History of San Jose Sharks in Timeline
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, competing in the NHL's Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises, they began playing in the 1991–92 season. Initially, they played at the Cow Palace before moving to their current home, SAP Center at San Jose, also known as "the Shark Tank," in 1993. The Sharks are affiliated with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL and the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL.
April 23, 1961: San Francisco Seals Expansion Franchise
On April 23, 1961, the San Francisco Seals of the Western Hockey League (WHL) were awarded an expansion franchise for San Francisco to former Vancouver Canucks owner Coleman (Coley) Hall.
1965: Sharks Allow 10 Goals in Consecutive Games
During the 2023–24 season, the San Jose Sharks became the first team since the 1965–66 Boston Bruins to allow 10 goals in consecutive games.
1966: California Seals Renaming
In 1966, the San Francisco Seals were renamed to the California Seals, and they played their games at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.
1967: California Golden Seals Join NHL
In 1967, the California Golden Seals joined the NHL. They played their seasons from 1967 to 1976.
1974: Gunds Become Minority Owners
In 1974, Gordon and George Gund III became minority owners of the California Golden Seals.
1976: Golden Seals Move to Cleveland
In 1976, the California Golden Seals moved to Cleveland after Gordon and George Gund III became minority owners in 1974.
1976: California Golden Seals Relocation
In 1976, the California Golden Seals relocated to Cleveland, marking the end of professional hockey in the Bay Area until the Sharks' arrival.
1978: Merger with Minnesota North Stars
In 1978, the Golden Seals merged with the Minnesota North Stars, which the Gunds purchased that year.
1988: NHL Team Push for San Jose
In 1988, a group led by Howard Baldwin pushed the NHL to bring a team to San Jose, where a new arena was being built.
May 5, 1990: Gunds Sell North Stars, Awarded New Team
On May 5, 1990, the Gunds officially sold their share of the Minnesota North Stars to Howard Baldwin and were awarded a new team for the Bay Area, based in San Jose.
May 9, 1990: Sharks Founded
On May 9, 1990, the San Jose Sharks were officially founded after the owners of the Minnesota North Stars sold that team and purchased an expansion team based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
1990: Team Name Selection
In 1990, the team selected "Sharks" as their name after considering "Blades" and receiving inspiration from the large number of sharks in the Pacific Ocean. Jack Ferreira was also hired as the team's first general manager in 1990.
September 6, 1991: Acquisition of Doug Wilson
On September 6, 1991, the San Jose Sharks acquired Doug Wilson, a 14-year veteran and former Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, from the Chicago Blackhawks. He was named the team's first captain.
1991: Beginning of Play
In 1991, the San Jose Sharks began playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1991–92 season. They initially played their home games at the Cow Palace.
1991: Expansion Team in Bay Area
In the 1991-92 season, the Gunds received an expansion team in the Bay Area and were allowed to take players from the North Stars.
1991: Brian Leetch Records 100 Points
On April 10, 2023, Erik Karlsson scored a pair of goals in Winnipeg to become the sixth defenseman in NHL history to record 100 points and first since Brian Leetch in 1991–92.
1991: Inaugural Season Logo
The San Jose Sharks' iconic logo of a shark chomping on a hockey stick has been in use since their inaugural 1991–92 season.
January 28, 1992: Mascot Introduction
On January 28, 1992, the San Jose Sharks introduced their mascot, later named "S. J. Sharkie", at a game against the New York Rangers.
April 15, 1992: Mascot Name Announced
On April 15, 1992, the winning name of "S. J. Sharkie" for the San Jose Sharks mascot was announced.
1992: First Season Struggles
In 1992, the San Jose Sharks struggled in their first season, and they were placed in the Campbell Conference's Smythe Division.
1993: Division Titles
Since 1993, the San Jose Sharks have won six division titles as a member of the Pacific Division.
1994: Evgeni Nabokov Draft
In 1994, Evgeni Nabokov was originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks.
1994: Second Playoff Berth
In the 1994-95 season, the San Jose Sharks earned their second-straight playoff berth and reached the second round of the playoffs.
March 1995: NHL Rainout
In March 1995, the game between the San Jose Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings was rained out when the Guadalupe River flooded, preventing access to the San Jose Arena, marking the only rainout in NHL history.
1996: Struggling Season
In the 1996-97 season, the Sharks finished last and won only 27 games.
1997: Drafting Patrick Marleau
In 1997, the Sharks drafted Patrick Marleau second overall in the 1997 NHL entry draft.
