June 17, 2024, 07:33 pm ET
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Ryan Warsofsky had a front-row seat to some of the worst hockey played by the San Jose Sharks since his expansion days as David Quinn’s assistant the past two seasons.
Now, the 36-year-old who was hired last week as the NHL’s youngest coach will be tasked with overseeing a youth movement led by No. 1 overall Draft pick Macklin Celebrini, who Sharks GM Mike Grier hopes he can get the franchise back. in contention.
“We just went through two really tough years. I know what they need,” Warsofsky said at his introductory news conference Monday. “They’re a little beat up. We need some new light. We need some energy. We need some positivity. Now we have some hope with the prospects ahead. This is a really exciting chapter in this franchise with the prospects. “That Mike brought and drafted and we’re starting to develop and with this draft coming up, there are definitely exciting times ahead.”
Those exciting times have been missing since San Jose reached the Western Conference finals in 2019. San Jose has missed the playoffs for five straight seasons and hit rock bottom in the last two as Grier began a dismantling that now appears poised to deliver. fruits in a rebuild.
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Grier traded several star veterans like Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier to help replenish a pool of prospects that was depleted when he took over and will now add the No. 1 overall pick after winning the draft lottery last month. past. a group that features several talented young players.
Grier believed Warsofsky was the perfect person to lead a young group with his ability to communicate and relate to young players and his experience developing them as a successful coach in the AHL before joining San Jose.
“He’s a great communicator, which will be important,” Grier said. “We’re going to have a young group here. Connecting, talking and bonding with these young players is going to be very important. It’s going to be a big part of us taking the next step forward. He just checked every box for us.”
Warsofsky had previously been head coach of the Chicago Wolves for two seasons in the AHL. He led the Wolves to the AHL’s best regular season record with a 50-16-5-5 record in 2021-22 and captured the 2022 Calder Cup.
That kind of success has been missing in San Jose.
The Sharks went 41-98-25 in Quinn’s two seasons, the worst mark in the NHL over that span, including a league-worst 47 points last season. San Jose’s 19 wins this season were the fewest in a full season since the franchise’s second year as an expansion team in 1992-93.
The Sharks were not competitive at times, allowing at least six goals in 18 games, including back-to-back games early in the season in which 10 goals were allowed.
“There will be some changes,” Warsofsky said. “Obviously, the numbers weren’t very good, the analytics weren’t very good. We have to make changes. There has to be a system in place so that our players know what’s going on. They understand the system… When we have the puck we know what to do with it and when we don’t, we know how to get it back.
New Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky, speaking at his introductory press conference on Monday, acknowledged that the franchise is coming off “two really tough years” but expressed confidence that “there are definitely exciting times ahead.” Jeff Chiu/KeynoteUSA
San Jose has had the worst record in the NHL over the past five seasons and has struggled to fill the Shark Tank with fans disheartened by poor play on the ice. Fan interest began to change as soon as the Sharks won the draft lottery.
Team president Jonathan Becher said the season ticket renewal rate is the highest since the team reached the Stanley Cup in 2016 and new sales are also trending at a record pace. Becher said the team is on pace to sell out its draft watch party and could double any team’s previous high attendance.
“Obviously, the mood around the franchise changed substantially after the No. 1 pick went in our favor,” Becher said.
Grier ended the press conference by insisting on shutting down rumors that he is looking to trade captain Logan Couture, who played in just six games last season due to injuries.
“That is absolutely false,” Grier said. “If you see us bringing young players here and having a young team, he is exactly the type of person you want to have around your young players. He is our captain. He had a difficult year but we love him, as a person.” “He’s important, but he’s also a great hockey player.”
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