| San Jose Sharks | |
|---|---|
 2025–26 San Jose Sharks season | |
 | |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Pacific |
| Founded | 1991 |
| History | San Jose Sharks 1991–present |
| Home arena | SAP Center |
| City | San Jose, California |
 | |
| Team colors | Pacific teal, white, black, orange[1][2] |
| Media | NBC Sports California Sharks Audio Network[3] |
| Owner(s) | San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises (Hasso Plattner, governor)[4] |
| General manager | Mike Grier |
| Head coach | Ryan Warsofsky |
| Captain | Vacant |
| Minor league affiliates | San Jose Barracuda (AHL) Wichita Thunder (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | 0 |
| Conference championships | 1 (2015–16) |
| Presidents' Trophies | 1 (2008–09) |
| Division championships | 6 (2001–02,2003–04,2007–08,2008–09,2009–10,2010–11) |
| Official website | nhl |
TheSan Jose Sharks are a professionalice hockey team based inSan Jose, California. The Sharks compete in theNational Hockey League (NHL) as a member of thePacific Division in theWestern Conference. The franchise is owned bySan Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises. Beginning play in the1991–92 season, the team initially played its home games at theCow Palace, before moving to its present home, now namedSAP Center at San Jose, in 1993; the SAP Center is known locally as "the Shark Tank".[5] The Sharks are affiliated with theSan Jose Barracuda of theAmerican Hockey League (AHL) and theWichita Thunder of theECHL.[6]
The Sharks were founded on May 9, 1990, after the owners of theMinnesota North Stars sold the stake to award the NHL franchise based in theSan Francisco Bay Area. They were the first team to be based in the region since theCalifornia Golden Seals relocated toCleveland in 1976. The Sharks have advanced to theStanley Cup Final once, losing to thePittsburgh Penguins in2016. They have won thePresidents' Trophy once, as the team with the league's best regular season record in the2008–09 season. They have also won six division titles as a member of thePacific Division since 1993.
The Sharks origins began with theSan Francisco Seals of theWestern Hockey League (WHL) when they were awarded an expansion franchise for San Francisco on April 23, 1961, to formerVancouver Canucks owner Coleman (Coley) Hall.[7] The Seals won two WHL championships and were renamed to the California Seals in 1966, playing their games at theOakland Coliseum Arena.[8][9]
The following season, theCalifornia Golden Seals joined the NHL, played their seasons from 1967 to 1976, who were neither successful on the ice nor at the box office.[10]Gordon andGeorge Gund III became minority owners of the Golden Seals in 1974, and were instrumental in their move toCleveland in 1976 and a 1978 merger with theMinnesota North Stars, which they purchased that year.[11] In 1988, group led by formerHartford Whalers ownerHoward Baldwin was pushing the NHL to bring a team toSan Jose, where a new arena was being built. Eventually, the League struck a compromise: the Gunds would sell their share of the North Stars to Baldwin's group, with the Gunds receiving an expansion team in the Bay Area to begin play in the1991–92 season and being allowed to take a certain number of players from the North Stars to their new club.[12] In return, the North Stars would be allowed to participate as an equal partner inan expansion draft with the new Bay Area team. On May 5, 1990, the Gunds officially sold their share of the North Stars to Baldwin and were awarded a new team for the Bay Area, based in San Jose.[11] The owners paid to the league an expansion fee of US$45 million and the new franchise was approved on May 9.[13][14]
Over 5,000 potential names were submitted by mail for the new team. While the first-place finisher was "Blades", the Gunds were concerned about the name's potentially negative association with weapons, and went with the runner-up, "Sharks".[15][16] The name was said to have been inspired by the large number ofsharks living in the Pacific Ocean. Seven varieties live there, and one area of water near the Bay Area is known as the "red triangle" because of its shark population. Matt Levine—the team's first marketing head—said of the new name, "Sharks are relentless, determined, swift, agile, bright and fearless. We plan to build an organization that has all those qualities."[17] In 1990,Jack Ferreira was hired as the team's first general manager.[18]
