Sharks Move Quickly, Hire Wilson as Coach

Former Mighty Duck coach Ron Wilson was hired Wednesday to coach the San Jose Sharks, three days after the team fired Darryl Sutter and his two assistants.

Wilson, fired by Washington in May after four mostly successful seasons, coached the U.S. team in the 1998 Olympics, to the gold medal in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, and twice in the world championships.

The Sharks moved quickly to fill their vacancy with a veteran coach.

Sutter, the winningest coach in franchise history, was fired Sunday along with assistants Rich Preston and Lorne Molleken in a surprising shakeup of a struggling team that aspires to be a Stanley Cup contender.

“Ron Wilson is an experienced NHL coach with a strong track record in both the regular season and the playoffs,” Shark General Manager Dean Lombardi said in a release.

The Sharks are 9-12-2-2 and tied with Phoenix for last place in the Pacific Division.

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Philadelphia Flyer left wing John LeClair had shoulder surgery and is expected to be out 10 to 12 weeks.

LeClair, 33, injured the shoulder after colliding with Pittsburgh defenseman Marc Bergevin last week.

A three-time 50-goal scorer, LeClair was plagued by back injuries in recent years, twice having surgery. He had 25 goals and 26 assists last season and played every game.

LeClair has 11 goals and six assists this season.