Ryan Warsofsky has secured his place behind the San Jose Sharks bench beyond the coming season, agreeing to a multiyear contract Thursday after steering a major year-over-year turnaround in his first campaign as NHL head coach.
Key takeaways
- Warsofsky, 37, had been set to enter the final season of his previous agreement.
- The Sharks went 39-35-8 for 86 points last season, finishing fifth in the Pacific Division.
- San Jose missed the Western Conference’s second wild-card berth by four points, with the Los Angeles Kings taking that spot.
- The club improved by 19 victories and 34 points from its NHL-worst 2024-25 finish.
- The Sharks open their regular season against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 1.
Warsofsky rewarded after Sharks climb
San Jose named Warsofsky its coach on June 13, 2024, and the extension follows a season in which the club moved from the bottom of the overall NHL standings into the playoff conversation. He had already spent two seasons with the Sharks as an assistant before taking over the head job.
At 37, Warsofsky remains the NHL’s youngest head coach. His first season produced a 39-win club that stayed in the race for a Western Conference wild-card position until the final accounting, ending four points behind Los Angeles.
The gains showed up most clearly in the Sharks’ attack. San Jose averaged 3.04 goals per game, ranking 16th in the League after finishing last at 2.54 goals per game in 2024-25.
Special teams also move forward
The power play made a similar jump under Warsofsky. After ranking 26th at 18.6 percent in 2024-25, San Jose climbed to 16th with a 21.2 percent conversion rate last season.
With the coach now under contract for multiple years, the Sharks will turn their attention to the next step after narrowly missing postseason hockey. Their regular-season opener comes Oct. 1 against Florida.