For their first two seasons, the Sharks played at theCow Palace inDaly City, just outside San Francisco.[19]Pat Falloon was their first draft choice and led the team in points during their first season.[20] The team was placed in the Campbell Conference'sSmythe Division.[21]George Kingston was their first head coach during their first two seasons.[22] Though the1991–92 roster consisted primarily of NHL journeymen, minor leaguers and rookies, the Sharks had at least one notable player when they acquired 14-year veteran and formerNorris Trophy-winning defensemanDoug Wilson from theChicago Blackhawks on September 6, 1991.[23] Wilson was named the team's first captain andAll-Star representative in the inaugural season.[24] However, the team struggled in its first two seasons. Between their first and second seasons, they fired Ferreira, promoting Kingston, director of player personnelChuck Grillo, and assistant GMDean Lombardi as the shared general manager.[25] Their 71 losses in the1992–93 season is an NHL record. They also suffered a 17-game losing streak, while winning just 11 games and earning 24 points in the standings.[26] Kingston was fired following the end of the 1992–93 season.[27]
Despite the Sharks' futility in the standings, the team led the NHL's merchandise sales with $150 million, accounting for 27% of the NHL's total and behind onlyNational Basketball Association championsChicago Bulls among all North American leagues.[28]
The inaugural year also saw the introduction of the San Jose Sharks mascot, "S. J. Sharkie". On January 28, 1992, at a game against theNew York Rangers, the then-unnamed mascot emerged from aZamboni during an intermission. A "Name the Mascot" contest began that night, with the winning name of "S. J. Sharkie" being announced on April 15, 1992.[29]
For their third season,1993–94, the Sharks moved to their new and current home, theSan Jose Arena,[30] and were placed in the Western Conference'sPacific Division.[31] Under new head coachKevin Constantine,[32] the Sharks pulled off the biggest turnaround in NHL history, finishing with a 33–35–16 record and making theStanley Cup playoffs for the first time in team history with 82 points, an NHL record 58-point jump from the previous season.[33] They were seeded eighth in the Western Conference playoffs and faced theDetroit Red Wings, the top-seeded Western Conference team and a favorite to win theStanley Cup. In one of the biggest upsets in Stanley Cup playoff history, the underdog Sharks shocked the Red Wings in seven games. In game seven atJoe Louis Arena,Jamie Baker scored the game-winning goal in the third period after goaltenderChris Osgood was out of position and the Sharks won 3–2, becoming the first eighth-seed in the history of North American professional sports to defeat the first seed in a playoff series.[34] In the second round, the Sharks had a 3–2 series lead over theToronto Maple Leafs, but lost the final two games inToronto.[35]
In1994–95, the Sharks earned their second-straight playoff berth and again reached the second round.Ray Whitney scored the double-overtime game-winning goal of game seven of the conference quarterfinals against theCalgary Flames.[36] Despite their success against Calgary, they lost in a four-game sweep to Detroit.[37] However, the 1994–95 season also saw the only rainout in the history of the NHL, when theGuadalupe River flooded its banks in March 1995, making it impossible for anyone to get into the San Jose Arena for a game between the Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings.[38] Constantine was given a three-year deal prior to the1995–96 season.[39]
In the regular season, Constantine was fired after a 3–18–4 start to the season and replaced byJim Wiley.[40] The Sharks finished last in the Pacific Division and failed to make the playoffs. The team also traded out forwardSandis Ozolinsh to theColorado Avalanche forOwen Nolan.[41] Grillo was also fired with Lombardi holding the sole responsibility of general manager.[42]
The1996–97 season was no better underAl Sims,[43] with the Sharks again finishing last and winning only 27 games. Sims was fired after his one season of play.[44] Their standing would help them draftPatrick Marleau second overall in the1997 NHL entry draft.[45] The Sharks returned to the playoffs in1997–98 with goaltenderMike Vernon, whom they acquired from the Red Wings,[46] and new head coachDarryl Sutter.[47] They were eliminated by theDallas Stars in the conference quarterfinals.[48] Over the summer, they acquired goaltenderSteve Shields,[49] and during the1998–99 season, San Jose acquiredMontreal Canadiens forwardVincent Damphousse.[50] However, theColorado Avalanche defeated them in the conference quarterfinals.[51] In an upset on par with the one they had pulled on Detroit six years earlier, the Sharks managed to eliminate thePresidents' Trophy-winningSt. Louis Blues by coming back from a 3–1 series deficit to win in seven games.[52] However, the Sharks were defeated in the second round of the playoffs by the Stars.[53]
