Former Sharks Head Coach Calls Large Number Of Coaching Changes "Insanity"

Former San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer commented on the NHL's consistent coaching changes.

DeBoer, now the head coach of the Dallas Stars, is the ninth longest-tenured head coach in the NHL. He was hired in June of 2022, meaning this is only year two since he joined the Stars.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs firing Sheldon Keefe this morning, reporters asked DeBoer about the NHL's recent uptick in coaching changes. Since the end of the 2022-23 season, there have been 19 coaching changes; only one was via retirement, and the rest were all fired.

"It's insanity. We coach in an age where everyone talks about the modern athlete, building relationships in order to coach them. How do you do that with that kind of turnover? It's like going on a date and getting married and divorced before the appetizers show up. I don't get it. But that's the world we live in," DeBoer said.

DeBoer spent five seasons behind the San Jose Sharks bench. He is the only coach in NHL history to have led the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. His record with San Jose was 198-129-34.

Now, with the Dallas Stars, DeBoer is once again coaching a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations.

Jared Bednar, the Colorado Avalanche's head coach, also commented on the massive amounts of coaching changes. The Avalanche are facing the Stars in the second round.

The pressure for immediate success seems to be turned up to 100. Not even David Quinn could survive his three-year contract with the Sharks, and the team had zero expectations of winning. Dave Hakstol, the former head coach of the Seattle Kraken, coached that team to its first Stanley Cup Playoffs berth in 2023 but was fired this offseason after one down year in which his roster was filled with injuries.

Since DeBoer, the Sharks have had two coaches in four years. First came Bob Boughner and then, most recently, Quinn.

Related: Sharks' Mike Grier Explains The Decision To Fire David Quinn

The Sharks are in the beginning stages of their coaching search, according to GM Mike Grier, and with all the turnover, there are plenty of options to interview.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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