The San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) along with the National Hockey League announced today the franchise’s First and Second Quarter Century Team presented by SAP as selected by a panel of media, retired players, and executives specific to the Sharks.
Each team consists of three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender. Out of the six forwards named, five were captains in each of their respective tenures in Teal. Of the 12 players named, eight participated in San Jose’s only Stanley Cup appearance in franchise history in the 2015-16 campaign and two of the skaters have had the distinguished honor of having their jersey number retired by the franchise.
First Team Forwards (in alphabetical order)
Patrick Marleau (1997-2017, 2019-2021): Drafted second overall in the 1997 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks. Also known by many fans as “Mr. Shark”, he skated in an NHL record 1,779 NHL games with 1,607 games in Teal. He finished his NHL career skating in 23 seasons, splitting his tenure with San Jose (21 seasons), Toronto Maple Leafs (two seasons), and the Pittsburgh Penguins (one season). Marleau is the all-time franchise leader in goals (518), power-play goals (161), shorthanded goals (17), points (1,102), and shots on goal (3,899). The three-time All-Star (2004, 2009, 2010) was the first player to have his number retired by the Sharks, his number 12 enshrined on Feb. 25, 2023.
Joe Pavelski (2006-2019): Drafted in the late seventh round of the 2003 NHL Draft (205th overall), Joe Pavelski spent 13 seasons (963 GP) with San Jose and captained the team from 2015-19. He helped San Jose earn their first Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after defeating the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 Western Conference Finals at home. Nicknamed “Captain America”, he leads the league for most playoff goals by an American-born skater with 74 markers. Additionally, among American-born skaters in Sharks history, he leads the franchise in games played (963) and across all scoring categories (points, 761; goals, 355; assists, 406). Pavelski was named an All-Star four times (2016, 2017, 2019, 2022).
Joe Thornton (2005-2020): Before Marleau went second overall in the 1997 NHL Draft, the skater that went first overall was no other than St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada native Joe Thornton. After Thornton was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Bruins on Nov. 30, 2005, he won the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophy, becoming the only skater in league history to win the Hart Trophy while playing for two different teams in the same season. He holds the record for the most assists as a Shark (804) and ranks fifth all-time in the league among forwards with 1,109 helpers, splitting his career with Boston, San Jose, Toronto, and Florida. Thornton ranks second in points (1,055) among Teal skaters, behind only Marleau, and was a four-time NHL season All-Star selection as well as a six-time All-Star Game participant. Thornton and Marleau are the only skaters in franchise history to reach the 1,000-point mark and ‘Jumbo’ became the second player in franchise history to have his number retired on Nov. 23, 2024.
First Team Defensemen (in alphabetical order)
Brent Burns (2011-2022): Barrie, Ontario native Brent Burns was acquired from the Minnesota Wild, along with a second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, in exchange for Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, and San Jose’s first-round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft on June 24, 2011. The versatile defenseman clicked for 60 or more points in five consecutive seasons from 2014-19. He leads all Sharks blueliners across all scoring categories who have dawned the Teal uniform with 594 points, 172 goals, and 422 assists. Burns won the James Norris Memorial Trophy during his 2016-17 season, becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to do so. During his accolade campaign, he led NHL defensemen, in points (76) and goals (29). He was chosen as a First All-Star Team member in 2017 and 2019 and earned a Second Team nod in 2016.
Marc-Édouard Vlasic (2006-Current): Now in his 19th season with San Jose, defenseman Marc-Édouard Vlasic has been the reliable blueliner. Vlasic has touched the ice more than any blueliner for the Sharks, recently eclipsing the 1,300 games played mark, and sits behind only Marleau (1,607 GP) for the most games played in a Sharks uniform. He was drafted by San Jose 35th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft. Vlasic was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team after posting three goals and 23 assists in his rookie season (81 GP). Throughout his career with San Jose, Vlasic has logged twenty-plus point seasons nine times, including twenty-plus assist campaigns in four consecutive seasons from 2015-19. He skated in his 1,000th game on Dec. 14, 2019, becoming the 17th skater in NHL history to skate in his first 1,000 games with one team. Has reached the playoffs twelve times out of his 19 seasons with San Jose and moved into the top 20 in the NHL’s all-time games played list for defensemen with his 1,302nd contest, Jan. 25, 2025.
First Team Goaltender
Evgeni Nabokov (1999-2004, 2005-2010): Russian-born goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was a reliable everyday netminder between the pipes for many seasons for the San Jose Sharks. Drafted in the ninth round (219th overall) in the 1994 Entry Draft, Nabokov broke into the league in 1999 after spending two seasons with the Kentucky Thoroughblades from 1997-99. Nabokov leads San Jose netminders in games played (563), games started (553), wins (293), time on ice (32490:44), and shutouts (50). Nabokov won the Calder Memorial Trophy after appearing in 66 games and logged a record of 32 wins and 21 losses during his rookie campaign (2000-01), the lone Calder Trophy winner thus far in club history. On Mar. 10, 2002, at Vancouver, Nabokov became the first and only netminder in Sharks franchise history to record a goal in a contest, an empty net goal on the power play. To this date, only 16 netminders have logged a goal in the history of the NHL. In his career as a Shark, he posted a .900 save percentage or better in nine of his 10 seasons and in 12 of his 14 seasons in the league (San Jose, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning).