SAN JOSE – Mike Grier stated on the day he was employed because the Sharks’ normal supervisor three weeks in the past that he believed in a sure hard-nosed model of hockey, one which’s conducive to having fun with playoff success.
Not surprisingly, Grier employed a coach in David Quinn who sees the sport in a lot the identical approach.
“He has a very good sense of what wins is on this league and the way you need to play,” Grier stated of Quinn. “So undoubtedly, our visions type of lined up collectively.”
Quinn, 55, was formally launched because the tenth full-time coach in Sharks historical past Tuesday at SAP Heart, and inherits a staff that went 32-37-13 final season to complete out of the playoff image for a 3rd straight yr.
Grier stated he spoke to 9 candidates in his teaching search and whittled the listing down to a few finalists earlier than he chosen Quinn, who went 96-87-25 in three seasons with the New York Rangers earlier than he was let go in Might 2021. Quinn’s contract is believed to be three years.
When Grier was employed earlier this month, Quinn’s title instantly surfaced as a potential alternative for Bob Boughner, who was let go by the Sharks on June 30. Grier and Quinn each performed beneath coach Jack Parker at Boston College.
Grier expressly stated he didn’t rent Quinn due to his friendship with him, which dates again near 30 years. As a substitute, Grier felt he and Quinn’s shared ethos made him the proper particular person for the job.
”I believe it was a giant issue once we went by way of the method of how I see the sport and the way he sees the sport, and so they mesh effectively,” Grier stated. “That’s to not say that we gained’t push and problem one another if we see issues in another way, to assist us get higher and transfer ahead, however it’s undoubtedly a part of it.
“While you watch the Stanley Cup playoffs, you type of see what wins and what it takes to win on this league, and he’s been by way of it earlier than with the Rangers.
“Mike and I, instinctively and naturally, see this sport in an identical approach,” Quinn stated. “We’ll have disagreements, however I believe it’ll be a singular connection between administration and the teaching workers.”
Different takeaways from Quinn and Grier’s media availability Tuesday.
HANDLING BIG PERSONALITIES: Quinn has had varied ranges of success all through his almost 30-year profession as a coach in both faculty hockey, the AHL or NHL. However another excuse why Geier employed Quinn was due to his expertise in managing huge personalities.
Quinn coached stars resembling Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox in his three seasons with the Rangers, one thing that, in Grier’s eyes, ought to profit him as he will get to know the Sharks’ veteran core.
“There’s some personalities in our dressing room,” Grier stated. “His previous expertise coping with (Panarin, who's) not a simple man to take care of in New York, Mika, Cunning, these guys are excellent gamers, however all of them have their quirks and personalities to them that (Quinn) needed to take care of.
“That's one thing that undoubtedly factored in, that he’s had that have the place he is aware of what it takes to be with these gifted, however possibly typically troublesome gamers.”
If the Sharks have any hope of constructing the playoffs this season, Quinn should get essentially the most out of the staff’s highest-profile gamers like defensemen Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic and forwards Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture.
Requested particularly about Karlsson, Quinn stated, “when he’s wholesome, there are usually not many guys higher within the league. He’s nonetheless 32, acquired a number of nice hockey forward of him.
“If we’re going to attain our objectives, we want him on the high of his sport and that’s our job as coaches, is to place them in the very best place to have success and be on the high of his sport.”
HAVE EXPECTATIONS CHANGED?: Grier talked about on July 5 at his personal introductory information convention that the Sharks could need to take a step again earlier than they'll go ahead as a staff.
Now that Grier has his coach, has stuffed out a lot of the roster and has seen the Sharks’ greatest prospects first-hand, have his expectations for this upcoming season modified in any respect?
Not essentially.
“We’re going to push and try to make the playoffs,” Grier stated. “If we don’t. We all know we’ll have been aggressive all season lengthy in each sport, and the staff could have put in an effort that we could be pleased with. And if we’re not fairly there but, we’re not fairly there.
“However the objective is to win each night time, to be as aggressive as we are able to and type of let the chips fall the place they could. We’re going to place the very best product we are able to on the ice and play laborious each single night time.”
QUINN’S STAFF: Quinn stated that by subsequent week, he’ll have a brief listing of candidates to fill out his teaching workers.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported Friday that Ryan Warsofsky, who interviewed for the Sharks’ head teaching job, may even speak to the Sharks about an assistant place. Warsofsky led the AHL’s Chicago Wolves to the Calder Cup championship this previous season.