San Jose Sharks name Mike Grier as first Black general manager in NHL history
The San Jose Sharks have hired Mike Grier as the first Black general manager in the NHL’s history.
Grier played 1,060 games over 14 seasons in the NHL, suiting up for four teams, including the Sharks. He most recently worked as a hockey operations adviser for the New York Rangers this past season.
Grier comes from a family of sports executives. His brother, Chris, is general manager of the Miami Dolphins. Their father, Bobby Grier, was an NFL executive for more than 20 years after his NFL coaching tenure.
Mike Grier is replacing Joe Will, who was interim general manager after Doug Wilson went on medical leave in November. Wilson, who retired in April, led the team to 14 playoff appearances, a Presidents’ Trophy and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
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The Sharks’ current three-year playoff drought, however, is the longest in franchise history.
Grier will have his work cut out for him. The draft is this week and free agency opens on July 13.
The Sharks fired head coach Bob Boughner and his assistants last week to allow the new GM to pick his own coach. Grier said he didn’t have a timetable for naming a coa
The roster is also strapped for cap space. With just $5.6 million of available cap space, the Sharks have a significant amount of money tied up in aging players. Defensemen Erik Karlsson (32), Brent Burns (37) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (35) have a combined $26.5 million cap hit.