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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)
While the Pittsburgh Penguins parade their hard-won Stanley Cup trophy, the San Jose Sharks are busy at home.
General Manager Doug Wilson has made several announcements pertaining to key members of the Sharks organization. Some are staying for good, while others have already left.
First off, the Sharks saw assistant coach Todd Richards leave. Richards is about to be hired as the head coach of the Minnesota Wild. Richards will be only the second coach in the team's franchise after he replaces Jacques Lemaire.
This is a huge promotion for Richards, who just started with the Sharks this year. Last year he worked with the Pittsburgh Penguins top development team. For the 2008-2009 season, Richards was an assistant coach working with Todd McLellan and the President Trophy winning Sharks. As an assistant coach, Richards concentrated on the Sharks forward and powerplay lines.
Sharks’ fans will be sad to see such an excellent assistant coach go, but Richards has a promising future ahead of him.
The San Jose Sharks will no doubt be broken in some way this summer. Huge changes are expected within the team, however much criticized center Joe Thornton will not be leaving. According to GM Doug Wilson, Thornton is one of the players who will remain safe and stay on the team. Wilson has also said the same about All Star defense man Dan Boyle.
Rumors that veteran defense man Rob Blake will be returning to the Sharks are circulating. Blake has stated that he is interested in re-joining the Sharks for his 20th season, and the team will certainly appreciate his defensive skill.
After the Sharks broke down in the playoffs and all kinds of changes were threatened, one member remained safe. Wilson laid none of the blame on new coach Todd McLellan, who will most likely be coaching the team again next year.
However changes are sure to be made. The San Jose Sharks organization has until June 29th to retain Ryane Clowe, Marcel Goc, Torrey Mitchell, and Tomas Plihal before they become unrestriced free agents. Other fan favorite players will leave the team, but any alteration is worth it if it means finally winning the Cup.
Check back to see whether veteran Jeremy Roenick will return for another season.
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