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Revision as of 19:50, 24 April 2007 by 76.101.159.24 (talk) (→Current roster)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| San Jose Sharks | |
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| Conference | Western |
| Division | Pacific |
| Founded | 1991 |
| History | San Jose Sharks 1991- present |
| Home arena | HP Pavilion |
| City | San Jose, California |
| Team colors | Pacific Teal, Grey, Black |
| Media | FSN Bay Area KFOX (98.5 FM) |
| Owner(s) | San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises |
| General manager |  Doug Wilson |
| Head coach |  Ron Wilson |
| Captain | Patrick Marleau |
| Minor league affiliates | Worcester Sharks (AHL) Fresno Falcons (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | None |
| Conference championships | None |
| Division championships | 2001-02, 2003-04 |
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Sharks, along with the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball, and the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL, are often credited with popularizing teal as a color for American sports teams.
Franchise History
Bringing hockey to the Bay Area
Although Northern California was not considered a particularly fertile hockey market, the NHL's 1967-68 expansion included a Bay Area team, primarily because the terms of a new television agreement with CBS called for two of the new teams to be located in California. Thus, the Oakland Seals were one of the six expansion teams added, but were a failure both on the ice and at the gate. After nine money-losing seasons and continued low attendance, in 1976 the Seals were sold to Cleveland businessmen George and Gordon Gund and moved to Cleveland, where they became the Barons. After two more years of losses, the Gunds were permitted to merge the Barons with the financially struggling Minnesota North Stars. The Gunds emerged as the owners of the North Stars as part of the deal.
The Gunds had long wanted to bring hockey back to the Bay Area, and asked the NHL for permission to move the North Stars there in the late 1980s, but were vetoed by the league. Meanwhile, a group led by former Hartford Whalers owner Howard Baldwin was pushing the NHL to bring a team to San Jose, where a new arena was being built. Eventually a compromise was struck by the league, where 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 the 1991-92 NHL season. In return, the North Stars would be allowed to participate as an equal partner in an 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 in the Bay Area, based in San Jose. Over 5000 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 negative connotations (weapons, etc) and went with the runner-up, "Sharks." The name was said to have been inspired by the large number of sharks living in the Pacific Ocean. Seven different varieties live there, and one area of water near the Bay Area is known as the "red triangle" because of its shark population. The team's first marketing head, Matt Levine, 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."
George Kingston years (1991-93)
For their first two seasons, the Sharks played at the Cow Palace in Daly City, just outside San Francisco. During this time, under coach George Kingston, they were one of the worst teams in the NHL, as often happens to expansion teams — 71 losses and a 17-game losing streak, while earning a mere 24 points in the standings. Unsurprisingly, Kingston was fired following the end of the 1992-93 season.
Kevin Constantine years (1993-97)
For their third season, 1993-94, the Sharks moved to their current home, the San Jose Arena (now the HP Pavilion). Under head coach Kevin Constantine, the Sharks pulled off one of the biggest turnarounds in NHL history, finishing with a 33-35-16 record, making the playoffs with 82 points — a 58-point jump from the previous season. They were seeded 8th in the Western Conference playoffs and faced the Detroit Red Wings, the near-unanimous pick to win the Stanley Cup. However, in one of the biggest upsets in Stanley Cup Playoff history, the underdog Sharks shocked the Red Wings in seven games. In the second round, the Sharks had a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs, but lost the final two games in Toronto; including an overtime loss in Game 6 where, moments before Toronto's decisive goal, Johan Garpenlov's shot rang off the Toronto crossbar.
In 1994-95, the Sharks returned to the playoffs and again made it to the second round. Ray Whitney scored a goal in double overtime of Game 7 of the conference quarterfinals against the Calgary Flames, adding to Calgary's streak of not winning a playoff series after they won the 1989 Stanley Cup (a streak they wouldn't break until 2004). Key Sharks players were goalie Arturs Irbe, defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh and forwards Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov. The 1995 season also saw the only rainout in the history of the NHL, when the Guadalupe 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 Red Wings.
In 1995-96, the Sharks finished last in the Pacific Division and failed to make the playoffs. The team also underwent major changes: during the season they traded Ozolinsh and Larionov; Irbe, who had suffered an off-ice injury, was released at the end of the season. The team began rebuilding, acquiring forward Owen Nolan from the Colorado Avalanche, as well as several other players. Constantine was fired midway through the season and replaced by interim coach Jim Wiley. The next season was no better under Al Sims, with the Sharks again finishing last and winning only 27 games.
