A native of Dingolfing, Germany, home to BMW's main automotive division. Marco was the youngest player drafted in 1996 NHL Entry Draft (17 years, 9 months) after the Sharks aggressively traded up to select him the first round (21st overall) by swapping two 2nd round picks with Chicago. Along with fellow rookie Patrick Marleau, the duo was the highest scoring rookie tandem in the NHL in 1997-98. He was also among the NHL's rookie scoring leaders last season. He plays golf and tennis and enjoys jet skiing. Marco is a big Garth Brooks fan, and he saw him in concert when Brooks visited San Jose. He enjoys watching "Home Improvement" on television and lists "Seven" as his favorite movie. He misses the cooking in Germany, especially wienerschnitzel--the food, not the restaurant. Marco spent part of last summer visiting Barcelona and spent several days in Turkey, on the islands, where he spent time relaxing on the beaches and particpating in water sports. He hopes to someday learn how to play the guitar and might like to start his own band. If he were not a hockey player, Marco would like to play professional soccer, a sport he became proficient at while a youngster.

Marco Sturm was born the son of a computer salesman in Dingolfing, Germany. Marco is someone who can go out and check the other team's top guy, and he's still one of the youngest players on the team. Sturm, the first German ever taken in the first round, made the prodigious leap to the NHL from Landshut of the German league. Marco loves soccer and wanted to become a professional soccer player, but it just so happened that he was better at hockey. At the moment, Sturm is a more polished all-around player than Marleau.

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Marco is a great two-way forward
Marco battles with Lidstrom