1997: Alternate jersey introduced
In 1997, the Sharks introduced a new alternate jersey, which would later become their road (and eventually home) jersey. This jersey featured a darker teal base, wide gray sleeve and shoulder striping, and modernized lettering.
1997: Use of Original Jerseys Until 1997-98 Season
The original San Jose Sharks road teal jerseys and white home jerseys, each with white or teal block lettering, and featuring the team's fin logo on either shoulder, were used until the 1997–98 season.
1998: Playoff Return
In 1998, the Sharks returned to the playoffs with Mike Vernon as goaltender and Darryl Sutter as head coach, but were eliminated by the Dallas Stars.
2000: Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 retired league-wide
In 2000, the NHL retired No. 99 league-wide in honor of Wayne Gretzky at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game, preventing the San Jose Sharks from issuing the number to its players.
2000: Nabokov's Debut
In the 2000-01 season, Evgeni Nabokov originally drafted in 1994, emerged as the team's starting goaltender.
2001: Sale to Local Investors
Following the 2001-02 season, the Gunds sold the San Jose Sharks to a group of local investors headed by team president Greg Jamison.
2001: Nabokov Wins Calder Trophy
In 2001, Evgeni Nabokov won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. Teemu Selanne was also acquired. In the 2001 playoffs, the St. Louis Blues eliminated the Sharks in six games in the first round.
2002: Difficult Start and Coaching Change
In the 2002-03 season, the Sharks had a difficult start, leading to the firing of coach Sutter. Ron Wilson was hired a few days later.
March 18, 2003: Lombardi's Dismissal
On March 18, 2003, Dean Lombardi's tenure with the San Jose Sharks ended with his dismissal. Doug Wilson was named to the role on May 13.
2003: Turnaround Season
In the 2003-04 season, the San Jose Sharks turned around their record and finished atop the Pacific Division.
2004: Conference Finals Appearance
In the 2004 playoffs, the San Jose Sharks advanced to the conference finals, but lost to the Calgary Flames. Patrick Marleau kept the captaincy during that season.
2005: Acquisition of Joe Thornton
During the 2005-06 season, the San Jose Sharks traded for star player Joe Thornton, trading Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau, and Marco Sturm to the Boston Bruins.
2006: Trade Deadline Acquisitions
During the 2006-07 season, the San Jose Sharks traded for defenseman Craig Rivet and winger Bill Guerin at the trade deadline. The Sharks finished second in the Pacific Division.
2006: Thornton Wins Hart Trophy
In 2006, Joe Thornton was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player and the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points. Jonathan Cheechoo won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy.
2007: New home and away jerseys introduced
In 2007, the Sharks introduced new home and away jerseys upon switching to the Reebok Edge template. The teal home jersey featured a black shoulder yoke, while the white road jersey used a teal shoulder yoke. Gray was replaced with orange trim, numbers were added on the right chest, and the full-body shark logo was featured on the shoulders.
2007: Acquisition of Brian Campbell
In the 2007-08 season, the San Jose Sharks picked up Brian Campbell at the trade deadline, giving up Steve Bernier.
2007: Logo Modification
Prior to the 2007–08 season, the Sharks' iconic logo of a shark chomping on a hockey stick had slight modifications.
June 11, 2008: Todd McLellan Named Head Coach
On June 11, 2008, the San Jose Sharks named Todd McLellan as their new head coach for the 2008–09 season.
2008: Television broadcast rights move to Comcast SportsNet California
At the end of the 2008-09 NHL season, the San Jose Sharks' television broadcast rights moved from CSN Bay Area (now NBC Sports Bay Area) to Comcast SportsNet California (now NBC Sports California).
2008: Pacific Division Title and Coaching Change
In 2008, the San Jose Sharks captured their third Pacific Division title with a franchise-record 108 points. The Sharks fired Ron Wilson as head coach following a playoff loss.
2008: New black alternate jersey introduced
In 2008, the Sharks introduced a new black alternate jersey. This jersey did not have a contrasting shoulder yoke, tail stripes, or orange trim. It featured the jumping shark logo in front and the "SJ" alternate logo on the shoulders.
2008: Presidents' Trophy Win
In the 2008-09 season, the San Jose Sharks won the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the league's best regular season record.
2009: Offseason Changes
In the 2009 offseason, Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo were traded to the Ottawa Senators for Dany Heatley, Claude Lemieux retired, and Rob Blake was named captain after Patrick Marleau was stripped of the captaincy.
February 7, 2010: Acquisition of Niclas Wallin
On February 7, 2010, the San Jose Sharks acquired Niclas Wallin from the Carolina Hurricanes.
