Joe Thornton digs at Todd McLellan as Sharks leave town
As if the San Jose Sharks could appear more dysfunctional.
At the team’s locker clean out/breakout day Wednesday, coach Todd McLellan and general manager Doug Wilson indicated there was no decision on McLellan’s future with the team. There have been smoke signals that McLellan – the team’s coach since 2008-09 – is done with the Sharks. San Jose missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons.
“The answers you guys are looking for today, I’m not going to be able to give them to you,” McLellan said. “I need a little more time, I’m sure the organization needs a little bit more time.”
Alas, no white smoke. There is no new pope. But hold the phone on this neat little message by McLellan. Check out some of these quotes from CSN Bay Area in an interview with (alternate) captain Joe Thornton:
Did what happened at the end of last season carry over at all?
Thornton: “It didn’t for me. I can just say personally it didn’t for me. No.”
Did it for the team?
Thornton: “It shouldn’t have. If it did, we don’t want them here. We want tough individuals that can handle adversity. If it did, we don’t want you here.”
Where does that improvement need to come, in terms of culture?
Thornton: “Everywhere. It comes from the coaches, and they bring it down to us. It comes from everywhere.”
There’s a lot of focus on the coaching staff. Do you sense any need for change?
Thornton: “I have no idea. Todd has to talk to his family. Maybe he should talk to this family as well in here. We’ll see what happens.”
Thornton’s sarcasm amps have really gone up to 11 this year. First there was telling general manager Doug Wilson (publicly and to the media) to shut up after Wilson took a jab at Thornton’s leadership abilities at a season ticket holder event.
Last summer the Sharks organization stripped the captain’s ‘C’ from Jumbo Joe. Why? Wilson has tried to explain a few times, but ultimately, it was a choice – along with poor player personnel decisions since last offseason – that doomed what could have been a contending team this year.
Now there’s this. One day, our dream will come true and Thornton will score four goals.
Thornton is not the only player with issues in SJ. Logan Couture does not seem pleased with the culture.
“Not great. That’s my personal opinion, and that’s all I’m going to say about it,” Couture said.
Remember, San Jose was a destination in the NHL. It had (still does) a passionate fanbase. Players lived in one of the most beautiful parts of North America. The teams won. Now it’s a gong show, and unnecessarily so.
As we mentioned yesterday, it’s starting to seem like in the end there can be only one between McLellan, Thornton and Wilson. And only one of those guys has a no-trade clause – that would be Thornton obviously.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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