By Jordan Long
The San Jose Sharks finally found their new Head Coach. They were the last team with a vacancy. The Sharks hired David Quinn.
San Jose’s job had been open since they fired Bob Boughner on July 1st. Boughner had just ended his third season behind the bench for San Jose. The results were never there for Boughner. San Jose went 67-85-23 and never earned a playoff spot with him as Head Coach. This past season, San Jose finished 32-37-13 for a total of 77 points, the best season with Boughner. They missed the postseason by 20 points. San Jose felt it was time to move on.
The Sharks were looking for a coach with NHL Head Coaching experience. After taking their time, they went with David Quinn. According to Yahoosports.com, General Manager Mike Grier said, “His previous NHL head coaching experience is valuable to us and he implements a system that will fit with our philosophy of being a hard team to play against. We are extremely happy to have him a part of this organization.”
Quinn brings in three years of NHL Head Coaching knowledge to the team. He was with the New York Rangers from 2018 to 2021. There he had a record of 96-87-25. Even though that is above .500, New York never earned a playoff spot with him. The closest they came was in 2020 when the NHL season moved to a bubble setting in Edmonton due to the COVID Pandemic. They were in the qualifying round but were swept 3-0 by Carolina in a best of 5 series. New York was outscored 11 to 4.
2021 was his last season coaching the Rangers. They ended with a 27-23-6 record for a total of 61 points, missing the postseason by 11 points. The Rangers let him go. Quinn didn’t coach last year waiting for another opportunity.
Quinn has another chance to be an NHL Head Coach with the Sharks. Reportedly the Sharks gave him a 3-year deal, enough time for him to coach this team into the postseason. San Jose last earned a playoff spot in 2019. That season San Jose advanced to the Western Conference Finals but were beaten by the St. Louis Blues in 6 games. St. Louis won the Stanley Cup that year.
Quinn needs to coach this team to the playoffs in the next three years even if San Jose is beaten in the 1st-round. It would show progress. The ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup. San Jose has never won it. They were close in 2016, advancing to the Cup Final but lost to Pittsburgh in 6 games. Hopefully, Quinn can turn this franchise into a winner otherwise, San Jose will be back to the drawing board in 3 years.
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