Darryl Sutter years (1997-2002)
The Sharks returned to the playoffs in 1997-98, with goalie Mike Vernon, whom they acquired from the Red Wings (the season after Vernon won the Conn Smythe Trophy), and new head coach Darryl Sutter. For the next two years, the Sharks made the playoffs, yet never advanced past the first round. This changed in the 1999-2000 season, when the Sharks finished with their first-ever winning record, but earned a match-up against the Presidents' Trophy champion St. Louis Blues in the first round. However, in an upset on par with the one they had pulled on Detroit six years earlier, the Sharks managed to eliminate the Blues in the full seven games. San Jose, however, managed to last only five more games before being eliminated by the Dallas Stars that year.
In 2000-01, Kazakh goalie Evgeni Nabokov won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie. The team also acquired Finnish star forward Teemu Selänne from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Jeff Friesen and Steve Shields. In the 2001 playoffs, the Blues downed the Sharks in six games in the first round, avenging the 2000 defeat to San Jose. The team's breakout year was 2001-02. Veteran Adam Graves was acquired for Mikael Samuelsson. The Sharks won their first Pacific Division title, and defeated the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, but fell to the Colorado Avalanche in second.
Following the 2001-02 season, the Gunds sold the Sharks to a group of local investors headed by team president Greg Jamison. Kyle McLaren was acquired in a three-way trade with the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins for checking-line winger Niklas Sundstrom and promising prospect Jeff Jillson, and Dan McGillis was acquired for Marcus Ragnarsson, but the team could not turn itself around. Sutter was fired and replaced by Ron Wilson midway through that season.
Ron Wilson years (2003-present)
The team underwent a huge change. Owen Nolan was traded to Toronto, and the newly-acquired McGillis, Bryan Marchment, AHL star Shawn Heins, and forward Matt Bradley were moved. Selänne left to sign with the Colorado Avalanche. Character centers Alyn McCauley (from the Maple Leafs) and Wayne Primeau (from the Pittsburgh Penguins) were brought in to stabilize the locker room. The one bright spot for the Sharks that season was Jim Fahey, who lead all rookie defensemen in points despite playing in only 43 games.
2003-04 saw another turnaround for the team, resulting in the team's best season ever. An injection of youth, with players like Christian Ehrhoff and Tom Preissing, and the influx of energy with Alexander Korolyuk jump-started San Jose. They posted the third-best record in the league with a team-record 104 points (31 more than the previous season, and the first time the team had earned 100 points), won the Pacific Division championship, and were seeded second in the Western Conference. They charged through the playoffs, taking down the St. Louis Blues 4 games to 1 in the conference quarterfinals and stopping the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in the conference semis—before falling to the Calgary Flames 4-2 in the conference finals.
The Sharks started the 2005-06 season slowly, with inconsistent goaltending and an inability to score goals dropping the team to last place in the Pacific Division. In response, the Sharks traded Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau and Marco Sturm to the Boston Bruins for Joe Thornton. The trade re-energised the team, and with excellent play by backup goaltender Vesa Toskala, the Sharks rallied back from their early season slump to clinch the 5th seeding in the Western Conference for the playoffs. The Sharks defeated the Nashville Predators 4-1 in the conference quarterfinals before falling to the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 in the conference semifinals. Joe Thornton was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP, as well as the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points, with a total of 125. Jonathan Cheechoo was awarded the Richard Trophy for scoring the most goals during the regular season, with a total of 56.
2006 Offseason
During the 2006 offseason, the San Jose Sharks made significant changes in order to bolster their defense and team grit. The Sharks signed Mike Grier from the Buffalo Sabres and former Shark Curtis Brown from the Chicago Blackhawks, two forwards noted for their defense prowess on both sides of the ice. After signing the two veterans, Doug Wilson traded their top offensive defenseman in 2005-2006, Tom Preissing, to the Ottawa Senators for centerman Mark Bell of the Chicago Blackhawks in a 3-way trade involving Martin Havlat going from Ottawa to the Blackhawks. Wilson then traded underachieving winger Ekman to Pittsburgh. In August, to round off their flurry of trades, the Sharks signed veterans Mathieu Biron and Patrick Traverse. The Sharks also signed many players such as Graham Mink and Scott Ferguson for their AHL affiliate. On October 2, 2006, the Sharks acquired Vladimir Malakhov and a first-round conditional draft pick in exchange for Jim Fahey and Alexander Korolyuk, who is playing in Russia.
2006-2007 Season
The Sharks acquired Craig Rivet from the Montreal Canadiens on February 25, 2007, with a fifth round selection in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, in exchange for defenseman Josh Gorges and San Jose’s first round selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. On February 27, 2007, Bill Guerin was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Ville Nieminen, Jay Barriball, and the conditional first round draft pick received from New Jersey. In separate deals, the Sharks also traded away enforcer Scott Parker and goaltender Nolan Schaefer. San Jose also signed college forward T.J. Fox and prospect Tory Mitchell.
