Sharks fire head coach Peter DeBoer after slow start to season: reports

The San Jose Sharks fired head coach Peter DeBoer in a decision made solely for hockey reasons, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.

The Sharks are currently sixth in the Pacific division with 32 points in 33 games. They are five points behind Vegas for the second wild-card spot.

DeBoer, 51, was hired by the Sharks in May 2015 and led the team to the Stanley Cup final in his first campaign. The Sharks fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

San Jose has returned to the playoffs in each season since.

DeBoer was fired a day after the Sharks' 3-1 loss at Nashville. San Jose is 0-4-1 in its last five games and 15-16-2 overall.

DeBoer was 198-129-4 in parts of five seasons with San Jose. He also has coached New Jersey and Florida.

DeBoer is the fifth NHL coach to lose his job this season and the third for performance reasons. New Jersey canned John Hynes and Toronto fired Mike Babcock after rough starts, while Calgary accepted Bill Peters' resignation following allegations of abuse in previous organizations and Dallas dismissed Jim Montgomery on Tuesday citing "unprofessional conduct."

The Sharks host the New York Rangers on Thursday night.