The San Jose Sharks have found their man.
After an extensive search that lasted for months after longtime Doug Wilson surprisingly stepped down from his post midway through last season, the Sharks have finally centered on the figure who will lead their organization into the future, with the club naming Mike Grier as GM on Tuesday afternoon.
The hiring is a historic one, as Grier becomes the first black GM in NHL history and paves the way for an entirely new generation of diverse voices entering hockey’s upper ranks.
The 14-year NHL veteran is returning to the organization he spent three seasons with as a player, with Grier playing 221 of his 1,060 career games for the Sharks from 2006 to 2009.
Following the end of his playing career in 2011, Grier held a number of different roles across the league. Serving as a scout for the Chicago Blackhawks from 2014-2018, Grier also stepped behind the bench as an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils from 2018-2020, as well. He then joined the New York Rangers, who were actually the club to facilitate Grier’s introduction to a front-office role by appointing him hockey operations advisor in May of 2021, a role in which he stayed until his hiring today.
A little over a calendar year later, Grier has now skyrocketed up the ranks to sit in the GM’s chair for an organization facing a very uncertain future.
