Mike Grier Hired by Sharks; 1st Black GM in NHL History

After being named the first-ever Black general manager in the NHL by the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, longtime NHL player Mike Grier made history.

San Jose Sharks @SanJoseSharks

There is no better source to confirm the news than himself.

Please say hello and hear from our new #SJSharks General Manager, Mike Grier. 👋 pic.twitter.com/kIrBGAU14i

The hiring was first reported byESPN.

A hockey operations adviser with the New York Rangers, and a scout with the Chicago Hawks, Grier has worked in both sports. Doug Wilson stepped down as the Sharks GM in April due to medical reasons.

He served as an assistant coach with the New JerseyDevils and also worked as a front-office executive.

The 47-year-old Detroit native is best known for a lengthy NHL playing career with the Oilers, Caps, Sabres, and Sharks.

In the regular season, he had 383 points with 161 goals and 221 assists.

Chris Grier, the older brother of the 1993 ninth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues, is the general manager of the Miami Dolphins.

Mike will have a big job on his hands in San Jose, as he takes the reins of a team that has been stuck in the dumps.

The Sharks have missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, but they have made the playoffs in 19 of 21 seasons from 1997 to 2019.

The firing of head coach Bob Boughner came as a surprise given how late the firing occurred in relation to the NHL draft and free agency.

Finding a new head coach and managing a roster that has a lot of money tied up in veteran players will be some of the tasks that Grier will be tasked with.

The players will make at least $7 million per season over the next few years.

The 11th pick in the first round of the NHL draft is owned by the San Jose Sharks.