It’s official: the fifth general manager in the history of the San Jose Sharks is former winger Mike Grier, who took the helm this morning in front of media at SAP Center. In far too long after the other major sports leagues, the NHL has finally hired its first Black general manager. Grier’s Black American identity is unique in the sport, as well, as the league has always been dominated by Canadian players, with 18 total nationalities represented as of last season.
Grier, 47, comes from a family of sports executives, but his interest in hockey was a bit of an outlier in a football-centric home.