A common phrase San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky has said throughout training camp and the season is trying to build winning habits.
But what exactly does Warsofsky mean by winning habits?
“Through video. A lot of game management clips that we’ve shown and we’ll continue to show,” Warsofsky said. “We’re doing five on six for one minute. We’re doing some five-on-five face-off drills. We are really breaking it down more than ever, and we’re going to keep working at it and getting better at it.”
The San Jose Sharks head coach also told reporters that he pulls players aside for conversations as needed.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
“[There are those] guys that have some habits that we got to get rid of. Individually, we’ve sat down one-on-one with either me or one of the assistant coaches,” Warsofsky said. “It’s a never ending process, and we’re going to keep working at it and get this thing right.”
Warsofsky: “We got to get rid of the losing mentality. In every sport, there’s organizations that have kind of gone through something like this, and we’re trying to nip it in the butt. We’re trying to get out of it as quick as we can.
“It’s a challenge to fight, [have] the…— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 15, 2025
Warsofsky hasn’t been able to build much lineup chemistry early in the season due to poor results. After a strong first game against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Sharks’ defensive details faltered against the Anaheim Ducks. In the 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the coaching staff emphasized that the team needs to compete harder.
“I liked our practice. Good intensity,” Warsofsky said. “I thought we were snapping around early, too, with those first couple of drills. Got into the meat of it and got some things done.”
With a mix of veterans and young NHL stars, the San Jose Sharks need results from everyone. Warsofsky has multiple ways of going over what he expects from his team.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
When asked about veterans staying motivated to help his Sharks team, Warsofsky didn’t sugarcoat what he expects from them.
“It’s the NHL. This is a man’s League. You’re playing for a lot. You are playing for the logo on your chest, but you’re also playing for the name on the back of your jersey as well,” Warsofsky said. “There’s some real truth to that. Your legacy and how you want to be remembered: Do you want to be the guy that helps fix us and get us out of this thing? Or do you want to be the guy that is not the solution? That’s really what comes down to for me.”
As a coach, Warsofsky knows that one of the hardest things to do is to keep his message to the Sharks from getting stale. He admits that it is one of the hardest things to do.
“It’s a challenge, right? But that’s coaching. It’s to change a culture and to get this winning foundation in place. Unfortunately, you’re going to piss a lot of people off. We’re going to continue to work with the guys that we believe in, and if you’re not the right guy, we’ll move you out of here,” Warsofsky warned. “I know Mike [Grier] and I are on the same page with that. To create that culture, you piss people off, and people aren’t going to like it.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
I think Nick Saban has a great quote: high achievers don’t like mediocre people. Mediocre people don’t like high achievers. We want high achievers. We’ve got some young guys that you could put in that category. We could get more guys on board with that.”
Read more news and stories about the San Jose Sharks on Sharks Hockey Digest! Bookmark the page and follow Sharks Hockey Digest on Twitter @SharksHKYDigest!