In2000–01, Kazakh goaltenderEvgeni Nabokov, who was originally drafted in1994, won theCalder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie.[54] The team also acquired Finnish star forwardTeemu Selanne from theMighty Ducks of Anaheim.[55] In the2001 playoffs, the St. Louis Blues eliminated the Sharks in six games in the first round.[56] In2001–02, the Sharks won their first Pacific Division title, but they fell to the Avalanche in the second round in seven games.[57]
Following the 2001–02 season, the Gunds sold the Sharks toa group of local investors headed by team presidentGreg Jamison.[58] The2002–03 season did not start well for the Sharks as they began 8–12–2–2 and fired Sutter as head coach.[59]Ron Wilson was hired as head coach a few days later.[60] Near the 2003NHL trade deadline, captain Owen Nolan was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.[61] Lombardi's tenure with the team ended with his dismissal on March 18, 2003.[62] Doug Wilson was named to the role on May 13.[63]
The2003–04 season saw the team turn around their record from the previous season, finishing atop the Pacific Division.[64] In the2004 playoffs, the Sharks defeated the St. Louis Blues in the conference quarterfinals and the Colorado Avalanche in the conference semifinals,[65][66] advancing to the conference finals. However, they fell to the Calgary Flames in six games.[67] During that season, without a captain following Nolan's trade, San Jose utilized a rotating captaincy. When the job eventually fell to Patrick Marleau, he kept the captaincy.[68] During the off-season, forward Vincent Damphousse was left in free agency to the Colorado Avalanche.[69]
During the2005–06 season the Sharks tradedBrad Stuart,Wayne Primeau, andMarco Sturm to the Boston Bruins in exchange for star playerJoe Thornton.[70] In the2006 playoffs, the Sharks fell to theEdmonton Oilers in the conference semifinals.[71] Thornton was awarded theHart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player, as well as theArt Ross Trophy for leading the league in points, with 125.[70]Jonathan Cheechoo was awarded theMaurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for scoring the most goals during the regular season with 56.[72]
During the2006–07 season they traded for defensemanCraig Rivet and wingerBill Guerin at the trade deadline.[73][74] The Sharks finished the regular season second in the Pacific Division with a 51–26–5 record.[75] In the conference quarterfinals, the Sharks defeated the Nashville Predators for the second consecutive year.[76] In the conference semifinals, the Sharks were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings.[77]
In the2007–08 season, the Sharks picked upBrian Campbell at the trade deadline, giving upSteve Bernier.[78] The Sharks captured their third Pacific Division title with a franchise-record 108 points.[79] San Jose started the2008 playoffs beating the Calgary Flames four games to three.[80] San Jose eventually lost to the Dallas Stars in the conference semifinals. Game six required four overtime periods, and was the longest game in the team's history.[81] Following the playoff loss, the Sharks fired Ron Wilson as head coach.[82]
On June 11, 2008, the San Jose Sharks named former Detroit Red Wings assistant coachTodd McLellan as their new head coach for the2008–09 season.[83] During the offseason, the Sharks signed defensemanRob Blake and acquired defensemenDan Boyle andBrad Lukowich.[84][85] Midway through the season, San Jose addedClaude Lemieux to their roster. Lemieux was rejoining the NHL after a five-year absence.[86] The Sharks finished the regular season as Presidents' Trophy champions with 53 wins and 117 points, both franchise records.[87] Despite their successful regular season, the Sharks were eliminated by the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks in six games in the first round of the playoffs.[88] The team was heavily criticized for once again failing to succeed in the postseason.[89][90]
In the 2009 offseason,Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo were sent to theOttawa Senators in exchange forDany Heatley and a draft pick.[91] Claude Lemieux also announced his retirement from the NHL.[92] Another move by San Jose was stripping Patrick Marleau of the captaincy and assigning it to the newly re-signed Rob Blake.[93] On February 7, 2010, San Jose acquiredNiclas Wallin from theCarolina Hurricanes.[94] The Sharks finished the2009–10 regular season leading the Western Conference with 113 points. In the conference quarterfinals, the Sharks eliminated the Colorado Avalanche. In the conference semifinals, the Sharks defeated the Detroit Red Wings.[95] The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Sharks in the conference finals with a four-game sweep.[96]
