Marleau spent his first 19 NHL seasons with the Sharks before signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 2, 2017. He was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on June 22 but bought out on June 27, setting the stage for a return to San Jose.
Marleau was the last player to skate out onto the ice, and the crowd was flooded with signs welcoming back one of the greatest players in franchise history.
"We've put on some weight, put on some gray hair, but, yeah, it's nice to have him back," said Sharks forward Joe Thornton, the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NHL Draft; Marleau was chosen No. 2.
Marleau is the Sharks' all-time leader in goals, points and games played -- and, of course, he wore his familiar No. 12. He shared his appreciation for the ovation Monday on his wife's Twitter account.