Unique to note is that the Sharks spent most of the season rotating their two goaltenders, Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabokov every other game. The only time either one has played for any extended period of time was when the other was injured or otherwise unable to play.
The Sharks set a club record when they went seven games without allowing a goal in the first two periods of play. During this span, Nabokov set another club record by going eight periods without allowing a goal.
Toskala set a club record by recording the first multi-point game by a goalie in Sharks history when he had two assists in one game.
Also, the Sharks were involved in a rare sporting event: a cancelled trade. San Jose sent a third-round-draft pick to the New Jersey Devils for Alexander Korolyuk with the requirement that Korolyuk pass a physical examination. Korolyuk, who was playing in the Russian Super League, never showed up, and the deal was cancelled.
In the first round of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Sharks again met the Nashville Predators, and advanced to the second round after defeating them 4 games to 1 for the second straight season.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Records as of April 7, 2007.
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1991-92 | 80 | 17 | 58 | 5 | — | 39 | 219 | 351 | 1894 | 6th, Smythe | Did not qualify |
| 1992-93 | 84 | 11 | 71 | 2 | — | 24 | 218 | 414 | 2134 | 6th, Smythe | Did not qualify |
| 1993-94 | 84 | 33 | 35 | 16 | — | 82 | 252 | 265 | 1343 | 3rd, Pacific | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Red Wings) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3-4 (Maple Leafs) |
| 1994-95 | 48 | 19 | 25 | 4 | — | 42 | 129 | 161 | 840 | 3rd, Pacific | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Flames) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0-4 (Red Wings) |
| 1995-96 | 82 | 20 | 55 | 7 | — | 47 | 252 | 357 | 1480 | 7th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 1996-97 | 82 | 27 | 47 | 8 | — | 62 | 211 | 278 | 1085 | 7th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 1997-98 | 82 | 34 | 38 | 10 | — | 78 | 210 | 216 | 1417 | 4th, Pacific | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Stars) |
| 1998-99 | 82 | 31 | 33 | 18 | — | 80 | 196 | 191 | 1423 | 4th, Pacific | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Avalanche) |
| 1999-00 | 82 | 35 | 30 | 10 | 7 | 87 | 225 | 214 | 1292 | 4th, Pacific | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Blues) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1-4 (Stars) |
| 2000-01 | 82 | 40 | 27 | 12 | 3 | 95 | 217 | 192 | 1364 | 2nd, Pacific | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Blues) |
| 2001-02 | 82 | 44 | 27 | 8 | 3 | 99 | 248 | 189 | 1249 | 1st, Pacific | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Coyotes) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3-4 (Avalanche) |
| 2002-03 | 82 | 28 | 37 | 9 | 8 | 73 | 214 | 239 | 1112 | 5th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2003-04 | 82 | 43 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 104 | 219 | 183 | 1091 | 1st, Pacific | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Blues) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-2 (Avalanche) Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Flames) |
| 2004-05 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005-06 | 82 | 44 | 27 | — | 11 | 99 | 266 | 242 | 1058 | 2nd, Pacific | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Predators) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2-4 (Oilers) |
| 2006-07 | 82 | 51 | 26 | — | 5 | 107 | 258 | 199 | 2nd, Pacific | Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Predators) In progress (see 2006-07 San Jose Sharks season) | |
| Totals | 1198 | 477 | 557 | 121 | 43 | 1118 | 3334 | 3691 | 19702 | — | — |
- Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.
- Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
- As of the 2005-06 NHL season, all games will have a winner; the OTL column includes SOL (Shootout losses).
Notable players
Current roster
As of April 6, 2007.
| # | Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 
|
Eric Ewald | L | 2007 | Oak Lawn, Illinois |
| 35 | 
|
Vesa Toskala | L | 1995 | Tampere, Finland |
| # | Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 
|
Douglas Murray | L | 1999 | Bromma, Sweden |
| 4 |
|
Kyle McLaren | L | 2003 | Humboldt, Saskatchewan |
| 5 |
|
Rob Davison | L | 1998 | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 10 | 
|
Christian Ehrhoff | L | 2001 | Moers, West Germany |
| 18 |
|
Matt Carle | L | 2003 | Anchorage, Alaska |
| 22 |
|
Scott Hannan - A | L | 1997 | Richmond, British Columbia |
| 44 |
|
Marc-Edouard Vlasic | L | 2005 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 52 |
|
Craig Rivet | R | 2007 | North Bay, Ontario |
| # | Player | Position | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |
|
Mark Bell | LW | L | 2006 | St. Pauls Station, Ontario |
| 8 |
|
Joe Pavelski | C | R | 2003 | Plover, Wisconsin |
| 9 | 
|
Milan Michalek | LW | L | 2003 | Jindrichuv Hradec, Czechoslovakia |
| 11 |
|
Marcel Goc | C | L | 2001 | Calw, West Germany |
| 12 |
|
Patrick Marleau - C | C | L | 1997 | Aneroid, Saskatchewan |
| 13 |
|
Bill Guerin | RW | R | 2007 | Worcester, Massachusetts |
| 14 |
|
Jonathan Cheechoo | RW | R | 1998 | Moose Factory, Ontario |
| 16 |
|
Mark Smith | C | L | 1997 | Edmonton, Alberta |
| 19 |
|
Joe Thornton - A | C | L | 2005 | London, Ontario |
| 25 |
|
Mike Grier | RW | R | 2006 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 26 |
|
Steve Bernier | RW | R | 2003 | Quebec City, Quebec |
| 29 |
|
Ryane Clowe | LW | L | 2001 | St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador |
| 34 |
|
Patrick Rissmiller | C | L | 2003 | Belmont, Massachusetts |
| 37 |
|
Curtis Brown | C | L | 2006 | Unity, Saskatchewan |
Team captains
- Doug Wilson, 1991-93
- Bob Errey, 1993-95
- Jeff Odgers, 1995-96
- Todd Gill, 1996-98
- Owen Nolan, 1998-2003
- Rotating captains for much of 2003-04
- Mike Ricci (first 10 games)
- Vincent Damphousse (next 20 games)
- Alyn McCauley (next 10 games)
- Patrick Marleau, 2004- present
Hall of Famers
- None
Retired numbers
- 99 Wayne Gretzky, number retired league-wide February 6, 2000
First-round draft picks
- 1991: Pat Falloon (2nd overall)
- 1992: Mike Rathje (3rd overall) & Andrei Nazarov (10th overall)
- 1993: Viktor Kozlov (6th overall)
- 1994: Jeff Friesen (11th overall)
- 1995: Teemu Riihijarvi (12th overall)
- 1996: Andrei Zyuzin (2nd overall) & Marco Sturm (21st overall)
- 1997: Patrick Marleau (2nd overall) & Scott Hannan (23rd overall)
- 1998: Brad Stuart (3rd overall)
- 1999: Jeff Jillson (14th overall)
- 2000: None
- 2001: Marcel Goc (20th overall)
- 2002: Mike Morris (27th overall)
- 2003: Milan Michalek (6th overall) & Steve Bernier (16th overall)
- 2004: Lukas Kaspar (22nd overall)
- 2005: Devin Setoguchi (8th overall)
- 2006: Ty Wishart (16th overall)
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. 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
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
| Patrick Marleau* | C | 717 | 219 | 272 | 491 | .68 |
| Owen Nolan | RW | 568 | 206 | 245 | 451 | .79 |
| Jeff Friesen | LW | 512 | 149 | 201 | 350 | .68 |
| Vincent Damphousse | C | 385 | 92 | 197 | 289 | .75 |
| Marco Sturm | LW | 553 | 128 | 145 | 273 | .49 |
| Mike Ricci | C | 529 | 101 | 162 | 263 | .50 |
| Jonathan Cheechoo* | RW | 305 | 130 | 95 | 225 | .74 |
| Joe Thornton* | C | 140 | 42 | 164 | 206 | 1.47 |
| Pat Falloon | RW | 258 | 76 | 86 | 162 | .63 |
| Mike Rathje | D | 671 | 27 | 128 | 155 | .23 |
* = current Sharks player
NHL awards and trophies
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
(* - traded from the Boston Bruins during the 2005-06 season)
Franchise individual records
- Most Goals in a season: Jonathan Cheechoo, 56 (2005-06)
- Most Assists in a season: Joe Thornton, 92 (2006-07)
- Most Points in a season: Joe Thornton, 114 (2006-07)
- Most Penalty Minutes in a season: Link Gaetz, 326 (1991-92)
- Most Points in a season, defenseman: Sandis Ozolinsh, 64 (1993-94)
- Most Points in a season, rookie: Pat Falloon, 59 (1991-92)
- Most goaltending wins in a season: Evgeni Nabokov, 37 (2001-02)
Miscellaneous
Broadcasters
- Television
- Randy Hahn, Play-by-play
- Marty McSorley, Color-commentator
- John Shrader, Intermission host
- Radio
- Dan Rusanowsky, Play-by-play
- Jamie Baker, Color-commentator
- David Maley, Color-commentator
References
- Cameron, Steve (1994). Feeding Frenzy! The Wild New World of the San Jose Sharks. Taylor Publishing Co. pp. 29–38.
- Gilmore, Tom (1990-09-07). "Sharks Are Coming -- NHL Team Named". The San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle Publishing Co. p. D1. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Hockeydb.com, San Jose Sharks season statistics and records.
See also
- List of San Jose Sharks players
- Head Coaches of the San Jose Sharks
- List of NHL players
- List of NHL seasons
- 1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts
External links
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