The Sunday Read: How Matt McIlvane Landed in Boston as New Assistant Coach

BOSTON –– There were three days before the German Men’s National Team left for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.​

Marco Sturm, who at the time was the head coach of the group, suddenly had an opening on his staff to fill. And quickly. Sturm looked to the successful teams in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). EHC München was at the top of the standings for the third consecutive year. And so, Sturm selected one of their assistant coaches to join him at the Olympics.​

It turned out to be Matt McIlvane, who the Boston Bruins announced as a new assistant coach on Thursday.

“I took Matt without actually knowing him, but it turned out to be the best thing ever. He was just one of those guys and coaches; we clicked right away. Hockey-wise, we were talking the same language; we were thinking the same. We built a relationship right away,” Sturm said. “Since then, we always kept in touch because we both knew we would be coaches somewhere at one point, and we always said that hopefully we can work together again at one point as well.”​

Sturm, McIlvane and Germany went on to earn silver at the 2018 Olympics, marking the country’s first medal since 1976. They were the first German team to reach the Olympic gold-medal game. McIlvane, once a last-minute addition, etched his name into the German Men’s National Team history books.

“They were scrambling for a coach. So here I am, I stroll in. I come in, I’m new to the team and they’ve kind of been together and earned the right to go to the Olympics because they had to qualify and stuff. It was easier because I coached in the league and I had about seven or eight players from our team that were represented on the national team. But it was kind of crazy,” McIlvane said. “Marco and I, at that time, we didn’t really know each other. It had just been a handshake in a coaching room where we introduced one another. But we had a really instant coaching connection where we felt like we see things the same way. And maybe where we don’t, our strengths counterbalance each other. And it’s easy personally because he’s such a good guy.”

McIlvane used the Olympic run as a learning experience for himself, too. The Naperville, Illinois, native had been in Europe for the last 10 years, first trying to prolong his own playing career and then breaking into the coaching world. Sturm was a natural mentor.

“The thing that you notice right away when you’re with the German National Team is how much respect he instantly has from the German hockey players. Because until Leon [Draisaitl], he was the guy,” McIlvane said. “He was revolutionary for German hockey. Just watching him be able to command the room, but also get to guys connection-wise on an individual level was really impressive.”

After the Olympics, McIlvane remained an assistant coach with EHC München for one more season (he was there from 2014-19 and won three consecutive championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018) before becoming the head coach of EC Red Bull Salzburg in the ICE Hockey League. McIlvane held that position from 2019 to 2023, garnering back-to-back league championships in 2022 and 2023. He then made the jump back to North America as the head coach of the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.

McIlvane and Sturm coached against each other in the AHL as rival teams. Sturm spent three seasons (2022-25) as the head coach of the Ontario Reign before landing in Boston.​

“There were some intense games that we were playing each other. Ontario always had a fantastic team,” McIlvane said. “We’ve been a younger, developing team in San Diego, and it would always take our best shot to have a chance against Marco’s team. They were obviously very well coached.”​

McIlvane’s time in San Diego was imperative to him being prepared to take the next step with the Bruins, he thinks. It transitioned him back into the North American game after spending over a decade overseas, and allowed him to develop NHL talent on his own terms. During his time with the Gulls, McIlvane led his squad to a 33-27-8-4 record in 2025-26 and helped secure its first Calder Cup Playoff berth since 2021-22.

“I know exactly how he feels. The American Hockey League, it’s a great league. I learned so much, and I would definitely do it again. But again, at one point, you want more. It just hit me, and I knew I was ready. And that’s why I know exactly how Matt feels. I think in the three years, he learned a lot. Being back here in the States and this kind of game, this kind of style of game,” Sturm said. “I knew he would be a really good fit not just for me, but also for this organization.”​

Sturm was right. That is how McIlvane was feeling.

“Sometimes you get a new opportunity, and you just feel ready. And I can tell you that I just feel ready. I’ve seen so many different things at the American Hockey League level,” McIlvane said. “Been a part of an up-and-coming organization, developing players at the roots. There are just so many great lessons that the American League can provide us as coaches.”

One of McIlvane’s strengths, Sturm said, is his communication and unwavering commitment to get the best out of a lineup, no matter the age or experience of the players.

“If I didn’t know Matt, I would probably guess he would be a teacher. That is exactly what he brings to the ice and the rink as well. He’s really good with the guys, and he also gets them better,” Sturm said. “I know he’s going to get our guys to another level. That’s exactly how he is.”

​McIlvane rounds out Sturm’s coaching staff for the 2026-27 season, alongside Chris Kelly (Assistant Coach), Steve Spott (Assistant Coach) and Bob Essensa (Goaltending Coach).

The years of work and sacrifice have paid off for McIlvane, who credited his family as his biggest support system throughout the journey. He, his wife, Megan, 10-year-old son, Mason, and seven-year-old daughter, Mila, are now ready to make Boston home.

“It is just so exciting. You hate to be cliché, but it’s so true – it’s just such a privilege, such an honor to be a Bruin, to join Marco’s staff and just be able to support in any way possible. It is a wonderful feeling that it’s official,” McIlvane said. “I’ve been really fortunate in my life. We lived in Munich, Germany, which is phenomenal. And then Salzburg, Austria, and then San Diego and now Boston. So we’ve been hitting home runs at where we land. Boston is certainly just another one of those…There’s so much excitement about our next adventure and the opportunities that are in front of us.”