Marleau to have No. 12 retired by Sharks, first to get honor from team

Patrick Marleau
will have his No. 12 retired by the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 25, 2023, before a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at SAP Center in San Jose.

The forward, who will be the first Sharks player to receive the honor, played 21 seasons for San Jose and is its leader in games played (1,607), goals (522) and points (1,111), and is second in assists (589) behind Joe Thornton (804). Marleau last played in the NHL in 2020-21 when he played in 56 games for the Sharks, scoring nine points (four goals, five assists).
He is the NHL leader in games played (1,779).
"As a little boy skating on a frozen pond, my dream was to play in the NHL," Marleau said. "Never could I have imagined the honor of my jersey hanging in the rafters above the very ice that I played so many of my NHL games on. I cannot begin to describe the way I feel. I am truly grateful and thankful for this recognition, but also for being able to play in front of the great San Jose Sharks fans for so long. I'll miss doing so for the rest of my life. Thank you to the Sharks organization, my teammates throughout my career, and especially the fans for this honor of a lifetime. I can't wait to see you all on Feb. 25."

San Jose qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 17 of Marleau's seasons there. He ranks first in Sharks history in postseason games (177), goals (68) and points (120), and is tied with Joe Pavelski for third in playoff assists (52).
"It is only fitting that the first San Jose Sharks player to receive the ultimate franchise recognition of having his number retired is Mr. San Jose Shark himself, Patrick Marleau," Sharks president Jonathan Becher said. "Patty symbolizes the Sharks franchise as much as our famous jersey crest and the color teal. We look forward to celebrating his amazing NHL legacy with Patrick's family, friends and his legions of fans, many of whom were in the arena when Patrick first stepped on the ice in San Jose in 1997."
Selected by the Sharks with the No. 2 pick in the 1997 NHL Draft, Marleau scored 1,197 points (566 goals, 631 assists) for the Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins. He had 127 points (72 goals, 55 assists) in 195 playoff games.