second month of NHL play, Sturm was already establishing himself in the NHL as a defensively responsible, two-way forward, and was second among league rookies in scoring to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mike Johnson. Consequently, he was named the league's rookie of the month for November 1997. He finished the season with 30 (10 goals and 20 assists) points over 74 games, ranking fifth in scoring among league rookies. Finishing with the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference, the Sharks qualified for the playoffs for the first time in three years. Facing the Dallas Stars in the first round, they were eliminated in six games. Sturm appeared in two post-season games, recording no points. The following season, Sturm was named to the 1999 NHL All-Star Game. Competing with Team World, he finished with the second best time in the Skills Competition's fastest skater segment, circling the rink in 14.654 seconds, 14 hundredths of a second slower than the Washington Capitals' Peter Bondra. Sturm later scored a goal in a losing cause as North America beat Team World by an 8–6 score. Playing in his second NHL season, Sturm improved to 16 goals and 38 points over 78 games. Late in the campaign, he suffered a hyper-extended knee during a game against the Edmonton Oilers on April 12, 1999. He missed the final two games of the regular season, but returned in time for the 1999 playoffs. He added 2 goals and 4 points over 6 games as the Sharks were eliminated in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche. In the next two seasons, Sturm recorded points totals of 27 and 32. He helped the Sharks advance to the second round of the 2000 playoffs, defeating the St. Louis Blues in seven games before being eliminated by the Stars. In 2001–02, Sturm reached the 40-plus mark in points with 21 goals and 20 assists. His efforts helped the Sharks win the Pacific Division for the first time in team history. They went on to lose in the second round of the 2002 playoffs to the Colorado Avalanche. During the off-season, he was re-signed by the Sharks to a one-year contract on July 1, 2002. The following campaign, he recorded 28 goals and 48 points, his highest totals as a Shark, earning him a two-year contract with the team, signed on July 16, 2003. However, the Sharks missed the