The interim tags are starting to be removed from the coaches names throughout the NHL. The latest comes in San Jose where the Sharks have officially named Bob Boughner the ninth head coach in franchise history.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports, “The Sharks don’t normally announce term on coaching hires nor extensions but hearing that Bob Boughner and his staff all signed 3-year deals.” That staff will include assistant coaches Rocky Thompson and John Madden as per a statement by Sharks GM Doug Wilson.
Wilson noted:
Bob did a tremendous job last season, getting our group back to playing with an identity and structure that we need in order to be successful. We saw a marked improvement in our play in several key areas during the second half of the season, before losing some key players to injury.
Wilson also talked about adding Thompson and Madden to the staff, citing their wealth of experience. He called them both leaders as players and teachers and Wilson believes if the Sharks are healthy next season, this coaching staff will do a tremendous job with a motivated group of players who want to bounce back after a horrendous 2019-20 season.
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Boughner Has a Lot of Work To Do
Boughner took over for Peter DeBoer who was let go midseason and moved on to coach the Vegas Golden Knights. Bougher actually had a worse record after taking over, going 14-20-3 with the team.
But, a lot of that isn’t on Boughner. The Sharks were awful last season and now don’t even have their lottery draft selection in this year’s draft, having moved it to the Ottawa Senators.
Wilson believes this team will be competitive and is not planning to rebuild, but “retool”.
Next: Could San Jose Lose Brent Burns to Expansion?
