from Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News,

The Sharks’ first phone call, which I’m assuming took place earlier this week, had to go to Pat Burns. Just had to.

It makes so much hockey sense. It helps explain how General Manager Doug Wilson persuaded himself to fire Ron Wilson, a coach he defended and kept through previous tense times.

Everything about the early stages of the Sharks’ search points to Burns - if he’s interested in moving to the West Coast and he’s healthy after two recent bouts with cancer (it sounds as if Burns is doing fine).

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