The San Jose Sharks have fired head coach David Quinn after just two seasons, the team announced on April 24.
The Sharks finished last in the NHL with a record of 19-54-9. San Jose has missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season, which played a role in the decision to move on from Quinn. The Sharks had a -146 goal differential this season and ended on a three-game losing skid.
“After going through our end of the season process of internal meetings and evaluating where our team is at and where we want our group to go, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at the head coach position,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “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.”
Quinn ends his tenure with the Sharks with a record of 41-98-25 after just two seasons since replacing Bob Boughner on July 26, 2022. Quinn had one year left on his deal, according to CapFriendly.
Along with Quinn, Grier announced head athletic trainer Ray Tufts will not return to the organization as well.
David Quinn’s coaching career
Quinn got his first head coaching career in June of 2009 when he was hired as coach of the Lake Erie Monsters, the minor league team of the Colorado Avalanche.
Quinn coached Lake Erie from 2009 to 2012 as he was named an assistant coach with the Avalanche for the 2012-13 NHL season. After just one season with Colorado, Quinn was named the head coach of Boston University.
His first head coaching gig in the NHL came in 2018 when he was named the coach of the New York Rangers. Quinn coached the Rangers for three seasons and was fired after New York failed to make the playoffs following the 2020-21 NHL season.
Quinn served as the head coach of the US Olympic team during the 2022 Winter Olympics and was named the coach of the Sharks on July 26, 2022.
As an NHL head coach, Quinn has a record of 137-185-50 and missed the playoffs in four of his five years as a head coach.
The Sharks Have the Best Odds to Win Draft Lottery
Because San Jose finished with the worst record in the NHL, they will have the best odds to win the draft lottery.
San Jose will have a 25.5% chance of winning the draft lottery and the right to select first overall in the 2024 NHL draft which is set for June 28-29 in Las Vegas. With the Sharks finishing with the worst record in the NHL, San Jose can’t pick lower than third overall.
The first overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft is projected to be Macklin Celebrini from Boston University. Celebrini recorded 64 points in 38 games in his freshman season and was named the Hobey Baker winner, which is awarded to the top college hockey player.
San Jose also has Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft from the Erik Karlsson trade, but that is top-10 protected.
