Sims Tinkering With a Work in Progress

The trading cards were in mint condition, but from a long-ago era. Ron Wilson, Tim Army and Jack Ferreira held them out to Al Sims as greeting cards Friday morning at the Pond.

“I think it was back to my Fort Wayne days [as a player],” Sims said of the cards. “I had hair back then, so it was awhile ago.”

Sims, 43, had left the cards behind when he became the coach of the San Jose Sharks June 6 after three seasons as Wilson’s top assistant with the Mighty Ducks.

Friday was the first chance Sims had to speak at length with his former colleagues. He visited with Wilson and Army, his fellow assistant, and later with Ferreira, Duck general manager.

He wished the reunion would have happened sooner and lasted longer, but the Sharks have demanded his full attention.

The good news for Sims back in June was that he was about to become an NHL head coach for the first time.

The bad news was that it was with the woebegone Sharks, winners of only 20 games last season.

There was a ton of work to be accomplished over the summer, and there wasn’t a minute to waste. After four seasons coaching Fort Wayne of the International Hockey League and three seasons as a Duck assistant, Sims was chomping at the bit.

Judging by the Sharks’ 1-3-2 record going into Sims’ homecoming against the Ducks on Friday it seemed his new team is still a work in progress.

When he first took the job, Sims popped a videotape into the player to see what had happened to the Sharks last season after they had qualified for the playoffs the two previous seasons.

After a few minutes, he hit the eject button. He had seen his fill of early-season mistakes and late-season doldrums.

“I didn’t watch any more tapes,” Sims said. “I wanted to give everyone a clean slate and a fresh start.”

Certainly, that applied to holdovers such as forwards Owen Nolan and Jeff Friesen, but also to a slew of newcomers. So far, the mix has been terrific, according to Sims.

Veterans such as former Kings Tony Granato, Kelly Hrudey, Marty McSorley and Bernie Nicholls and former Duck Todd Ewen have helped younger players such as Friesen.

Friesen, a highly regarded third-year player, showed why the Sharks’ future could be filled with eye-catching plays with a spectacular second-period goal Friday.

With Duck winger Jari Kurri draped all over him on a breakaway, Friesen fell to his knees, then somehow managed to punch the puck past goaltender Guy Hebert to give the Sharks a 2-0 lead.

“Most of the older guys have been great with the kids,” said Sims, a teammate of the legendary Bobby Orr with the Boston Bruins in the 1970s. “The veterans have been good leaders in the dressing room. The only thing I’m worried about the veterans is their ice time.”

However, the desired results haven’t materialized yet. The Sharks were coming off a 3-3 tie with the Stanley Cup runner-up Florida Panthers on Wednesday at San Jose.

“That was a start,” Sims said. “We’re kind of searching for an identity for the Sharks. The work ethic is here and that’s much better than last year.

“It will probably be at least Christmas before we get a handle on things.”