June 23, 2010: Wilson Announces No Contract for Nabokov
On June 23, 2010, the San Jose Sharks announced that they would not offer an unrestricted free agent contract to long-time goaltender Evgeni Nabokov after he had played ten seasons with the team.
September 2, 2010: Sharks Sign Antti Niemi
On September 2, 2010, the San Jose Sharks signed former Chicago Blackhawks goaltender and Stanley Cup winner Antti Niemi to a one-year contract.
2010: Setoguchi Signs Contract Extension
In 2010, Devin Setoguchi signed a three-year, $9 million contract extension with the San Jose Sharks.
March 1, 2011: Niemi Signs Contract Extension
On March 1, 2011, Antti Niemi signed a four-year contract extension with San Jose worth $15.2 million.
March 31, 2011: Sharks Clinch Playoff Berth
On March 31, 2011, the San Jose Sharks clinched their seventh consecutive playoff berth with a 6–0 victory over the Dallas Stars.
2011: Trade Involving Setoguchi and Burns
In 2011, the San Jose Sharks traded Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, and a first-round pick to the Minnesota Wild for Brent Burns and a 2012 second-round pick, retooling their team in the off-season.
2012: Raffi Torres Acquired
During the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, Raffi Torres was acquired by the San Jose Sharks.
2012: Playoff Loss to the Blues
In 2012, the San Jose Sharks lost their first-round playoff series to the St. Louis Blues, losing the final four games after winning game one in overtime.
2013: Playoff Sweep and Series Loss
In 2013, the San Jose Sharks swept the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the playoffs, marking their first series sweep in franchise history, but subsequently lost to the Los Angeles Kings in seven games in the second round.
2013: New uniforms unveiled
In 2013, the Sharks unveiled new uniforms. These uniforms included less orange and a lace-up collar.
2013: Strong Start to the Season
The San Jose Sharks started the 2013–14 season with an 8–0–1 record, remaining undefeated in regulation until October 25.
August 20, 2014: Sharks to Enter Season Without Captain
On August 20, 2014, head coach Todd McLellan announced that the San Jose Sharks would enter training camp for the 2014–15 season without a captain, allowing all players to compete for the captaincy role.
2014: Playoff Collapse Against Kings
In the first round of the 2014 playoffs, the San Jose Sharks lost to the Los Angeles Kings after leading the series 3–0, becoming only the fourth team in NHL history to lose a best-of-seven series after winning the first three games.
February 2015: Sharks Host 2015 Stadium Series
In February 2015, the San Jose Sharks hosted the 2015 Stadium Series at Levi's Stadium against the Los Angeles Kings, losing 2–1.
April 20, 2015: McLellan and Sharks Part Ways
On April 20, 2015, the San Jose Sharks announced that they had agreed to part ways with head coach Todd McLellan.
May 28, 2015: Peter DeBoer Named Head Coach
On May 28, 2015, the San Jose Sharks named Peter DeBoer as their head coach.
2015: Modified original teal jerseys worn for anniversary
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.
2015: Stadium Series jersey worn
In 2015, the Sharks participated in the 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.
2015: 25th-anniversary logo replaces front numbers
Prior to the 2015-16 season, the Sharks replaced the front numbers on their jerseys with the team's 25th-anniversary logo.
2016: Stanley Cup Final Appearance
In 2016, the San Jose Sharks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history, ultimately losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
2017: AdiZero template switch and logo changes
In 2017, following the switch to Adidas' AdiZero template, the Sharks made changes to their logo on the jerseys. The "jumping shark" logo was replaced with the "screaming shark" logo on the home jersey and the "SJ" logo on the road jersey. The slogan "This Is Sharks Territory" was added inside the neckline. The black alternates were retired.
2017: Playoff Loss and Marleau Departure
In 2017, the San Jose Sharks finished third in the Pacific Division but were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers in six games in the first round of the playoffs. Following the season, Patrick Marleau left the team to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
2018: "Stealth" jersey introduced
In 2018, the Sharks introduced a new black jersey known as the "Stealth" jersey. This jersey featured a slightly different rendition of the primary Sharks logo, an updated version of the original "fin" logo on the shoulders, and stylized circuit board sleeve striping.
2018: Kane Acquisition and Playoff Loss
In the 2017–18 season, the San Jose Sharks acquired Evander Kane in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres. The Sharks once again finished in third place in the Pacific Division and were defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2018 playoffs, after sweeping the Anaheim Ducks in the first round.
