SHARKS HISTORY

May 9, 1990--NHL grants approval for George and Gordon Gund to sell the Minnesota North Stars in return for the rights to an expansion franchise in the Bay Area, to begin play in the 1991-92 season.

June 26, 1990--Official "ground-breaking ceremonies" take place for San Jose Arena as city and team officials (including Sharks Owner George Gund, Mayor Tom McEnery and Council Member Jim Beall) and celebrities (including Peggy Fleming-Jenkins) moved the first bit of earth with ceremonial golden shovels.

July 30, 1990-- "Name the Team" sweepstakes ends with more than 5,700 entries accounting for more than 2,300 different nicknames. Entries were submitted from 47 U.S. states, every Canadian province and from as far away as Italy. In a random drawing, Allen Speare, an attorney from San Jose, was the grand prize winner of a trip to the 1991 NHL All-Star Game. The most popular names (alphabetically): Blades, Breakers, Breeze, Condors, Fog, Gold, Golden Gators, Golden Skaters, Grizzlies, Icebreakers, Knights, Redwoods, Sea Lions, Sharks and Waves.

Sept. 6, 1990--Club officials announce the Bay Area franchise will be known as the "Sharks." A saw-toothed typeface was unveiled as a secondary usage trademark. The team's official logo, colors and uniform design will be displayed at a later date.

Sept. 13, 1990--Sharks Co-owner George Gund and San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery announce that the South Bay city will be the permanent home of the NHL franchise. The Sharks will play two years at the Cow Palace in Daly City before moving to a new 18,000-seat arena in downtown San Jose for the 1993-94 season.

Nov. 20, 1990--Interest earned from Sharks season ticket deposits buys more than 500 turkeys to be donated to needy families in the Santa Cruz area, many of whom were victims of the October, 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake.

Dec. 12, 1990--San Jose City Council approves agreement that grants the Sharks management of the San Jose Arena. The council also set its capital expenditures at $125 million for design and construction of the arena, which will seat approximately 18,000 for hockey, 19,000 for basketball and 20,000 for selected other events. The Sharks will contribute an additional $17-20 million for arena amenities. Opening of the arena is scheduled for September, 1993.

Feb. 12, 1991--Team colors are unveiled: Pacific teal, gray, black and white. The Sharks official crest and uniform design are on display for the first time. The team's home and road jerseys are unveiled by Co-owner George Gund and hockey legend Gordie Howe.

March 30, 1991--A two-year agreement with the Kansas City Blades (International Hockey League) is announced, making that club the Sharks player development affiliate.

April 12, 1991--George Kingston named the first head coach in franchise history.

May 21, 1991--Sharks granted Official Franchise Status by the National Hockey League after paying the balance of a $50 million entrance fee.

May 30, 1991--The Sharks obtain their first players--34 in all--by participating in the dispersal draft and expansion draft

June 22, 1991--Sharks participate in their first NHL Entry Draft, selecting right wing Pat Falloon (Spokane, WHL) with their first selection (second overall).

Oct. 4, 1991--First game in club history at Vancouver ends in a 4-3 loss, after Sharks rally for three goals in the final period to tie the score. Vancouver's Trevor Linden scores the game-winner with 19 seconds remaining. Craig Coxe scores the first goal in club history at 4:09 of the third period on assists from Mark Pavelich and Neil Wilkinson.

Oct. 8, 1991--At the Cow Palace, the Sharks record their first victory, 4-3, over Calgary as Kelly Kisio breaks a tie score on a power-play goal with 3:15 left in regulation.

Nov. 30, 1991--At Calgary, Sharks earn first road victory, 2-1, on goals by Steve Bozek and David Bruce. Jeff Hackett's shutout bid is spoiled by Calgary's Gary Suter at 18:31 of third period.

Jan. 18, 1992--Doug Wilson becomes the first Sharks player to represent San Jose in the NHL All-Star game when he skates for the Campbell Conference squad in Philadelphia. It is Wilson's seventh All-Star Game appearance.

April 1-11, 1992--Sharks inaugural season suspended by National Hockey League Players' Association strike, the first in league history.

April 15, 1992--"S.J. Sharkie," the Sharks newly named mascot is officially introduced by bungee jumping from the Cow Palace rafters during the first intermission of a game against Calgary. Initially presented on January 28, the mascot's official name was determined by Sharks fans after a "Name the Mascot" contest produced the moniker.

April 23, 1992--Jeff Hackett selected as team's inaugural-season Most Valuable Player in voting by a panel of Bay Area media.

May 12, 1992--The Kansas City Blades, the Sharks development affiliate, capture the International Hockey League's Turner Cup, symbolic of the league championship, with a 4-0 series sweep over the Muskegon Lumberjacks (Pittsburgh Penguins affiliate).

