The San Jose Sharks will be under new management next season for the first time in two decades. Doug Wilson announced today that he is stepping down from his role as general manager of the Sharks. Wilson had been on medical leave since November, and Joe Will will continue as interim GM until a new one is found. There is not yet a timeline for that search, but owner Hasso Plattner explained that it will be “guided by the organization’s ability to interview all of the desired prospective candidates.”
Wilson released a lengthy statement, which in part read:
Finally, I want to thank everyone who has reached out during my leave of absence. While I have made great progress over the last several months, I feel it is in the best interest of the organization and myself to step down from my current duties and focus on my health and full recovery. I look forward to continuing my career in the NHL in the future.
Given the title of general manager in 2003, Wilson led the Sharks to the playoffs on 14 different occasions and captured the Pacific Division title five times. They only reached the Stanley Cup Final once, and never did win it, but his time at the helm brought an almost unparalleled level of regular season success. The team averaged more than 45 wins and 100 points during his run.
Wilson was also ultimately responsible for drafting franchise icons like Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Tomas Hertl, and Timo Meier, as well as acquiring Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. While it never ultimately resulted in an NHL championship, his time in San Jose certainly brought the city and Sharks’ fans a lot of wins.
In 2020, Wilson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, celebrating his outstanding playing career that spanned more than 1,000 games. That included two seasons as captain of the Sharks, a few years before he joined the team as the director of player personnel in 1997, his first role with the team. In all, it’s been more than three decades since he has called any other NHL organization home.