2018: Trades for Hoffman and Karlsson
Prior to the 2018–19 season, the San Jose Sharks traded for Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson, significantly altering their roster.
October 8, 2019: Patrick Marleau Re-acquired
On October 8, 2019, after two seasons in Toronto, Patrick Marleau was re-acquired by the San Jose Sharks.
2019: Divisions Realigned Due to COVID-19
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the divisions for the 2019–20 season were realigned, with the San Jose Sharks playing in the West Division.
March 2020: NHL Season Suspended Due to COVID-19
In March 2020, the NHL season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the San Jose Sharks missing the playoffs after finishing in last place.
September 22, 2020: Boughner's Interim Label Removed
On September 22, 2020, Bob Boughner's interim label was removed, and he was named the full-time head coach of the San Jose Sharks.
2020: Reverse Retro alternate uniforms worn
For the 2020-21 season, the Sharks wore Reverse Retro alternate uniforms, similar to the teal uniforms worn from 1997 to 2007, but with a gray base and black stripes.
2020: "Stealth" uniforms not used
In the 2020-21 season, the Sharks opted not to wear their "Stealth" uniforms, instead wearing their "Reverse Retro" and "Heritage" alternate uniforms in the shortened season.
2020: Shakir Mukhamadullin Drafted
In the trade with the New Jersey Devils on February 26, 2023, the San Jose Sharks acquired Shakir Mukhamadullin, who was a 2020 first-round pick.
November 26, 2021: Doug Wilson Takes Medical Leave
On November 26, 2021, San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson took medical leave.
2021: Sharks Draft Eklund
In the 2021 NHL entry draft, the San Jose Sharks selected top-ranked European skater William Eklund seventh overall.
April 7, 2022: Doug Wilson Resigns
On April 7, 2022, Doug Wilson resigned from his position as general manager of the San Jose Sharks while still on medical leave. Joe Will was named the interim general manager.
July 5, 2022: Mike Grier Hired as General Manager
On July 5, 2022, the San Jose Sharks hired former player Mike Grier to serve as their new general manager, becoming the first black general manager in NHL history.
2022: New uniforms released with teal elements
In 2022, the Sharks released new uniforms featuring elements inspired by the team's original 1991–1998 uniform set, changed their pants, gloves, and home helmet to teal, and unveiled a second "Reverse Retro" uniform based on the last uniforms worn by the California Golden Seals, replacing the "Seals" wordmark with "Sharks" in teal and gold trim.
February 25, 2023: Patrick Marleau's Number Retired
On February 25, 2023, the San Jose Sharks retired Patrick Marleau's number 12 in a pre-game ceremony, marking the first number retirement in franchise history.
June 1, 2023: Dan Rusanowsky wins Foster Hewitt Memorial Award
On June 1, 2023, Dan Rusanowsky was announced as the recipient of the 2023 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to hockey broadcasting.
2023: New "Cali Fin" black alternate uniform unveiled
In the 2023–24 season, the Sharks unveiled a new "Cali Fin" black alternate uniform, featuring the updated fin logo as the main crest and a modified version of the "Northern California" shoulder patch adopted from the 2015 Stadium Series uniform. The uniform also had teal and white stripes, with a teal yarn-dye-esque striping pattern on the sleeves, tail, and socks.
2023: Karlsson Traded to Penguins
On August 6, 2023, San Jose traded Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of a three-team trade also featuring the Montreal Canadiens.
May 7, 2024: Sharks Win NHL Draft Lottery
On May 7, 2024, the San Jose Sharks won the NHL draft lottery for the first time in franchise history, securing the number one pick for the 2024 NHL entry draft.
June 13, 2024: Ryan Warsofsky Named Head Coach
On June 13, 2024, assistant coach Ryan Warsofsky was announced as the replacement for David Quinn as the head coach of the San Jose Sharks.
2024: Karlsson Traded to Penguins
On August 6, 2023, San Jose traded Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of a three-team trade also featuring the Montreal Canadiens. San Jose received a conditional first-round selection from Pittsburgh in the 2024 NHL entry draft, along with forwards Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman and defenseman Jan Rutta.
2025: Couture Retirement and Misa Draft
At the end of the 2024–25 season, Captain Logan Couture retired and the San Jose Sharks selected Michael Misa in the 2025 NHL entry draft
2025: Warsofsky Comments
At the start of the 2025–26 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.
2025: Hertl Traded
During the 2023-24 season, at the trade deadline, The San Jose Sharks traded Tomas Hertl, receiving David Edstrom and a 2025 first round pick in return.
2025: 35th anniversary "Heritage" uniforms to be worn
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.
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