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On June 23, 2010, Wilson announced they would not offer an unrestricted free agent contract to long-time goaltender Evgeni Nabokov after playing ten seasons with the team.[97] On September 2, 2010, the Sharks signed former member of the Chicago Blackhawks and Stanley Cup-winning goaltenderAntti Niemi to a one-year contract.[98] On March 1, 2011, Niemi signed a four-year contract extension with San Jose worth $15.2 million.[99] On March 31, 2011, the Sharks clinched their seventh consecutive playoff berth with a 6–0 victory over the Dallas Stars. Five days later, they clinched their sixth Pacific Division championship.[100] Entering the2011 playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference, the Sharks opened their playoff run with the franchise's first playoff series againstintrastate rival, the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings took a 4–0 lead in game three but five-second-period goals by the Sharks capped with aDevin Setoguchi overtime winner gave the Sharks a 6–5 victory and tied them for the second-biggest comeback in Stanley Cup playoff history.[101] They would win the series in six games, with captain Joe Thornton scoring the series-winning overtime goal.[102] The Sharks advanced to the conference semifinals to face the third-seed Detroit Red Wings. Although went out to a 3–0 series lead like the previous season, the Sharks dropped three more games as the Red Wings became the eighth team in NHL history to force a game seven after being down 3–0 in the series. However, they would not become the fourth team in history to pull off the comeback as the Sharks prevailed, 3–2 in game seven.[103] The Sharks advanced to their third conference finals series against theVancouver Canucks, but lost in six games.[104]
The first major move made by San Jose in the 2011 off-season was to trade winger Devin Setoguchi, the Sharks' 2010 first-round pickCharlie Coyle and a first-round pick in the2011 NHL entry draft to theMinnesota Wild for All-Star defensemanBrent Burns and a2012 second-round pick.[105] This came after Setoguchi had signed a three-year, $9 million contract extension with the Sharks.[106] The Sharks continued their offseason retool by orchestrating a second transaction with the Wild, shipping Dany Heatley to Minnesota in exchange forMartin Havlat.[107] The Sharks finished the2011–12 season with a 43–29–10 record, good for 96 points and the seventh seed in the Stanley Cup playoffs.[108] However, after winning game one of their first-round series with the St. Louis Blues in overtime, they lost the final four games of the series.[109] It was later announced that McLellan would remain on the bench for a fifth season.[110]
During to thelockout-shortened2012–13 season,Raffi Torres was acquired.[111] In the first round of the2013 playoffs, the Sharks swept the Vancouver Canucks, their first series-sweep in franchise history.[112] The Sharks would subsequently fall in seven games to the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the playoffs.[113]
The Sharks started the2013–14 season 8–0–1, and were the last team in the NHL to stay undefeated in regulation until October 25, when the Sharks lost to the Boston Bruins.[114] In the first round of the2014 playoffs, the Sharks were matched with rivals and eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. Although the Sharks took a 3–0 series lead, the Kings came back to tie the series before advancing with a 5–1 win in game seven (only the fourth time in NHL history where a team lost a best-of-seven series after winning their first three games).[115]
On August 20, 2014, head coach Todd McLellan announced the team would go into training camp for the2014–15 season without a captain, and that all players would have the opportunity to compete for the captaincy.[116] The Sharks hosted the2015 Stadium Series against the Kings atLevi's Stadium in February 2015, losing 2–1.[117] Despite posting a record of 40–33–9, the Sharks finished fifth in the Pacific Division and missed the playoffs for the first time in ten years.[118] On April 20, 2015, the team announced that they had agreed to part ways with McLellan.[119]
On May 28, 2015, the team namedPeter DeBoer as their head coach.[120] During the offseason, they traded goalie Antti Niemi to the Dallas Stars for a seventh-round draft pick in the2015 NHL entry draft.[121] They also acquired forwardJoel Ward and goaltenderMartin Jones, the latter of which was flipped from theBoston Bruins via the Los Angeles Kings.[122][123] They also named forward Joe Pavelski the team's captain.[124] The Sharks finished third in the Pacific Division with 98 points. They defeated the Los Angeles Kings in five games,[125] the Nashville Predators in seven games,[126] and the St. Louis Blues in six games to win theWestern Conference championship. This marked the first time in franchise history that the Sharks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.[127][128] The Sharks ultimately lost theStanley Cup Final in the best-of-seven series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.[129]