June 20, 1992--The Sharks participate in their second NHL Entry Draft and select defenseman Mike Rathje (Medicine Hat, WHL) with their first selection (third overall).

June 26, 1992--Announced departure of General Manager Jack Ferreira. Promoted Dean Lombardi to vice president, director of hockey operations; Chuck Grillo to vice president, director of player personnel; George Kingston to vice president, head coach.

Nov. 17, 1992--The Sharks record the first shutout in franchise history, defeating the visiting Los Angeles Kings 6-0. Goaltender Arturs Irbe made 39 saves in the historic victory.

Nov. 21, 1992--Team captain Doug Wilson plays in his NHL Milestone 1,000th game. Ironically, the visiting team was the Chicago Blackhawks, for whom Wilson played his first 14 NHL seasons.

Dec. 3, 1992--Playing in just his second NHL game, rookie right wing Rob Gaudreau scores the first hat trick in franchise history in a 7-5 loss to the Hartford Whalers at the Cow Palace.

Dec. 11, 1992--The City of San Jose, San Jose Arena and the San Jose Sharks are awarded the 1995 National Hockey League All-Star Weekend by the NHL Board of Governors. The All-Star Weekend, highlighted by the 46th All-Star Game, was scheduled for January 1995, but was rescheduled to January 1997 after labor strife between the players and owners cause a three-month postponement to the start of the 1994-95 season.

Jan. 5, 1993--Right wing Rob Gaudreau is named the NHL's December Rookie of the Month, becoming the first Sharks player to capture a league award. Gaudreau, who made his NHL debut on Dec. 1, 1992, scored 19 points (14 goals, 5 assists) in 14 games. Included was a club record 12-game point scoring streak (Dec. 3-29) and a pair of hat tricks.

Feb. 5-6, 1993--The Sharks are represented by Kelly Kisio and Mike Sullivan at the National Hockey League All-Star Weekend in Montreal. Kisio, playing in his first All-Star Game, scores a goal and an assist for the Campbell Conference squad. Sullivan, participating in the SuperSkills portion of All-Star weekend, finishes second in the fastest-skater event with a time of 13.658 seconds, completing two laps around the rink.

April 4, 1993--Kelly Kisio is named Sharks Most Valuable Player for his performance during the 1992-93 season. Kisio, who led the Sharks in scoring with 78 points (26 goals, 52 assists) and matched career season-highs in points and goals, is a unanimous selection by a panel of Bay Area Media.

April 19, 1993--Announce dismissal of Head Coach George Kingston.

June 16, 1993--Kevin Constantine is named head coach.

August 11, 1993--Greg Jamison is named executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Sept. 7, 1993--San Jose Arena is christened with the official dedication ceremony. The ceremony, complete with a dramatic outdoor celebration, city officials, community leaders, Sharks executives and hundreds of Bay Area citizens, concludes with a tour of the new Arena for the first official public "sneak-peek." The dedication ceremony kicks off a month-long string of grand opening events.

Sept. 8, 1993--Families and children of all ages flock to San Jose Arena for the first official event. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus--the "Greatest Show on Earth"--entertains the sellout crowd of 16,356.

Sept. 30, 1993--First hockey game in the history of San Jose Arena is played as the Sharks beat the N.Y. Islanders, 4-2, in a preseason contest.

Nov. 29, 1993--Goaltender Arturs Irbe named "Co-winner" of NHL Player of the Week award for period Nov. 22-28, posting a 3-0-0 record and 2.33 GAA including his second career shutout. Irbe shares the award with Hartford goaltender Jeff Reese.

Dec. 14, 1993--Sharks players and coaches split themselves into three separate groups in spreading holiday cheer to kids and adults. The groups visit the following Bay Area locations: Lucille Packard Children's Hospital (Stanford), Children's Shelter of San Jose and Agnews Development Center. Following the individual group visits, the team gathered at City Team Ministries in downtown San Jose to serve an evening meal.

Jan. 22, 1994--San Jose is represented for the first time by two players in an NHL All-Star game. Goaltender Arturs Irbe and defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, each making their all-star game debut, represent the Western Conference in New York at the NHL mid-season classic. Irbe stops 16 of 18 shots in the second period of play and Ozolinsh, the youngest player in the game at 21, finishes as the conference's leading scorer with 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist).

March 4, 1994--The 1994 Celebrity Waiter Luncheon, presented for the first time by the Sharks, raises more than $100,000 in an effort to help raise funds for San Jose Unified School District's "Save High School Sports" program. Sharks coaches, players and executives joined other Bay Area sports celebrities at the event held on the floor of San Jose Arena.

March 7, 1994--Right wing Sergei Makarov named NHL Player of the Week for his performance during the week of Feb. 28-March 6. Makarov scores four goals, three assists and recorded a plus/minus rating of plus 6 helping the Sharks to a 2-0-1 record during that span. Teammate Sandis Ozolinsh finishes runner-up to Makarov after scoring six points (3 goals, 3 assists), including becoming the first Sharks defenseman to score 20 goals in one season.

March 29, 1994--Right wing Sergei Makarov becomes the first player in Sharks history to be awarded a penalty shot in a 9-4 victory over Winnipeg. Makarov is successful, beating visiting Jets goaltender Tim Cheveldae, completing his first career Sharks hat trick and becoming the first Sharks player to score 30 goals in a season.

April 5, 1994--The Sharks clinch their first-ever playoff berth with a dramatic 2-1 victory at Los Angeles. Center Jamie Baker scores twice for the Sharks, who lead 2-0 entering the third period and hold off a late Kings rally and a goal by Luc Robitaille at 18:43 of the third period to earn the spot in the post-season. The victory and season caps off a league-record 58-point improvement (33-35-16 record, 82 pts) by the team that finished with just 24 points and a league record 71 losses in 1992-93.

April 22, 1994--Goaltender Arturs Irbe is the unanimous choice by a panel of Bay Area media as the team's most valuable player for the 1993-94 season. Irbe posted a career best 30 wins and backstopped the Sharks to their first-ever playoff appearance. He played in a team-record 74 games and established an NHL single-season record by recording 4,412 minutes played. Irbe also posted three shutouts, a seven-game winning streak (from March 24-April 5) and a nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2, from March 20-April 5).

April 30, 1994--The entire Bay Area is thrown into a frenzy when the Sharks stun the Detroit Red Wings, 3-2, in the seventh and deciding game of the Western Conference quarterfinals. Center Jamie Baker is the hero, scoring the go-ahead goal at 13:25 of the third period at the Joe Louis Arena, eliminating the heavily favored Red Wings, the top seed in the Western Conference, in San Jose's first trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

May 17, 1994--More than 15,000 teal-clad Sharks fans line the streets from San Jose Arena to Guadalupe Park, near the Children's Discovery Museum, during "Sharks Rally 1994," organized by the City of San Jose to celebrate the Sharks historic and memorable season.

June 17, 1994--Sharks Head Coach Kevin Constantine finishes second in voting by the NHL Broadcaster's Association for the Jack Adams award (NHL Coach of the Year) behind New Jersey's Jacques Lemaire. Constantine, San Jose's rookie coach, engineered the largest single-season turnaround (58 points) in NHL history as the Sharks finished the season with 82 points (24 points in 1992-93). In addition, he helped lead the team to its first ever postseason berth and advanced to the Conference semi-finals before being eliminated. The Award is voted upon and is based on regular season achievements.

June 30, 1994--Sharks Head Coach Kevin Constantine is selected by USA Hockey as the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award for 1994. The award is presented annually to a United States citizen who has made hockey his or her profession and has made outstanding contributions to the sport in this country.

July 14, 1994--Former San Jose mayor Tom McEnery joins the Sharks as Vice Chairman.

August 26, 1994--Sharks announce an agreement to extend the club's minor league affiliation with the Kansas City Blades of the IHL for the 1994-95 season.

August 29, 1994--Sharks and KFRC 610 AM announce that KFRC will serve at the flagship for the Sharks radio network for three more years.

October 5, 1994--Sharks become the fourth NHL club to provide Spanish broadcast to its Hispanic community with KLOK 1170 AM carrying all home games for the 1994-95 season.

October 6, 1994--Sharks announce the formation of the Sharks Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to meeting the social, cultural and educational needs of the Bay Area community. The foundation offers the Sharks unique resources and financial assistance to support organizations that enhance the lives of local youth.

October 19, 1994--The NHL postpones the start of 1994-95 season until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached between the players and owners.

December 6, 1994--Sharks announced the re-naming of the Sharks & Parks Scholarship to the Mike Caldarulo Sharks & Parks Youth Scholarship in honor of Mike Caldarulo, a recently deceased San Jose police officer who dedicated much of his time to local youths involved in hockey.

December 8, 1994--The NHL announces the cancellation of the 1995 NHL All-Star Weekend scheduled for January 21-22 at San Jose Arena. San Jose is immediately awarded the 1997 All-Star Weekend.

January 13, 1995--The NHL and the NHLPA announce an agreement on a new, six-year collective bargaining agreement that extends through the 1999-2000 season. Training camps open and a 48-game, intra-conference season for each team commences on January 20.

