Report: San Jose Sharks Considering Blashill as Head Coach

Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman has reported that former Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is a candidate for the San Jose Sharks vacant coaching position.

“I think Blashill is someone they’re considering,” Elliotte Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts Podcast.

Marco Sturm and Ryan Warsofsky are two other names Friedman linked the Sharks job. Friedman said the Los Angeles Kings may be looking to keep Sturm who has guided the Ontario Reign to the Pacific Division Final. Warsofsky was a Sharks assistant under fired coach David Quinn.

Sheng Peng has a story on the report at San Jose Hockey Now.

Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman fired Blashill on April 30, 2022. Yzerman and Blashill were usually on the same page. He liked how Blashill ran practices and how he used his personnel. But after six consecutive losing seasons, it was almost a mercy firing.

Blashill was the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 to 2022, owning a record of 204-261-72. He made the playoffs once, a first-round loss in 2016, before the Red Wings went into full rebuild mode.  Blashill has been an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the past two seasons.

Also on Blashill’s resume: coaching the Grand Rapids Griffins to an AHL championship in 2013 and Team USA to a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2018.

Mike Grier says that the San Jose Sharks’ coaching search will be a “long process”.

“We’re just in the early stages of it, going down the interviews, so nothing really to report too much on it. We’ll be thorough and have kind of a long process,” he said after the Sharks won the Draft Lottery. They will draft Macklin Celebrini.