In thefollowing season, the Sharks finished in third place in the Pacific Division, but were defeated by theEdmonton Oilers in six games in the first round of the2017 playoffs.[130] Following the season, Patrick Marleau left the team to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs.[131] In the2017–18 season, the Sharks acquiredEvander Kane in a trade with theBuffalo Sabres.[132] The Sharks once again finished in third place in the Pacific Division.[133] They swept the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the2018 playoffs,[134] but lost to the expansionVegas Golden Knights in six games in the second round.[135]
Prior to the2018–19 season, the Sharks tradedMikkel Boedker,Julius Bergman, and a draft pick forMike Hoffman, a prospect, and a draft pick, but immediately flipped Hoffman to theFlorida Panthers for three draft picks.[136] Later that summer, the Sharks acquiredErik Karlsson andFrancis Perron from the Senators forRudolf Balcers,Dylan DeMelo,Josh Norris,Chris Tierney, and two draft picks.[137] The Sharks saw another playoff berth and overcame a 3–1 series deficit over the Vegas Golden Knights. Game seven of the series featured a dramatic comeback over the Golden Knights; the Sharks scored four goals on a controversial five-minute power play with eight minutes remaining in the game, thenBarclay Goodrow scored the overtime goal.[138] The Sharks would go on to defeat theColorado Avalanche in the second round before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games.[139][140] CaptainJoe Pavelski left the team in free agency following the season.[141]
On October 8, 2019, after two seasons in Toronto, Patrick Marleau was re-acquired by the Sharks.[142] During the2019–20 season, with the Sharks at 15–16–2 and failing to win a game during their five-game road stretch, DeBoer and his staff were fired.[143] After DeBoer's firing, assistant coachBob Boughner was named interim head coach.[144] In March 2020, four months after Boughner became interim coach, the league was forced to suspend operations as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[145] When the 2019–20 season resumed in August with the playoffs, the Sharks were not included, finishing in last place in both the Pacific Division and Western Conference.[146] Boughner's interim label was removed on September 22, 2020.[147]
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the divisions for the2019–20 season were realigned. The Sharks played in theWest Division.[148] The Sharks missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. In the2021 NHL entry draft, the Sharks selected top-ranked European skaterWilliam Eklund seventh overall.[149]
In the2021–22 season, general managerDoug Wilson took medical leave on November 26, 2021, and resigned while away from the team on April 7, 2022.[63] Assistant general manager Joe Will was elevated to interim general manager while the team sought a full-time candidate for the role.[63] Evander Kane, who had violated the AHL COVID-19 protocol, was placed on unconditional waivers for purposes of terminating his contract. After clearing waivers, he was signed by the Edmonton Oilers, but still had a grievance filed against the Sharks which was settled later that year.[150] The team missed the playoffs for the third straight season, and head coach Bob Boughner and other members of the coaching staff were relieved of duties in the summer in advance of the Sharks naming a new general manager.[151]
On July 5, 2022, the Sharks hired former playerMike Grier to serve as their new general manager, becoming the first black general manager in NHL history and fifth general manager in franchise history.[152] On July 13, the Sharks traded defensemanBrent Burns along with a prosepect to the Carolina Hurricanes forSteven Lorentz and a draft pick.[153] On July 26, Grier named former Rangers head coachDavid Quinn as the team's new head coach.[154] San Jose opened its season in Europe as part of the2022 NHL Global Series, with an exhibition match againstEisbaren Berlin and a two-game series against Nashville inPrague, Czech Republic to kick off the2022–23 regular season.[155] On February 25, 2023, the Sharks retired Patrick Marleau's number 12 in a pre-game ceremony. Marleau's number was the first to be retired in franchise history.[156]Prior to the trade deadline, the Sharks andNew Jersey Devils executed an 11-piece trade on February 26, in which the Sharks sent forwardTimo Meier to New Jersey in exchange for multiple future assets, including two conditional first-round draft selections, 2020 first-round pickShakir Mukhamadullin and wingerFabian Zetterlund.[157] The Sharks finished in seventh place in the Pacific Division, 14th place in the Western Conference, and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season.[158] The Sharks were led in scoring by defenseman Erik Karlsson, who finished with 101 points and 67 assists, both of which arerecords by a Sharks defenseman. He scored a pair of goals on April 10, in Winnipeg to become the sixth defenseman in NHL history to record 100 points and first sinceBrian Leetch in1991–92.[159] His goal, assist and point totals at the end of the season led all NHL defensemen, and he was named to his seventh NHL All-Star game. He was awarded the Norris Trophy on June 26, the third of his career and second won by a Sharks defenseman.[160]
