV Landshut (1995–1997) After playing in
EV Landshut's junior program in Germany, he joined the club's premier
Deutsche Eishockey Liga team for the
1995–96 season. At 17 years old, he recorded 12 goals and 32 points over 47 games as a rookie. On a team basis, EV Landshut came within three points of the regular season title. During the off-season, he was selected by the
San Jose Sharks in the first round, 21st overall, of the
1996 NHL entry draft. Returning to Germany for one more season with EV Landshut, he improved to 16 goals and 43 points over 46 games, ranking fourth in team scoring.
San Jose Sharks (1997–2005) In July 1997, Sturm signed his first NHL contract with the Sharks. Making the team out of training camp, he was scratched for the first game of the
1997–98 season. The following game, he dressed and scored his first career NHL goal against
Jeff Hackett of the
Chicago Blackhawks on October 4, 1997. His goal, a
game-winner, came on a
breakaway after exiting the
penalty box and broke a 2–2 tie. Following his second month of NHL play, Sturm was already establishing himself in the NHL as a defensively responsible, two-way forward, and was second among league rookies in scoring to
Toronto Maple Leafs forward
Mike Johnson. Consequently, he was named the league's rookie of the month for November 1997. He finished the season with 30 (10 goals and 20 assists) points over 74 games, ranking fifth in scoring among league rookies. Finishing with the eighth and final
seed in the
Western Conference, the Sharks qualified for the
playoffs for the first time in three years. Facing the
Dallas Stars in the first round, they were eliminated in six games. Sturm appeared in two post-season games, recording no points. The following season, Sturm was named to the
1999 NHL All-Star Game. Competing with Team World, he finished with the second best time in the Skills Competition's fastest skater segment, circling the rink in 14.654 seconds, 14 hundredths of a second slower than the
Washington Capitals'
Peter Bondra. Sturm later scored a goal in a losing cause as North America beat Team World by an 8–6 score. Playing in his second NHL season, Sturm improved to 16 goals and 38 points over 78 games. Late in the campaign, he suffered a hyper-extended knee during a game against the
Edmonton Oilers on April 12, 1999. He missed the final two games of the regular season, but returned in time for the
1999 playoffs. He added 2 goals and 4 points over 6 games as the Sharks were eliminated in the first round by the
Colorado Avalanche. In the next two seasons, Sturm recorded points totals of 27 and 32. He helped the Sharks advance to the second round of the
2000 playoffs, defeating the
St. Louis Blues in seven games before being eliminated by the Stars. In
2001–02, Sturm reached the 40-plus mark in points with 21 goals and 20 assists. His efforts helped the Sharks win the
Pacific Division for the first time in team history. They went on to lose in the second round of the
2002 playoffs to the Colorado Avalanche. During the off-season, he was re-signed by the Sharks to a one-year contract on July 1, 2002. The
following campaign, he recorded 28 goals and 48 points, his highest totals as a Shark, earning him a two-year contract with the team, signed on July 16, 2003.
Boston Bruins (2005–2010) At the time of the trade, Sturm had recorded 16 points in 23 games with the Sharks. Playing with his new team, he finished the 2005–06 season with career-highs of 29 goals (second on the team to centre
Patrice Bergeron), 30 assists and 59 points, (third on the team behind Bergeron and winger
Brad Boyes) over 74 games. The Bruins struggled as a team, however, and finished out of the playoffs. In his first full season with the Bruins, Sturm notched 27 goals and 44 points. His 17 assists were his lowest total since the 1999–2000 season. The Bruins once again failed to qualify for the playoffs. In
2007–08, Sturm neared career-highs once again as he tallied 56 points, second in team-scoring behind centre
Marc Savard, as well as a team-leading 27 goals. He helped the Bruins return to the post-season as the eighth and last seed in the East, matched against the
Montreal Canadiens in the first round. Facing elimination in Game 6, Sturm scored with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. After Canadiens goaltender
Carey Price stopped his initial shot, Sturm retrieved his own rebound and skated the puck around Price for the game's
winning goal. Though the Bruins forced a Game 7, they lost the deciding contest and were eliminated. Sturm had 2 goals and 4 points during the series. Sturm was beset with injuries during the
2008–09 season, the first of which was a
concussion, suffered on November 19, 2008. After returning to the lineup having missed 12 games, he suffered a knee injury on December 20, 2008. The following month, he opted for surgery to repair his
meniscus and
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), He helped the Bruins qualify for the playoffs, where they were eliminated in the second round once more. During the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Flyers, Sturm injured his knee 21 seconds into Game 1, sidelining him for the remainder of the playoffs. With a torn ACL and
medial collateral ligament (MCL), he underwent his second knee surgery in three years and missed nearly half of the ensuing
2010–11 season due to rehabilitation.
Post-Bruins (2010–2014) While his recovery from knee surgery was nearly complete, Sturm was traded to the
Los Angeles Kings on December 11, 2010, in exchange for future considerations. The deal with the Kings had almost been finalized nine days prior, but had initially fallen through. On December 21, Sturm was activated from injured reserve and joined his new team wearing the #10 jersey, as his usual #16 was retired by the Kings for
Hockey Hall of Fame centre
Marcel Dionne. After scoring 5 goals and 9 points over 17 games with the Kings, Sturm was placed on
waivers on February 25, 2011. The following day, he was claimed by the
Washington Capitals. Playing 18 games with Washington, he recorded one goal and seven points. In the playoffs, he added a goal and three points over nine games as the Capitals were eliminated in the second round. in 2012 Sturm became an
unrestricted free agent in the off-season, and the
Vancouver Canucks expressed interest in signing him. He consulted with countryman
Christian Ehrhoff, who had played defence with Vancouver for two years before signing with the
Buffalo Sabres that summer. Ehrhoff recommended the team and Sturm signed to a one-year, $2.25 million deal on July 1, 2011. The Canucks had been
Stanley Cup finalists the previous season and Sturm later explained he believed Vancouver was his "best chance" to win a championship. Less than a month into the season, on October 22, 2011, he was traded to the
Florida Panthers, along with fellow veteran forward
Mikael Samuelsson for forwards
David Booth and
Steven Reinprecht, as well as a
2013 third-round pick. Sturm appeared in 49 games for Florida in 2011–12, including all 7 games of the Panthers'
first-round playoff loss to the New Jersey Devils. Following the NHL lockout Sturm began the season as an unrestricted free agent before eventually signing with
Kölner Haie in the
Deutsche Eishockey League. The signing was officially announced by the team on February 3, 2013. He announced his retirement from the game of ice hockey on January 27, 2014. ==Coaching career==