Former San Jose Sharks coach David Quinn has reportedly found his next job, one that would reunite him with a longtime friend and his former all-star defenseman.
Quinn, let go by the Sharks in April after just two seasons, is joining the Pittsburgh Penguins as a member of Mike Sullivan’s coaching staff, according to The Athletic.
The Penguins, who had not announced the hiring as of Tuesday morning, had a spot to fill on their staff after they fired assistant Todd Reirden in May. Reirden’s dismissal came after Pittsburgh, despite a late-season push, missed the playoffs with a 38-32-12 record.
Quinn and Sullivan, an original Shark, are longtime friends and were teammates at Boston University for one season in 1986-87.
Hearing that former #NYR and SJ coach David Quinn will be joining Mike Sullivan’s staff in Pittsburgh.
Reunited with Erik Karlsson, who won a Norris Trophy playing for Quinn in 2022-23
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) June 11, 2024
Quinn’s reported hiring in Pittsburgh would also reunite him with Erik Karlsson. Playing for Quinn, Karlsson had the most productive season of his career in 2022-23 with 101 points in 82 games, as he became the first defenseman in over 30 years to record over 100 points in a season.
Karlsson’s staggering offensive output on a Sharks team that missed the playoffs led to him winning the Norris Trophy last year as the NHL’s best defenseman for a third time.
Karlsson, seeking to be part of a team more capable of competing for a playoff spot, was traded by the Sharks to the Penguins last August.
The Sharks, as part of the three-team deal, retained received forwards Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman, defenseman Jan Rutta, and a conditional 2024 first-round draft pick from the Penguins. The Sharks now own that pick, which is No. 14 overall. The deal also freed up millions of dollars in cap space for San Jose.
Quinn was fired by the Sharks on April 24 after the team finished this season with a 19-54-9 record, although general manager Mike Grier said his decision to make a coaching change came because he felt the team needed a new voice. Quinn had one year remaining on his Sharks contract when he was let go.
The Sharks have yet to announce Quinn’s replacement, making them the only team in the NHL without a head coach.
A source indicated that the coaching search is in its final stages, and Grier recently said that he would like to have someone in place before the NHL Draft, which runs June 28-29.
Reported leading candidates include Ryan Warsofsky, an assistant on Quinn’s staff for the past two years, and former Sharks forward Marco Sturm, who has coached the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL affiliate for the past two years.