How Warsofsky will use youth to his advantage as new Sharks coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
New Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky is the youngest bench boss in the NHL.
Though he might not have the same amount of experience as most of his peers, the 36-year-old former Calder Cup winner already has over a decade of coaching under his belt.
But despite Warsofsky’s lack of NHL seasoning, his age offers a key potential advantage — one that could be especially important given the current state of the Sharks’ roster.
“I think I relate really well to this generation that’s coming,” Warsofsky told NBC Sports California’s Brodie Brazil after Friday’s first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
That incoming cohort of Sharks features 18-year-old Macklin Celebrini and 19-year-old Will Smith — the organization’s top picks of the last two drafts. Contrasting with most other NHL coaches that typically are in their 50s, Warsofsky provides a much smaller generation gap between player and coach.
This relationship now is as important as ever, given everything that today’s players deal with off the ice.
“I understand that there’s a lot of outside influences in these players’ lives, from social media to agents to family,” Warsofsky pointed out. “It’s not just putting your skates on, your helmet on, your stick, and you go out there and score 40 goals. It’s a difficult league to play in, and there’s a lot of outside influences we have to be understanding of.
“We have to respect that and support these players.”
On the other hand, Warsofsky still offers the perspective akin to a wise, well-versed veteran player. He has learned from past generation of NHL old-timers, so he can blend that more old-fashioned viewpoint with his own, possibly more contemporary style.
“I think I just relate to that generation really well,” Warsofsky asserted, referring to the teenagers Celebrini and Smith, “but I also have a little bit of me at that older generation that helps push and challenge players.”
In the end, the Sharks hope they have found the best of both worlds in Warsofsky to get the most of their promising young talent.
Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast
