Elliott Friedman has ruled out several head coaching candidates that the San Jose Sharks might be interested in.
“I love San Jose because of the connections I have with people who have been there,” Friedman said Monday on the “32 Thoughts” podcast. “A strong sense of alignment with the market is very important to them.”
Which three candidates with ties to the San Jose Sharks stood out more than Friedman?
Marco Sturm, who played for the Sharks from 1997 to 2005, is currently the head coach of the Ontario Reign. Before that, Sturm coached the German team at his 2018 Olympics, winning a surprise silver medal.
Jay Woodcroft was an assistant coach on San Jose Sharks bench boss Todd McClellan's staff from 2008 to 2015. He most recently served as head coach of the 2023 Edmonton Oilers, leading them to the Western Conference Finals, but was fired earlier this season.
Jay Leach, who played for the Sharks in 2009-10, is currently an assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken. Friedman noted that GM Mike Grier interviewed Leach for San Jose's top job in 2022 before hiring David Quinn. It's also possible that the Kraken select Leach to replace the recently fired Dave Hakstol.
Isn't that another name Friedman mentioned, the San Jose Sharks neighbor?
“Jeff Halpern is getting close. He's getting close to being a head coach in the NHL,” Friedman said.
Halpern is an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning and won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Volts in 2020 and 2021.
And perhaps even more than his connection to the San Jose Sharks, Halpern has a stronger connection to Grier.
Grier and Halpern played together for the Washington Capitals from 2002 to 2004.
Thoughts on 10 Sharks head coaching candidates
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