SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The San Jose Sharks have hired longtime NHL forward Mike Grier to become the first Black general manager in NHL history.
Grier fills the spot that opened when Doug Wilson stepped away for health reasons earlier this year.
Grier spent three of his 14 seasons in the NHL with the Sharks from 2006-09, and he has spent the past decade filling various roles as a coach and scout around the league. He was most recently the hockey operations advisor for the New York Rangers.
Grier was the pick 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 taken a leave of absence 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 wouldn't return next season. Will said he made the move two months after the season ended to give the new general manager a clean slate.
Grier has a tough task in San Jose in trying to rebuild a team that has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons for the first time in franchise history.