San Jose Sharks Get Much Needed Fresh Start With Peter DeBoer
For the San Jose Sharks organization and their fans, they want to move past the 2014-15 season which was a downright disaster. After a promising start to the campaign, the Sharks experienced a February nosedive, highlighted by failing to record a home win during the entire month, including a loss to their bitter rivals at the Stadium Series in front of 70,000 Sharks fans.
The disappointing season ended with the San Jose Sharks missing the postseason for the first time since 2002-03. It resulted in the organization and their most successful coach in franchise history, Todd McLellan, parting ways over the offseason. McLellan recorded 311 wins, but could never get the Sharks over the final hurdle.
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Now, the keys are handed over to Peter DeBoer and he’s tasked with righting the ship for a franchise that still has Stanley Cup aspirations. DeBoer led the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season with the Devils, but has failed to make the postseason in any other season as a head coach.
However, DeBoer is the right man for the job now and he gives the players a fresh start with a new perspective. As Joe Thornton points out via Kevin Kurz of Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area, a new voice was needed in that San Jose dressing room.
There’s something to be said for a group needing to hear the message from someone else. As great as McLellan was for the organization, he couldn’t seem to regain the group ever since they went up 3-0 over the Los Angeles Kings during the 2013-14 playoffs. San Jose would lose the next four games in decisive fashion, and the franchise is still recovering in some aspects.
With DeBoer now in charge, the San Jose Sharks can now focus in on the 2015-16 season. DeBoer’s presence will be welcomed by a group that will be looking to prove to everyone across the NHL that they are still a force to be reckoned with.
As Thornton mentions, there’s a new excitement around the team at training camp as they’ve made some good additions. The 2015-16 version of the San Jose Sharks should have much better depth throughout their lineup, along with the added motivation of proving all the doubters wrong.
In order to do so, they needed a new face with a fresh voice, and that’s exactly what they have with DeBoer entering their 25th anniversary as a franchise.
Next: San Jose Sharks Kick Off Training Camp