The San Jose Sharks added to the already extended list of NHL head coaches that have been fired this season, as they parted ways with their head man, Pete DeBoer, last week. The team called the firing strictly a hockey-related decision, as the team remains near the bottom of the Pacific Divisoin, despite their high expectations. Assistant coach Bob Boughner will take over the position in the interim for San Jose, who also fired coaches Dave Barr and Steve Spott in other moves. They did promote within to fill those positions, as Roy Sommer, Mike Ricci, and Evgeni Nabokov will move up in their roles.
The team did confirm that this firing had nothing to do with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stating that the league would not put up with any form of abuse from head coaches. That statement comes after the Calgary Flames fired Bill Peters over similar issues from his past.
At the time of DeBoer's firing, the Sharks had 32 points with a 15-16-2 record, which had them just five points out of the final Wild Card spot and six points out of the third place position in the division. Despite them not being out of it so early on, their .485 win percentage is the fourth-lowest in the Western Conference. The Sharks' tough four-game road trip that saw them get just one point was the final call for their now former head coach, as they were outscored 23-7 in that span.
The 51-year-old was in his fifth season with San Jose and went 198-129-34, leading them to the Western Conference Championship in his first season, and then to the Western Conference Finals last season, before falling to the St. Louis Blues. He is now the fifth head coach to get fired this season, some of which have come as a surprise, which this one could be put up there, but with a league full of parody, it's either win or go home.
The team did confirm that this firing had nothing to do with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stating that the league would not put up with any form of abuse from head coaches. That statement comes after the Calgary Flames fired Bill Peters over similar issues from his past.
At the time of DeBoer's firing, the Sharks had 32 points with a 15-16-2 record, which had them just five points out of the final Wild Card spot and six points out of the third place position in the division. Despite them not being out of it so early on, their .485 win percentage is the fourth-lowest in the Western Conference. The Sharks' tough four-game road trip that saw them get just one point was the final call for their now former head coach, as they were outscored 23-7 in that span.
The 51-year-old was in his fifth season with San Jose and went 198-129-34, leading them to the Western Conference Championship in his first season, and then to the Western Conference Finals last season, before falling to the St. Louis Blues. He is now the fifth head coach to get fired this season, some of which have come as a surprise, which this one could be put up there, but with a league full of parody, it's either win or go home.
