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Sharks GM Wilson tells Oates to ‘worry about coaching his team’ after Hertl critique

DougWilson

Never afraid to share his thoughts, San Jose general manager Doug Wilson has some advice for Caps coach Adam Oates:

Focus on your team, not ours.

That’s what Wilson told CSN Bay Area on Saturday in the wake of Oates criticizing Sharks rookie Tomas Hertl for a between-the-legs goal against the Rangers.

“I think [Oates] should worry about coaching his team, and not worry about being a caretaker of the game,” Wilson said. “I would not allow our coaches to make comments about other team’s players.”

Midweek, Oates said he was “upset” by Hertl’s goal, saying “don’t disrespect the league.” The comments set off a firestorm of questions about Hertl’s actions, potential showboating and the NHL’s unwritten rules -- and ultimately led to Joe Thornton making some, ahem, colorful remarks in Hertl’s defense.

Wilson had remained largely silent on the topic until today, which is a tad surprising.

The longtime Sharks GM is known for defending his players publicly, most recently during the 2013 NHL playoffs. After forward Raffi Torres was suspended for the duration of San Jose’s second-round series against L.A., Wilson posted a scathing critique of the league’s disciplinary decision...which cost the organization $100,000 in fines.