Sharks, Blackhawks honor Wilson by wearing No. 24 for warmups

It was the perfect night and the perfect opponent to honor Doug Wilson.

The man who helped take the San Jose Sharks from plucky expansion team with a cool logo to perennial playoff contender during his tenure as general manager was recognized by the team on Saturday.
The Sharks opponent for the game? The Chicago Blackhawks, where Wilson spent his first 14 NHL seasons. It was there he made three All-Star teams and won the 1982 Norris Trophy.
Both teams recognized the 2021 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee by wearing jerseys with his name and number on the back during warmups. The Sharks also wore a special patch with Wilson's initials and unveiled a banner that will hang from the rafters of SAP Center.

Wilson played just 86 of his 1,024 NHL games for the Sharks, but he was named the first captain in team history and helped build the Sharks from the ground up in to what they are presently.
During his tenure as Sharks GM only two NHL teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins have won more regular season games. Sharks players that have been big parts of that history, like Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and more recorded special congratulatory videos for Wilson.
While his name became
synonymous with hockey in San Jose
, Wilson still has plenty of love for the Blackhawks.
"It's appropriate that we're playing against the Chicago Blackhawks," he said in a pregame speech. "That's the team that drafted me and I want to really give great appreciation to the organization."
The feeling on Saturday was more than mutual.