After weeks of rumors, we now have confirmation that Marco Sturm is considered a candidate for the San Jose Sharks head coaching job. Last night, Pierre LeBrun reported that the Sharks asked the Los Angeles Kings for permission to speak to Sturm about the position, and the Kings acquiesced.
Hearing that the Sharks have sought and received permission from the Kings to speak with Marco Sturm as part of their coaching search process …
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 23, 2024
If you’re wondering why it took so long to interview Sturm, it’s because the former Shark has been busy. Until recently, Sturm was coaching the Ontario Reign in the third round of the AHL playoffs. The Reign were ultimately swept by the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Sturm led the Reign to a 42-23-7 record this past season, good enough for a third-place finish in the Pacific Division.
Who has interviewed for the Sharks coaching job so far?
It’s been nearly a month since the Sharks fired David Quinn and Sturm is the latest person to interview for the job.
According to San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng, while he’s unable to confirm the rumors, Jeff Halpern may have interviewed with the Sharks recently.
Other interviewees include Sharks Assistant Coach Ryan Warsofsky, who was thought to be a candidate for the Sharks coaching job in 2022, just before Quinn was hired.
Elliotte Friedman reported on 32 Thoughts that Jeff Blashill (assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning) and Jeremy Colliton (coach of the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL) might also be candidates.
Other head coaching hires around the league
Some of the seats are starting to fill in on the head coaching carousel. Last week, the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Craig Berube as the team’s head coach. The hope is that the man who led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup in the middle of a crappy season can turn the Leafs into a postseason machine.
Rod Brind’Amour re-signed as the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes earlier this week.
Then, last night, the New Jersey Devils announced that Sheldon Keefe would become the team’s new head coach.
That leaves three head coaching jobs: the San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets.
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