The affable Bruins winger went through a day that would have tested anyone's patience on Thursday, when he waived his no-trade close and was widely reported to have been dealt to Los Angeles, only to ultimately find out no deal had been finalized.
But there was Sturm one day later, smiling again in front of his stall as he met with the assembled throng of media members at the Bruins' training facility in Wilmington.
"I made it through that day," joked Sturm. "At least I was on the cover of every website."
So Sturm remains a Bruin, at least for now. How long he will be able to say that remains a mystery. Sturm did not skate with the team in practice on Friday, but was back with his teammates at Ristuccia Arena and spoke about the unusual day he spent Thursday, when he thought his five-year stay in Boston had come to an end.
"A couple days ago, [Bruins general manager] Peter [Chiarelli] asked me, he kind of explained the situation to me and asked me if I would move my no-trade clause," said Sturm. "I was thinking about it overnight and I told him [Thursday] and he told me the teams that were interested and we kind of went through it. I thought it would be done that day too, but it didn't happen, so I'm just going to work out again hard and see what happens."
Sturm has yet to play this season as he continues to rehab from offseason surgery after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee in the first game of last year's second-round playoff series against Philadelphia. He actually skated in an optional workout with four other Bruins on Thursday morning before the club's 8-1 win over Tampa Bay at the TD Garden, but by the afternoon he was expecting to be on his way out of town.
"Obviously," said Sturm, "if you talk about teams and [Chiarelli] asked me to waive my no-trade, obviously something must by cooking, right? But I never heard the final OK."
And so Sturm was back in the Bruins' locker room on Friday for an awkward meeting with his still-current teammates.
"It's not easy for me too, to come here," said Sturm. "Everyone saw it on the news yesterday, but I told the guys everything today and everyone understands. I think we're all professionals and we all have to go forward."
The Bruins certainly do understand the difficult situation Sturm has been put in and support him.
"He's up in the air right now, just waiting," said defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. "He's a little happier, at least he can hang out with us for a little longer, hopefully for a while. I don't know what will happen, but nothing has really changed.
"I've known him for a while, playing together on the national team in Germany, but since I came here, we've hung out more and our families have gotten closer," added Seidenberg. "So it's a little different, but that's how it goes and you have to deal with it."
Deciding to waive his no-trade clause wasn't an easy decision for Sturm, who was taken by surprise by the request.
"Definitely, it was a big shock for all of us, for my family too," said Sturm. "We didn't see that coming. I know there were a lot of rumors out there, but still it was hard to take. I truly love it here. I've had a great five years here, so it's hard. But I also understand the business of it and sometimes things aren't always going to go the way you want it. I just have to look [out] for me now, look for my future."
Sturm did state that he did not take a physical with any team on Thursday, while the Bruins announced that his time off the ice on Friday was simply a scheduled day off from his rehabilitation.
"It was for medical reasons," said coach Claude Julien. "It had nothing to do with any of that [trade] stuff. He was here. … No setback. He's going to be on the ice [Saturday]. There was no hidden agenda behind him missing today."
Sturm also confirmed that there has been no change in his prognosis, as he continues to target being ready to return sometime later this month.
"Nothing really has changed," said Sturm. "That's why I'm still coming here and I'll still try to be a good teammate and work hard just to try to get better and healthy."
Staying healthy has been a struggle for Sturm of late, as he also missed most of the 2008-09 season with torn ligaments in his left knee. He's now in the final year of a four-year, $14-million extension he signed in 2007 and facing an uncertain future in the game.
"I know I had some rough years here with injuries and I know it didn't help," said Sturm. "I just want to make sure I'm getting healthy and ready to go and have a good season. Of course, it always helps if you have a good team. Things are always much easier, and so I was hoping for that this year with the Bruins."
Instead, it now appears he might be making his comeback with another team, though he was impressed with the options Chiarelli laid out when asking him to waive the no-trade clause.
"The teams he told me, they're very good teams," said Sturm, who didn't reveal the specific clubs mentioned. "So I think there's a few of them that I think would be a good fit, but it's [Chiarelli's] choice now.
"It's solely up to Peter," added Sturm. "There's nothing to talk about right now. I told him I would waive my no-trade. I just have to wait."
