NHL fines Sharks coach $25,000 for ‘inappropriate conduct’

SAN JOSE — The NHL fined San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky $25,000 for what it termed “inappropriate conduct” during the team’s game Saturday against the Utah Hockey Club.

Money from the fine, announced Tuesday before the Sharks played the Winnipeg Jets at SAP Center, goes to the NHL Foundation.

Although the league didn’t specify why Warsofsky was fined, Saturday’s game at SAP Center featured several contentious moments in which the Sharks and their fans disagreed with the officiating.

In particular, a nearby referee in the second period did not call what appeared to be a boarding penalty for Utah forward Kevin Stenlund’s hit from behind on Sharks rookie center Macklin Celebrini, who crashed hard into the boards but was not injured.

Chris Rooney and Riley Brace were the referees for Saturday’s game, which the Sharks lost 4-3. Utah forward Clayton Keller scored a power-play goal with less than a minute left in regulation time as defenseman Cody Ceci was called for high sticking.

Immediately after the game ended, cameras showed Warsofsky yelling at the officiating crew for a few seconds before leaving the Sharks bench and returning to the team’s dressing room.

Asked if the fine was related to Saturday’s officiating, Warsofsky said, “I’ll let you make the best guess of that.”

In his postgame press conference, Warsofsky declined to comment on the officiating. Asked Tuesday if he was expecting to hear from the NHL, Warsofsky said, “It’s my first time through it, so obviously, talked to other coaches through the league about it. But it is what it is.

“It’s something that I’m trying to get better at,” Warsofsky added. “At the same time, I’m passionate. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Sometimes, it gets the best of me, but at the end of the day, I’ve got to have our players back, and that’s not going to change.

“Do I wish I used different words or whatnot? But at the end of the day, we’re all in this together as a group, myself, the coaches, the trainers, the equipment staff, the players, and I’m going to have our players back as long as I’m here.”

Still, this isn’t the first time Warsofsky has faced discipline from a league office as a head coach. The AHL also fined him an undisclosed amount during the 2021-22 season when he was coaching the Chicago Wolves and made disparaging remarks about the officiating.

The Wolves would go on to win the AHL title, the Calder Cup, that year.

“There was an issue in one of the games, and I ran my mouth to the media,” Warsofsky said. “After a game, I’m a lot more emotional.”

This marks the second time in three years that the NHL has fined a Sharks coach.

In a March 2023 Sharks game against the Washington Capitals, David Quinn unleashed an expletive-filled tirade against one of that day’s officials. Quinn was ejected from that game and later fined $25,000 by the NHL for “conduct demeaning the officials.”

The Sharks lost to the Capitals 8-3 and Quinn apologized after the game. Warsofsky left the Chicago Wolves after the 2021-22 season and was an assistant on Quinn’s staff for two seasons. The Sharks fired Quinn in April, and Warsofsky was named his successor in June.

“A few coaches have been fined, Torts the most, I think,” Warsofsky said, referring to Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella, who has been issued over $200,000 in fines during a 23-year NHL coaching career. “It is what it is. Got to move forward.”

LINEUP CHANGES: The Sharks are making one change to their forward group for Tuesday’s game, inserting Carl Grunstrom for Ty Dellandrea. Grundstrom will play on the Sharks’ fourth line with center Nico Sturm and winger Luke Kunin.

Grundstrom had been a healthy scratch for the Sharks’ last three games, and this marks the first time that Dellandrea has been a healthy scratch this season. Dellandrea, acquired from the Dallas Stars in the summer, has four points in 29 games this season and is averaging 11:51 in ice time per game.

Saturday, the Sharks’ fourth line with Dellandrea, Sturm, and Kunin gave up an even-strength goal to Michael Carcone at the 9:49 mark of the third period to tie the game 3-3.

Warsofsky called Grundstrom, “one of our better forecheck players. He can get on guys. He’s physical. It comes down to his play without the puck, and he’s making sure he’s responsible defensively, especially. Our fourth line can’t get scored on. That’s a big key for us, is we can’t get scored on that line. That should be their goal. If they score, (that’s) icing on the cake, right? So that’s been a big theme with our fourth line

“With Ty, I think, just a little bit of a reset. I wouldn’t say he’s playing horribly by any means. I think he has some consistency issues. He knows that. We’ve talked about it. I think he’s going to be a really good player for us in the long run.”

Also scratched was defenseman Henry Thrun, who was sat for the third straight game.