San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier. Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Sharks GM puts players, coaching staff on notice amid poor start

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 11/6/23

Losers of their first 11 games, the San Jose Sharks have the worst record in the NHL, and their general manager is threatening sweeping changes if the team doesn’t get its act together.

According to a report from the Mercury News, Mike Grier met with the Sharks locker room, including the coaches, and informed them his hand would be forced in making changes unless they snapped out of their funk.

“I just felt they needed to hear from me and what I’m seeing and what I expect from them to let them know what’s happening was not acceptable from my end,” Grier said. “There are certain things I won’t tolerate and some of that stuff has been happening, and I kind of let them know that. … If I don’t see what I want to see, we’ll be evaluating everything and looking at everything. I mean, this can’t go on for much longer.”

Grier on what he needs to see: "Better compete, more pushback. ... The games (were) too easy for Vancouver & Pitt here. It's just been too easy to come into our building and in play -- guys zipping pucks around and other teams thinking it's a point night. It's not acceptable."
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) November 6, 2023

San Jose is the only team in the NHL that has yet to score 15 goals. The team has surrendered 55 goals, an NHL worst, as is its -43 goal differential.

The Sharks are 0-10-1 and have been outscored 55-12 this season. They lost their last two games by a combined score of 20-3, allowing 10 goals in back-to-back games — something no NHL team has done since 1965.

Quinn brings #SJSharks closer, a heart-to-heart. This might be the biggest coaching challenge of his career, to get this group back to even respectability pic.twitter.com/QXy6TMCSNB
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 6, 2023

Their 10-1 defeat to the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 2 was the worst loss in franchise history. A loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday and the Sharks will become the first NHL team ever to lose their first 12 games of the season.

“The fans deserve more,” Grier added. “The owner has been supportive and backing me and the team forever. [It deserves] to be better for everyone. If the response isn’t there and I’m not seeing what I need to see then everything will be evaluated, and I’m sure there’ll be some changes made.”

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