San Jose Sharks Explained: Traditions, Logo & History

Have the Sharks ever won the Stanley Cup?

No.

San Jose has reached the Stanley Cup Final once, in 2016, and lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. The franchise won the Presidents' Trophy in 2008-09 for the NHL's best regular-season record and made the playoffs in 21 of its first 30 seasons, but has never lifted the Cup. It is the longest-running gap between sustained regular-season success and a championship among the league's expansion-era clubs.

Why are they called the Sharks, and why teal?

The name came out of a public naming contest before the franchise's 1991 debut, and it references the seven species of shark that live in the waters off the Bay Area — the deep-water Pacific canyon nearby is sometimes called the "red triangle" for its shark population.

The teal color was unusual for a major North American team at the time and became the franchise's most recognizable feature; a wave of teal in the stands at SAP Center is the reason the building is known as the Shark Tank.

Who are the greatest Sharks of all time?

By the numbers, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton, and the two are inseparable in franchise history.

Marleau leads San Jose in games played (1,607), goals (522) and points (1,111); Thornton leads in assists (804) and sits second in points (1,055). Marleau went on to become the NHL's all-time leader in games played. Their numbers, 12 and 19, hang side by side at SAP Center, retired 21 months apart.

What happened in the Sharks' 2016 Stanley Cup run?

San Jose reached its only Stanley Cup Final in 2016, beating the Kings, Predators and Blues before losing to Pittsburgh in six games.

Joe Pavelski led all playoff scorers in goals for stretches of that run, and Logan Couture led the postseason in points. It came a year after the Sharks had missed the playoffs entirely for the first time in a decade, which made the run one of the more unexpected in franchise history.

What is the Shark Tank?

The nickname for SAP Center in downtown San Jose, the team's home since 1993 (it has also been known as the San Jose Arena, Compaq Center and HP Pavilion).

The building is known for its noise and for the giant shark head the team skates out through before games. It also hosts concerts, college basketball and figure skating, and its downtown location makes it one of the more accessible arenas in the Bay Area by transit.

Why have the Sharks been rebuilding?

After the 2019 conference final run, an aging core and several long-term contracts left the roster without the depth to keep pace, and the team moved into a full rebuild — trading veterans for picks and prospects and finishing near the bottom of the standings.

That produced high draft position, and Macklin Celebrini, the first overall pick in 2024, has become the centerpiece: he led the team in scoring in 2025-26 with a season that ranks among the best in franchise history for a player his age.

The Greatest San Jose Sharks Players of All Time

Who is the greatest San Jose Sharks player of all time?

By the measure of championships, individual honors, and lasting impact, Patrick Marleau tops most all-time San Jose Sharks rankings. The full top 5 follows.

1. Patrick Marleau C/LW \u00b7 1997-2017, 2019-2020

   The franchise leader in games played (1,607), goals (522) and points (1,111), and the NHL's all-time leader in games played across his full career. Drafted second overall in 1997 and a Shark for all but two seasons of a 23-year career, he was the constant through every era of the club. His No. 12 was the first number the franchise retired.

2. Joe Thornton C \u00b7 2005-2020

   One of the great playmakers of his generation and the franchise's all-time assists leader with 804 — more than 200 clear of second place. Acquired from Boston in November 2005, he won the Hart Trophy that same season while splitting it between two teams. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025, and his No. 19 was retired in November 2024.

3. Evgeni Nabokov G \u00b7 1999-2010

   The franchise's defining goaltender and its all-time wins leader. He won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2001 and was the backbone of the Presidents' Trophy team in 2008-09. He also scored a goal — one of a small handful of NHL goaltenders ever to do so — against Vancouver in 2002.

4. Joe Pavelski C/RW \u00b7 2006-2019

   A seventh-round pick who became the captain and the second-leading goal scorer in franchise history with 355. Ten 20-goal seasons in thirteen years, and the best tip-in artist the club has had. He led the 2016 playoffs in goals for much of San Jose's run to the Final.

5. Owen Nolan RW \u00b7 1995-2003

   The captain and the face of the franchise before Marleau and Thornton, and still the highest-scoring right winger in team history. His 44-goal season in 1999-2000 stood as the franchise record for a right winger for years, and his hat trick in the 1997 All-Star Game at the Shark Tank — including a called shot — is among the most-replayed moments in club history.