March 10, 1995--Sharks home game vs. Detroit is postponed due to flooding near San Jose Arena. The game is rescheduled for April 5.

March 17, 1995--Sharks become the first NHL club with its own permanent home page on the World Wide Web (http://www.sj-sharks.com).

March 23, 1995--Dean Lombardi is promoted to executive vice president and director of hockey operations, and Chuck Grillo is promoted to executive vice president and director of player personnel.

May 19, 1995--San Jose shocks its second consecutive higher-ranked opponent in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, as Ray Whitney's goal at 1:54 of the second overtime period of Game 7 sends the Sharks past the Calgary Flames and into the Western Conference semifinals for the second consecutive season. Goaltender Wade Flaherty faces a team-record 60 shots (56 saves) in the contest.

June 24, 1995--Jeff Friesen becomes the first-ever Sharks player to receive an NHL post season award when he is named to the All-Rookie Team. The first round selection (11th overall) in the 1994 Entry Draft, tied for third in team scoring and seventh among all rookies with 25 points (team-leading 15 goals, 10 assist), despite being the youngest player in the league (18 years, 9 months at season's end).

October 10, 1995--Sharks announce the assignment of Sharks Assistant Coaches Vasily Tikhonov and Drew Remenda to the positions of Kansas City Blades head coach and assistant coach, respectively. Kansas City Head Coach Jim Wiley and Assistant Coach Mark Kaufman are named assistant coaches with the Sharks.

October 10, 1995--Sharks and Head Coach Kevin Constantine reach an agreement on a new three-year contract.

October 12, 1995--Dean Lombardi is named executive vice president and general manager.

December 2, 1995--Head Coach Kevin Constantine is dismissed and is replaced by assistant coach Jim Wiley.

December 20, 1995--Sharks and KICU TV 36 announce the signing of a new four-year broadcast agreement between the television station and the hockey club. Through the 1995-96 season, KICU-TV has broadcast more than 100 Sharks games in the team's five-year history.

January 20, 1996--Sharks are represented by right wing Owen Nolan at the 1995-96 NHL All-Star game in Boston at the new Fleet Center, marking the second career all-star appearance by Quebec's former first round draft choice (1990).

February 10, 1996--Rookie Alexei Yegorov becomes the first Sharks player to record a hat trick in the first game that he has ever scored a goal, accomplishing the feat in Calgary. The game is Yegorov's sixth career NHL game after a recall from Kansas City.

February 27, 1996--Sharks President and Chief Executive Officer Art Savage announces his decision to leave the club. Majority Owner George Gund names Greg Jamison to replace Savage and also promotes Frank Jirik to Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer.

March 6, 1996--Sharks announce the dismissal of Executive Vice President and Director of Player Personnel Chuck Grillo.

March 11, 1996--Sharks announce promotion of Wayne Thomas to assistant general manager.

May 1, 1996--Owner George Gund is named a recipient of the prestigious Lester Patrick Trophy, awarded for outstanding service and contributions to hockey in the United States. Gund and the other recipients (Milt Schmidt, Ken Morrow) are honored at a luncheon in New York.

May 16, 1996--Sharks announce a new development affiliation with the expansion-Kentucky Thoroughblades (American Hockey League), based in Lexington, Ken., which will play at Rupp Arena in 1996-97. The announcement ends a mutually beneficial five-year relationship with the International Hockey League's Kansas City Blades.

June 3, 1996--The Sharks and the National Hockey League unveil the 1997 NHL All-Star Game logo. The unique "Sharks Star" logo has the appearance of a five-pointed star with the top point replaced by the dorsal fin of a shark.

June 4, 1996--Sharks name Don Maloney Eastern Professional Scout, John Ferguson Western Professional Scout and promote Tim Burke to Director of Amateur Scouting.

June 6, 1996--Sharks name 22-year player and coaching veteran Al Sims as the club's new head coach. Sims comes to San Jose after serving the previous three years as the top assistant coach for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He also had served as head coach and general manager for the Fort Wayne Komets after completing a 15 year playing career (10 NHL seasons with Boston, Hartford and Los Angeles and 5 seasons in Europe).

June 19, 1996--Former Boston Bruins standout Wayne Cashman is named assistant coach.

June 26, 1996--The Sharks and Kentucky Thoroughblades announce Jim Wiley as the AHL-expansion team's first head coach. Wiley will be joined by Vasily Tikhonov, who is named assistant coach.

August 22, 1996--Roy Sommer named assistant coach.

August 29, 1996--Louisville Riverfrogs (ECHL) are named as Sharks secondary affiliate.

1996-2000 Coming soon