On August 6, San Jose traded Karlsson to thePittsburgh Penguins as part of a three-team trade also featuring theMontreal Canadiens. San Jose received a conditional first-round selection from Pittsburgh in the2024 NHL entry draft, along with forwardsMikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman and defensemanJan Rutta.[161] During the2023–24 season, the Sharks became the first team since the1965–66 Boston Bruins to allow 10 goals in consecutive games. Their 0–10–1 record tied the record for longest losing streak to start the season.[162] They tradedTomas Hertl at the trade deadline, receivingDavid Edstrom and a 2025 first round pick in return.[163] After the 2023–24 season, head coach David Quinn was fired.[164]
On May 7, 2024, the Sharks won the NHL draft lottery for the first time in franchise history,[165] securing the number one pick for the 2024 NHL entry draft, pickingMacklin Celebrini fromBoston University.[166] Assistant coachRyan Warsofsky was announced as Quinn's replacement as head coach on June 13, 2024.[167] The Sharks finished the2024–25 season last but fell to picking second overall in the2025 NHL entry draft,[168] with which they selectedMichael Misa.[169] Following the season, captainLogan Couture retired, spending his entire NHL career with the Sharks.[170]
At the start of the2025–26 season, amidst the team losing their first five games of the season, Warsofsky said "I'd give up one of my children for a f-----g win." He later apologized for the comments.[171]
The Sharks' iconic logo of a shark chomping on a hockey stick has been in use since their inaugural 1991–92 season, with slight modifications prior to the 2007–08 season. The triangle on the logo references the Bay Area'sRed Triangle near the Pacific Ocean. The Sharks also use various partial and alternate logos based on the primary logo.[172]
The original Sharks' road jerseys were teal with white, gray and black striping and featured white block lettering with black trim. Home uniforms were white with teal, gray and black striping and featured teal block lettering with black trim. Both jerseys included the team's "fin" logo on either shoulder and were used until the 1997–98 season.[173]
The Sharks introduced their future road (later home) jersey as an alternate during the 1997–98 season, featuring a darker teal base, wide gray sleeve and shoulder striping and modernized lettering. A white home (later road) counterpart was introduced the following season and featured teal and gray shoulder and sleeve stripes. In the 2001–02 season, the Sharks began wearing a black third jersey, featuring the return of the fin logo on the shoulders and minimalist teal and white sleeve stripes.[173]
Upon switching to theReebok Edge template in 2007, the Sharks introduced new home and away jerseys. The teal home jersey featured a black shoulder yoke while the white road jersey used a teal shoulder yoke. Both jerseys replaced gray with orange trim on the stripes and lettering, added numbers on the right chest, and featured the full-body (or "jumping") shark logo on the shoulders.[173][174]
Before the 2008–09 season, the Sharks introduced a new black alternate jersey, without the contrasting shoulder yoke, tail stripes or orange trim. It also featured the jumping shark logo in front and the "SJ" alternate logo on the shoulders. Prior to the2013–14 season, the Sharks unveiled new uniforms, which included less orange, along with adding a lace-up collar.[175] The front numbers were replaced with the Sharks' 25th-anniversary logo prior to the 2015–16 season.[173]
Following the switch toAdidas' AdiZero template in 2017, the Sharks kept much of their basic look save for the replacement of the "jumping shark" logo in favor of the "screaming shark" logo (home jersey) and "SJ" logo (road jersey) on the shoulder. The slogan "This Is Sharks Territory" was added inside the neckline.[173] The black alternates were retired prior to the season, but in 2018, a new black jersey was introduced. Known as the "Stealth" jersey, it featured a slightly different rendition of the primary Sharks logo, an updated version of the original "fin" logo on the shoulders and stylizedcircuit board sleeve striping.[176] The Stealth uniforms were not used in the 2020–21 season as the Sharks opted to wear their "Reverse Retro" and "Heritage" alternate uniforms in the shortened season (see descriptions below).
