NHL-Sharks hire DeBoer as head coach

May 28 (Reuters) - The San Jose Sharks, who failed to make the playoffs this season for the first time since 2003, appointed Peter DeBoer as the franchise's eighth head coach on Thursday. DeBoer, 46, replaces Todd McLellan, whose departure from the team last month after seven seasons behind the Sharks bench was described as a mutual agreement. "Peter is a well-respected leader who possesses all of the characteristics we were looking for in our next head coach," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. "He's an extremely intelligent and innovative individual who likes to play an aggressive system. Peter has a track record of extracting the most out of his players and is willing to make tough decisions that are based on achieving team success." DeBoer was fired by the New Jersey Devils after 36 games last season, his fourth as head coach with the team. In 2012, he guided the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final. The Sharks, who have won six division championships but have yet to claim a conference title, finished their 2014-15 season 12th in the 14-team Western Conference with a 40-33-9 record. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue)