# Nico Sturm

Nico Sturm (born 3 May 1995) is a German professional ice hockey forward for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche, and San Jose Sharks. He made his NHL debut in 2019 with the Wild, and won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. Internationally Sturm has played for the German national team, and won a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships.

## Playing career
### Amateur

Sturm played as a youth in his native Germany, appearing with ESV Kaufbeuren in the German Development League (DNL) from 2011 to 2014. In order to continue his development, Sturm opted to move to North America, playing in the North American Hockey League with the Corpus Christi IceRays and the Austin Bruins.
Sturm was selected by the Tri-City Storm, 72nd overall, in the 2015 USHL Entry Draft. On 30 June 2015, Sturm was announced to have signed with the Storm, while also committing to play collegiate hockey at Clarkson University of the ECAC.
In the 2015–16 season, Sturm recorded 39 points in 57 games with the Tri-City Storm and added 6 points in 5 playoff games to help Tri-City win the Clark Cup.
Sturm played his freshman season with the Clarkson University Golden Knights in the 2016–17 season, collecting 21 points in 38 games to earn a selection to the ECAC All-Rookie Team. In his second year, Sturm continued to realise his potential, increasing his offensive production with 37 points in 40 games. His solid two-way play was noticed as he led the NCAA with a 61.7% face-off win percentage and was named the 2017–18 ECAC Best Defensive Forward.
Returning as co-captain for his junior season with Clarkson in 2018–19, Sturm led the team in scoring and assists with 45 points in 39 games. In his standout season for the top ranked Golden Knights, he was named the ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Forward for the second consecutive season, a Top Ten Hobey Baker Award Finalist, a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year Award, named to the 2019 ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team and an ECAC First-Team All-League selection.

### Professional
#### Minnesota Wild

As an undrafted free agent, Sturm attracted league wide NHL interest following his junior season, opting to forgo his senior year in signing a one-year, entry-level contract for the remainder of the 2018–19 season, with the Minnesota Wild on 1 April 2019. He immediately joined the out of contention Wild making his NHL debut in a 3–0 defeat to the Boston Bruins on 4 April 2019.
Sturm mostly played in the Wild's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Iowa Wild, in the 2019–20 season. He earned a call-up to the NHL during the season and recorded his first two NHL assists in a six-game stint with the Wild. When the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wild were admitted to a play-in round of the playoffs when the NHL resumed. Sturm would play in two games of the Wild's five-game series against the Vancouver Canucks, and scored his first NHL goal in Game 4 against Jacob Markström.

#### Colorado Avalanche

On 15 March 2022, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, in exchange for Tyson Jost. On 26 June 2022, Sturm helped the Avalanche claim their first Stanley Cup in 21 years.

#### San Jose Sharks

On the back of his success with the Avalanche, Sturm as a free agent was signed to a three-year, $6 million contract with the San Jose Sharks on 13 July 2022.

#### Florida Panthers

During the 2024–25 season, approaching the end of his contract with the Sharks, Sturm was traded to the Florida Panthers on 6 March 2025, alongside a seventh-round draft pick in 2027, in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in 2026.

## Personal

Sturm is engaged to fellow Clarkson alum and professional hockey player Taylor Turnquist.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2011–12 | ESV Kaufbeuren | DNL | 31 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | ESV Kaufbeuren | DNL | 33 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013–14 | ESV Kaufbeuren | DNL | 24 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013–14 | Corpus Christi IceRays | NAHL | 21 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014–15 | Austin Bruins | NAHL | 53 | 11 | 30 | 41 | 28 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 0 |
| 2015–16 | Tri-City Storm | USHL | 57 | 14 | 25 | 39 | 47 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 2016–17 | Clarkson University | ECAC | 39 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017–18 | Clarkson University | ECAC | 40 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018–19 | Clarkson University | ECAC | 39 | 14 | 31 | 45 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018–19 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019–20 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019–20 | Iowa Wild | AHL | 55 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 50 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 53 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 21 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2022–23 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 74 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 63 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024–25 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 47 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 316 | 46 | 45 | 91 | 79 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2015 | Germany | WJC | 10th | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2023 | Germany | WC | | 10 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
| 2024 | Germany | WC | 6th | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 16 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 4 |

## Awards and honors

| Award | Year |
| USHL |||
| Clark Cup champion | 2016 |
| College |||
| ECAC All-Rookie Team | 2017 |
| ECAC Third All-Star Team | 2018 |
| ECAC Best Defensive Forward | 2018, 2019 |
| ECAC First All-Star Team | 2019 |
| ECAC All-Tournament Team | 2019 |
| East First All-American Team | 2019 |
| NHL |||
| Stanley Cup champion | 2022 |