The Sharks participated in the2015 Stadium Series by wearing a tricolor jersey of teal, white and black accented by the primary Sharks logo in front and a new "Northern California" alternate logo on the shoulders. The back of the jersey remained teal and featured larger lettering.[173]
During the 2015–16 season, as part of their 25th anniversary, the Sharks wore a slightly modified version of their original teal jerseys for a few home games. These uniforms were brought back in 2021 for the Sharks' 30th anniversary, albeit modified to the AdiZero cut.[173][177]
The Sharks wore Reverse Retro alternate uniforms for the 2020–21 season. The design used was similar to the teal uniforms they wore from 1997 to 2007, but with a gray base and black stripes.[178]
The Sharks released new uniforms in 2022, featuring elements inspired from the team's original 1991–1998 uniform set. In addition, the Sharks changed their pants, gloves and home helmet to teal.[1] The Sharks also unveiled a second "Reverse Retro" uniform based on the last uniforms worn by their Bay Area predecessors, theCalifornia Golden Seals. The design replaced the "Seals" wordmark with "Sharks" in teal and gold trim.[179]
In the 2023–24 season, the Sharks unveiled a new "Cali Fin" black alternate uniform, featuring the updated fin logo as the main crest, along with a modified version of the "Northern California" shoulder patch adopted from the 2015 Stadium Series uniform. In addition to teal and white stripes, a teal yarn-dye-esque striping pattern adorned the sleeves, tail and socks.[180]
For four games in the 2025–26 season, the Sharks will wear 35th anniversary "Heritage" uniforms based on the teal uniforms they wore from 1997 to 2007.[181]
Television:
Radio:
One of the first group of broadcasters for the Sharks wasJoe Starkey, who did play-by-play alongsideDennis Hull in1991–92 andPete Stemkowski for both 1991–92 and1992–93 andBrian Hayward (1991–92 when sidelined with injuries) on color commentary. CSN Bay Area (nowNBC Sports Bay Area) was the television home of San Jose Sharks until the end of the2008–09 NHL season when their games moved to Comcast SportsNet California (nowNBC Sports California). Over-the-air telecasts aired onKGO 7 from1991–1994 and onKICU 36 from1995–1999. Other television color commentators include Chris Collins (1996–97),Steve Konroyd (1997–2000),Drew Remenda (2000–06;2007–14),Marty McSorley (2006–07),Jamie Baker (2014–20), andKendall Coyne Schofield (2019–20).
On June 1, 2023, Dan Rusanowsky was announced as the recipient of the 2023Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, voted on by the NHL Broadcaster's Association and presented "in recognition of members of the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career in hockey broadcasting".[182]
The Sharks' best-known tradition is their pre-game entrance scene. At the beginning of each Sharks home game, the lights go down and a 17-foot open shark mouth is lowered from the rafters. As the mouth is lowered the eyes flash red and fog pours out. Then, a live view of the locker room tunnel with Sharks players is shown on the scoreboard and the goalie leads the team out of the locker room, through the mouth, and onto the ice.[183]
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Sharks. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of San Jose Sharks seasons
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2020–21 | 56 | 21 | 28 | 7 | 49 | 151 | 199 | 7th, West | Did not qualify |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 32 | 37 | 13 | 77 | 214 | 264 | 6th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 22 | 44 | 16 | 60 | 234 | 321 | 7th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 19 | 54 | 9 | 47 | 181 | 331 | 8th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2024–25 | 82 | 20 | 50 | 12 | 52 | 210 | 315 | 8th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
Updated November 15, 2025[184][185]
The San Jose Sharks hold an affiliation with a number of inductees to theHockey Hall of Fame, including nine inductees from the players category of the Hall of Fame.[186]
Players
| No. | Player | Position | Career | Date of honor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Patrick Marleau | C/LW | 1997–2017 2019–2020 2020–2021 | February 25, 2023[196] |
| 19 | Joe Thornton | C | 2005–2020 | November 23, 2024[197] |
The team is unable to issue No. 99 to its players due to NHL retiring the number league-wide in honor ofWayne Gretzky at the2000 NHL All-Star Game.[198]
Reference:[199]
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy
All-Star Game head coach
These are the top-ten-point-scorers in franchise regular season history.[200] Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
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These are the top-ten playoff point-scorers in franchise playoff history.[201] Figures are updated after each completed NHL season.
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The Sharks' teal and white primary colors are in a stripe pattern are on the sleeves and bottom of the jerseys.
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