Fort Lauderdale – Nico Sturm is ready to push alongside the Panthers.
The 29-year-old forward, who came from San Jose at the trade deadline earlier this month, hopes to win his second Stanley Cup after winning in Colorado in 2022.
A face-off wizard, Sturm brings both experience and a unique skill set to Florida.
In 57 games this season, the German Augsburg native, who was split between the Sharks and the Panthers, has accumulated 13 points (7 goals, six assists) and scored 59.9% of his draw.
“He’s already huge for us, killing penalties and just playing hard,” said Jonah Gadjovich, who previously played at Sturm in San Jose. “He’s a big presence here in the fourth line. He’s amazing. I think it’s huge to have him here. We’re all excited.”
Following recent practice at Baptist Health Iceplex, I was able to sit with Sturm and chase his new environment, his off-day activities, the second cup and more!
Olive: It’s been about two weeks since you traded. What was your transition to the Panthers like?
Sturm: It’s easy. It’s an experienced team. I know what I want to achieve this year. This is an experienced team that won the Stanley Cup last year. That means there are many structures. I’ve played enough games in this league and know what is expected of me there, and they know what I bring to the table. This makes the transition easier.
Olive: Played with Jonah Gadjovic for the season in San Jose. How wonderful it was to come to a new team and have such a familiar face on the ice with you?
Sturm: Obviously I know Gadjy (Gadjovich). He’s a great, amazing guy. He is a great family man. I love him as he is, but playing with him is pretty easy. Also Greersy (AJ Greer) and Nosy (Tomas Nosek). It’s straight hockey. It’s very easy. There isn’t much hockey hanging there or in the east and west. It’s a straight line. That’s what the team needs from us, and we provide it.
Olive: It feels like the Panthers have been mostly on the road since you arrived. Have you managed to settle in South Florida?
Sturm: Still (smile). I’m still at the hotel. I hope my short-term rentals are ready while we are on the road. The day after the Pittsburgh game, I want to get in. It’s difficult to come back to the hotel every day. I was with San Jose for two weeks before being traded, so it was hotel life. Then you come here and you’re in the hotel. After that, we head back to the road with our team and we’ll be at a hotel there. It’s hard to relax when you feel like you’re not going to go home. It’s nice to set it up. I can’t wait to go shopping for grocery items. It’s nice to just stay home, sit on the porch and read books. I miss it because I can open the fridge and have snacks (lol). I look forward to cooking at home. I’ve been eating out for a month.
Olive: What were your early impressions of South Florida?
Sturm: A unique place to play. There is a great opportunity to recover during downtime and prepare for your next practice and game. It’s all there, so you want to take advantage of it.
Olive: When coming from Germany, not many fans know that the first flavor of hockey in North America was in Naar’s Corpus Christi Ikareise. What was your experience of traveling abroad as a young child to play hockey in Texas?
Sturm: Play junior hockey in Germany, come here and there is a new arena – American Bank Arena in the Corpus. It’s a great arena. He suddenly plays in front of thousands of fans, not just 25 parents. To me, it already felt like the NHL. For me, it was amazing. It was very professional compared to what my junior team could offer in Germany. My language development has come a long way. We have English in our school, so there was no language barrier in that sense. I was able to communicate quickly, but I took up a lot of vocabulary and expanded my knowledge a bit a little. The university clearly helped me in that regard too. I think what helped was that I came to the corpus mid-season. It was a huge adventure. You come as an 18 year old and don’t really know what to expect. You live with billets, but there is laundry, food, something like that. You are the first time you’re doing yourself. It feels like a bit of a big adventure. I think it will also help you grow as a person. By moving away from home and taking that responsibility for the first time in your life, it has not only made me a better hockey player, but also a better person.
Olive: How much do you think winning the Stanley Cup has had on your career?
Sturm: I said this before, but the three years in San Jose have been tough from a success perspective. It makes you realize how difficult it is to win this league, and how difficult it is to even enter the playoffs. There are players who have an incredible career that plays in the league for 10-15 years, but have no opportunity to join those teams and barely sniff the playoffs. When you have that ring, it’s not something you stare at every day, but one day is more difficult than the other. “I have this thing. I was on that team. No one can take it from me.” It gives you peace of mind. This is something I have forever. It was the pinnacle of hockey and you’ve reached it. It gives you calm and peace, but you are not satisfied. Once it tastes, I want it again. This is the nature of how it works.
Olive: So, how is it burning to chase a second drink here with the Panthers?
Sturm: That’s why I’m trying to calm down now and use these last 14-15 games. Everything else outside the ice – housing, family, cars – can all settle down just like you can’t do anything but hockey on a 6-7 week stretch once the puck falls.
Olive: If you have the opportunity to relax, would you like to spend some time away from the link?
Sturm: I’m a sun and the beach guy, so this is perfect for me. In that sense, my days off are not actually loaded with activities. What I want to do on my days off is to come to the rink, ride a bit of bike, sweat a bit, and recover the cold tub. It feels like it’s waking you. I then usually go home and grab lunch somewhere before spending an hour in the sun. I read a book under the sun. That’s usually what my fiancé and I would normally like to do. Just grab some coffee and sit outside.
Olive: Are there any particular genres of books you really enjoy?
Sturm: I’m a slow reader. It’s crazy (smiles). My fiancé, she runs through books in a few days. I’m reading the book “Game of Thrones.” They are big books and I am a slow reader. I’ve been fighting them. I’m in my fifth book now. Fans of “Game of Thrones” are waiting for George RR Martin to release a new book, so if it comes out, it’s ready too. That’s what I’ve been reading those books for the past two years. I also read the prequel about the Targaryen family and three short stories in between that he wrote. It’s well written. I’m not usually a fantasy guy, but they’re very well written. The book is better than the show as usual. I have about half the books left, and I have to find something new this offseason.
Olive: I know there are not many options in South Florida, but when you arrive in a new area, finding good German food becomes a priority?
Sturm: Yeah, that’s one of the things I have to start looking for once I set up. There was one place I went to in San Jose several times a year, but ideally there are stores where you can buy products. If anyone is there and knows anything about the Fort Lauderdale area and German spots and shops, shoot me a DM. I love it.
