San Jose Sharks
OFFICIAL: Sharks Add Houda, Ulmer to Coaching Staff
The San Jose Sharks have finalized head coach Ryan Warsofsky’s coaching staff.
The Sharks announced that they will be adding Doug Houda and Jeff Ulmer to the coaching staff, while retaining Brian Wiseman.
San Jose Hockey Now reported yesterday that they were keeping Wiseman and adding Ulmer.
The Sharks also officially announced that they’re retaining goaltending coach Thomas Speer, and video coach Nick Gialdini and assistant video coach Cody Ward.
Houda ran the New York Islanders’ defense and penalty kill the last two seasons. The Isles were ninth in the NHL in the PK in 2022-23, before falling to last place in 2023-24.
The defensive defenseman racked up 561 NHL games, suiting up for the Detroit Red Wings, Islanders, Hartford Whalers, Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
The 58-year-old has extensive coaching experience. He was a Boston Bruins assistant coach from 2006 to 2016, winning a Stanley Cup in 2011. Then, he was an assistant coach with the Red Wings from 2016 to 2022.
Ulmer oversaw the Abbotsford Canucks’ power play and forwards from 2021 to 2024.
Before that, Ulmer spent two years with the Arizona Coyotes as director of player development and skills coach.
The 47-year-old played 21 NHL games with the New York Rangers, but the bulk of his career was overseas.
The forward, in his 19-year playing career, has skated professionally for teams in the United States, Wales, Finland, Germany, Russia, Belarus, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Austria, Scotland, and Denmark.
Wiseman has helped run the Sharks’ power play in the last two seasons. From Jan. 31, San Jose was actually seventh in the NHL with a 25.3 Power Play %.
REPORT: Sharks ‘Likely’ To Keep Brian Wiseman To Continue Power Play Success
Speer has been the San Jose Sharks’ goaltending coach the last two years, helping Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen enjoy respectable seasons in tough circumstances.
Gialdini and Ward has been arguably the most successful component of the coaching staff over the last two years: Per Scouting the Refs, the San Jose Sharks enjoyed an 86 percent success rate with coach’s challenges in 2023-24.
Behind the Scenes of Sharks Video Coaches Gialdini, Ward: ‘They’re the best. It’s proven.’ (+)
