The San Jose Sharks have announced that the organization has relieved David Quinn of his head coaching duties. The news became official on Wednesday afternoon, with no replacement named. The Sharks (19-54-9) finished last in the NHL and failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
Quinn was in his second season as coach of the Sharks. He departs with a 41-98-25 record in 164 games. In fairness, Quinn was caught in a transition period for the organization, set for a rebuild, but trying to hold off going full rebuild when the need to do so was inevitable. The coach didn’t have a lot to work with to make his team competitive.
According to NHL.com, the Sharks made this decision after completing their end-of-the-season meetings. They noted, “… we have made the difficult decision to make a change at the head coach position,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said. Grier added:
“David is a good coach and an even better person. I would like to personally thank him for his hard work over these past two seasons. He and his staff did an admirable job under some difficult circumstances, and I sincerely appreciate how they handled the situation.”
Who Might the Sharks Turn to Next?
As for who might be on the franchise’s radar as next coach, there will be plenty of strong candidates to choose from. Jay Woodcroft (Edmonton Oilers), Dean Evason (Minnesota Wild), Craig Berube (St. Louis Blues), D.J. Smith (Ottawa Senators), Lane Lambert (New York Islanders), Todd McLellan (Los Angeles Kings), and Don Granato (Buffalo Sabres) are all available having been coaches who were fired this season by their respective teams.
Next: Lindy Ruff Hired Again by the Buffalo Sabres as Head Coach
