Sharks announce additional hockey operations & coaching staff

Early Friday morning, the San Jose Sharks announced the naming of Brian Wiseman as an assistant coach on head coach David Quinn’s staff. Wiseman will join recent hires Scott Gordon and Ryan Warsofsky, goaltending coach Thomas Speer and video coach Nick Gialdini to round out the bench.

Wiseman previously served for the past three seasons (2019-2022) for the Edmonton Oilers under head coaches Dave Tippett and Jay Woodcroft, with his focus being on offensive strategy, face-offs and game preparation. During his tenure, the Oilers went 121-71-17 and were 12th in the NHL in wins, eighth in goals scored (691) and tied for 12th in faceoff percentage (50.3 percent). In Edmonton’s Western Conference Final appearance in 2022, the team was third among all playoff teams in goals per game (4.06).

Prior to his time with the Oilers, Wiseman spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan, which included the program’s appearance in the 2018 Frozen Four. He also served as an assistant coach with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2010-11 — which included a Calder Cup Final appearance — and served as the video coach in 2002-03 with the Dallas Stars.

During his professional playing career, Wiseman primarily played in the International Hockey League (IHL) with the Chicago Wolves and Houston Aeros, appearing in 375 games. In the 1998-99 season, he won the Turner Cup with Houston and led the league in points, eventually being named the IHL’s Most Valuable Player in both the regular season and postseason. Wiseman spent his collegiate career with the University of Michigan over four years, where he recorded 249 points (84 goals, 165 assists) in 166 NCAA games. He was named captain of the Wolverines his senior year, named NCAA Rookie of the year in 1990-91, and was a Hobey Baker Finalist in 1993-94.

Additionally, the Sharks announced additional members to their hockey operations staff:

Stephane Leblanc — Director of CHL Scouting
Tommy Wingels — Development Coach
Luca Sbisa — Development Coach

Leblanc spent the past eight seasons as an amateur scout with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In his tenure, he was part of a scouting staff that selected 21 players since the 2015 draft who have gone on to reach the NHL. Leblanc began his scouting career with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) Saint John Sea Dogs, where he was a New Brunswick regional scout for two seasons.

A sixth-round selection by the Sharks (177th overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft, Wingels appeared in 448 NHL games from 2010-2018 with San Jose, Ottawa, Chicago and Boston. During his time with the Sharks, Wingels appeared in 337 games and totaled 122 points (51 goals, 71 assists), finishing seventh among Sharks skaters in goals scored, eighth in games played and ninth in scoring during his seven-season run with the club. Before being traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2016-17, the Sharks qualified for postseason appearances in five of Wingels’ six seasons, including a Western Conference championship and Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016. Additionally, Wingels played in 98 AHL contests with the Worcester Sharks and spent three seasons at Miami Ohio in NCAA play. On the international stage, Wingels represented the United States in seven games at the 2014 IIHF World Championship.

Sbisa joins the Sharks following a season in the same role within the Anaheim Ducks organization. A first-round pick selection by the Philadelphia Flyers (19th overall) in 2008, Sbisa skated in 549 NHL games split between the Flyers, Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Islanders, Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, recording 113 points (20 goals, 93 assists) in 13 seasons. He made six playoff appearances in his career, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018. Internationally, Sbisa represented Switzerland in numerous tournaments, including the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships, 2010 Olympics and the 2011 and 2012 IIHF World Championships.