Mike Grier News

No. 1 San Jose Sharks vs. No. 8 Anaheim Ducks Season series: The Sharks won four of six games.

Claude Lemieux never formally announced his retirement when he first left the NHL as a Dallas Star in 2003.

Ryane Clowe said Monday that he wasn't worried when he heard his name being mentioned in trade rumors at the NHL draft 10 days ago.

If the San Jose Sharks don't want their 2009-2010 season to end in the disappointment that saw defenseman Douglas Murray console teammate Jeremy Roenick last year, then general manager Doug Wilson is going to have to get creative in free agency... by Andy Bensch 4 57 reads Opinion If the San Jose Sharks don't want their 2009-2010 season to end in ...

With the NHL salary cap destined to take a significant decrease after the 2009-2010 season, Sharks GM Doug Wilson has been wise not to over-pay for big-name free agents during the first few days of free-agency... by Andy Bensch 21 reads Opinion With the NHL salary cap destined to take a significant decrease after the 2009-2010 season, Sharks GM ...

Sharks general manager Doug Wilson sees the opening 24 hours of free agency as the most expensive day of the year to go shopping for players, with no bargains anywhere.

Four more vacancies now exist on the Sharks' roster. Right wing Mike Grier, goalie Brian Boucher, defenseman Alexei Semenov and left wing Claude Lemieux all became unrestricted free agents today, and a team source said late Tuesday that none currently figures into San Jose's plans.

The Hockey draft, as we all know, is not as exciting as other drafts. Or as exciting as draft beer, for that matter.

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF TEAMS, TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST TO INJURY On a radio interview with KNBR 680AM yesterday, San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said there would be no excuses for the playoff exit against Anaheim.

The Sharks lived to skate another day Saturday night, but it took an overtime goal by Patrick Marleau to do it, giving San Jose a 3-2 victory over Anaheim and closing the gap in their first-round series against Anaheim to 3-2. Sharks Coach Todd McLellan hasn't tried to hide his unhappiness with the play of his team's top forwards all series and ...

San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan, top, admitted his team's character is being questioned.

For much of the past two games, the challenge of trying to stop Anaheim's top line centered by Ryan Getzlaf has fallen to Sharks captain Patrick Marleau, Travis Moen and Mike Grier.

The question to Sharks coach Todd McLellan had been something of a running gag for the past five days.

The San Jose pratice on Saturday was highlighted - to the extent that any second-day skate is capable of being highlighted - by a brief bark at the players from coach Todd McLellan.

The Sharks ran an optional morning skate which only Patrick Marleau and Jeremy Roenick opted not to attend, but both are expected to dress and play on their usual lines tonight Coach Todd McLellan kept his cards close on any potential changes, but reiterated the importance of winning the 10-minute game at the beginning.

Before the playoffs began, the Sharks insisted that this year's team was more resilient than those in the past.

San Jose Sharks' Jeremy Roenick is pushed around by Anaheim Ducks' Sheldon Brookbank near the goal during the third period at HP Pavilion, in San Jose, Calif.

Learning from losses has been an annual playoff tradition for the San Jose Sharks.

It's not as if the Sharks don't know the Anaheim Ducks. After all, the two teams knocked heads three times in the last month of the season, twice in its final week.

If you've got a sense of history, the Sharks' first-round matchup with the Anaheim Ducks that begins Thursday at HP Pavilion is significant as the first pairing of California teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 1969.