Former Oilers player Mike Grier becomes NHL’s first black GM – Edmonton | Globalnews.ca

The San Jose Sharks hired former Edmonton Oilers player Mike Grier to become the first black general manager in NHL history.

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Mike Grier, left, speaks to reporters as he is introduced as the new general manager of the San Jose Sharks alongside president Jonathan Becher at a news conference in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday, July 5, 2022.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

The longtime NHL forward fills the spot that opened up when Doug Wilson stepped away for health reasons earlier this year.

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“Congratulations to former #Oilers forward Mike Grier on a groundbreaking achievement!” the Edmonton Oilers tweeted Tuesday.

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Grier spent three of his 14 NHL seasons with the Sharks from 2006 to 2009, and spent the last decade in various coaching and scouting roles in the league. He most recently was the hockey operations advisor for the New York Rangers.

Grier was chosen after a lengthy search that included dozens of candidates and lasted nearly three months since Wilson announced he was stepping down on April 7. Wilson had been absent in November.

The barrier-breaking hire comes less than a week after interim general manager Joe Will announced that head coach Bob Boughner and three of his assistants would not return next season. Will said he made the move two months after he finished the season to give the new GM a clean slate.

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Grier has a difficult task in San Jose trying to rebuild a team that has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons for the first time in franchise history.

Mike Grier, middle, poses for photos with his wife, Anne, from left, and their children Brooklyn, Tristan and Jayden as Grier is introduced as the new general manager of the San Jose Sharks at a news conference in San Jose, California. Tuesday, July 5, 2022.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Grier will have to get to work quickly, hire a new coach and deal with the draft on Thursday and Friday and the start of free agency next week. San Jose has the 11th pick in the first round.

Grier comes from a family of successful sports executives. His brother, Chris, serves as the general manager of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, and his father, Bobby, was a longtime coach and front office executive for the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans. .

Instead, Grier turned to hockey, playing 1,060 NHL games for Edmonton, Washington, Buffalo and San Jose. He had 162 goals and 221 assists in his career.

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The NHL has been emphasizing diversity with several women also getting opportunities in front office and coaching staff positions.

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The Arizona Coyotes announced Tuesday that Kelsey Koelzer and Kori Cheverie will serve as coaches under head coach Andre Tourigny during the team’s development program next week.

–With an archive of Global News

© 2022 Associated Press


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