Sharks promote Warsofsky to head coach

The San Jose Sharks hired Ryan Warsofsky as the 11th head coach in franchise history, the team announced Thursday.

Warsofsky had been an assistant coach under David Quinn in San Jose for the last two seasons. Quinn was fired following a last-place finish in 2023-24.

The 36-year-old is the youngest active head coach in the NHL. He'll be one of the 100 youngest coaches in league history when he's behind the bench for his first game and the youngest since Jeremy Colliton debuted for the Chicago Blackhawks at age 33 in 2018.

"His track record of success at nearly every level of hockey as a head and assistant coach speaks for itself," general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. "Ryan knows our existing group well, has the respect of the players who he will be working with, and will be a great teacher for the young players who will be joining our organization."

Warsofsky previously worked as the head coach of the AHL's Chicago Wolves for two campaigns, where he won the Calder Cup in 2022. He won another Calder Cup in 2019 as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Checkers.

He was in charge of the Sharks' defense and penalty kill for the last two seasons. He oversaw the NHL's 18th-ranked shorthanded unit and Erik Karlsson's 101-point Norris Trophy campaign in 2022-23.

"I'm overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement to be named as the head coach of the San Jose Sharks," Warsofsky said. "This a tremendous opportunity to continue to be part of a well-respected organization, and my family and I couldn't be more excited for this next chapter."