Posted - 05/22/2008 : 19:19:53 If the more than 1,000 people who turned out Tuesday night for the team's State of the Sharks session at HP Pavilion are any indication, segments of the San Jose fan base are:
• Not completely convinced that Coach Ron Wilson should have been sent packing.
• Unhappy about the ticket price increase that the team announced last week.
• Still troubled by the fact that the team's payroll isn't closer to the NHL salary cap limit.
Nearly every summer the team gives fans a chance to ask questions of President Greg Jamison, General Manager Doug Wilson and at least one player; this year it was Jonathan Cheechoo on the podium. Topics ranged from big-picture issues to the temperature of the water in the women's restrooms.
This time, the team used the occasion to release a bit of good news - making it official that veteran Jeremy Roenick will be coming back for a second season - though the feel-good moment didn't deter fans who were in a more confrontational mood.
Immediately after the Roenick announcement, for example, a fan cited a Forbes magazine report that said the Sharks showed a $2 million profit two seasons ago, not the $5 million loss Jamison has reported.
"No NHL team responds to Forbes magazine," Jamison said, sticking to his previous statements. "Quite candidly, they are wrong many, many times."
The same fan wanted to be reassured that the team was more concerned about winning than profits and
Wilson reiterated what he has said in the past, that he has enough money to build a Stanley Cup winner. "Dollars didn't prevent us from doing our job," the G.M. said.
Several fans questioned Wilson about the coaching change - "It smacks of a panic move," one said - and also asked about his search for a new coach.
While the G.M. didn't provide many details, he did say the current list of candidates has 40 names on it, though "it'll pare down quickly."
Beyond that, Wilson said, he wanted someone with a blue-collar approach to the game, then looked at Cheechoo and added, "someone these guys might not enjoy every day."
The first question from the crowd had to do with ticket price increases averaging between 7 and 8 percent, and Jamison said that didn't surprise him.
"There's an expectation that we will put a quality team on the ice," Jamison said, "and to be brutally honest, that's going to cost us a lot more."
