San Jose Sharks
About the San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks were awarded an NHL franchise in 1990 and began play during the 1991-92 season.
The arrival of the Sharks brought NHL hockey back to the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time since the California Golden Seals relocated in 1976. San Jose also became the first new NHL franchise of the 1990s, a decade in which the league expanded rapidly into several new markets.
The Sharks struggled during their first two seasons but improved dramatically in their third. San Jose reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 1994 and upset the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings in seven games in the opening round.
Over the following two decades, the Sharks developed into one of the Western Conference's most consistent playoff teams and eventually reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 2016.
Division History
When San Jose entered the NHL in 1991, the Sharks were placed in the Smythe Division of the Campbell Conference.
The NHL reorganized its conferences and divisions in 1993. The Campbell Conference became the Western Conference, while San Jose became a member of the newly named Pacific Division.
The Sharks have remained in the Pacific Division since then, with one exception. During the shortened 2020-21 season, the NHL temporarily reorganized its divisions and San Jose competed in the West Division.
Championship History
San Jose's first major postseason breakthrough came during the 1993-94 season.
After qualifying for the playoffs for the first time, the Sharks defeated the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in the opening round. San Jose then pushed the Toronto Maple Leafs to seven games in the second round before being eliminated.
The Sharks won their first division championship in 2001-02.
San Jose later captured Pacific Division titles in 2003-04, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, giving the franchise six division championships.
The 2008-09 season produced the best regular-season record in franchise history. San Jose finished 53-18-11 with 117 points and won the Presidents' Trophy for the first time as the NHL's top regular-season team.
The Sharks reached the Western Conference Final in 2004, 2010 and 2011 but were unable to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
That changed in 2016.
San Jose defeated the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues to win the Western Conference championship and reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. The Sharks faced the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Final and lost the series in six games.
San Jose made another deep playoff run in 2019. The Sharks defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in a memorable seven-game first-round series and then beat the Colorado Avalanche in seven games before facing St. Louis in the Western Conference Final.
The Blues won the series in six games. The 2019 run remains San Jose's most recent playoff appearance through the 2025-26 season.
The Sharks continue to seek their first Stanley Cup championship.
Home of the Sharks
The Sharks played their first two NHL seasons at the Cow Palace in Daly City while a new arena was being completed in San Jose.
The franchise moved into San Jose Arena for the beginning of the 1993-94 season.
The building later became known as Compaq Center and HP Pavilion before adopting the SAP Center at San Jose name in 2013.
SAP Center has become closely associated with the Sharks and is commonly known to fans as “The Shark Tank.” The arena has hosted the franchise throughout its most successful periods, including the 2016 run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Notable Sharks
Patrick Marleau became the most prolific player in Sharks history after San Jose selected him with the second overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft.
Marleau spent parts of 21 seasons with the Sharks and holds the franchise records for games played, goals and points. He recorded 522 goals and 1,111 points in 1,607 regular-season games for San Jose.
Marleau also holds the NHL record for most regular-season games played, appearing in 1,779 games during his career with San Jose, Toronto and Pittsburgh.
In 2023, his No. 12 became the first jersey number retired by the Sharks.
Joe Thornton became another defining figure in franchise history after San Jose acquired him from the Boston Bruins during the 2005-06 season.
Thornton immediately produced one of the greatest individual seasons in Sharks history. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer and the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2005-06.
During his 15 seasons with San Jose, Thornton recorded 1,055 points and a franchise-record 804 assists. He helped the Sharks reach the Western Conference Final four times and played a major role in their run to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.
The Sharks retired Thornton's No. 19 in 2024, making him the second player in franchise history to receive the honor. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025.
Joe Pavelski became one of the greatest draft successes in franchise history after San Jose selected him in the seventh round of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Pavelski spent 13 seasons with the Sharks and recorded 355 goals and 761 points. He served as team captain from 2015 through 2019 and led San Jose during its first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final in 2016.
He remains second in franchise history in goals and ranks among San Jose's all-time leaders in points and postseason scoring.
Brent Burns became one of the NHL's premier offensive defensemen during his time with the Sharks.
San Jose acquired Burns from the Minnesota Wild in 2011, and he developed into a central figure on several of the franchise's strongest teams.
Burns recorded 24 points during San Jose's run to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. The following season, he scored 29 goals and 76 points and won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman. He became the first active Sharks player to win the award.
Other prominent players in Sharks history include Owen Nolan, Evgeni Nabokov, Vincent Damphousse, Dan Boyle, Logan Couture, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Jonathan Cheechoo and Tomas Hertl.