SAN JOSE, Calif. — Former Buffalo Sabres winger Mike Grier is officially the first Black general manger in the National Hockey League, after the San Jose Sharks announced their hiring on Tuesday afternoon.
“Hi Sharks fans, it’s Mike Grier. I’m your new GM,” he said in a video posted to the team’s Twitter account.
“(I’m) Really excited to get to work and be back in the Bay Area. I know there’s been lots of ups and downs, but I’m ready to work hard and get at it and get this things back on the track. We’re gonna start winning some games in the Shark Tank and get it going again. See ya soon.”
Grier played with the Sabres in 2003-04, 2005-06, then returned to the team in 2009 until his retirement in 2011.
He scored four game-winning goals for Buffalo in he 2005-06 season on the Sabres’ run to the Eastern Conference Final.
The 47-year-old also played with the Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals.
His brother, Chris, has been the Miami Dolphins general manager since 2016.