List Of San Jose Sharks Players
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Western Conference. Founded in 1991 as an expansion team, the Sharks have won the Pacific Division four times: in 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2009, and have made the playoffs in 12 of their 15 years in the league. San Jose has not won the Stanley Cup championship; the Sharks' longest run in the NHL playoffs came in 2004, when they lost to the Calgary Flames in the Western Conference Finals.
Since their inception, 273 different players have played at least one regular season or playoff game for the Sharks. The team has had nine captains. Doug Wilson was the first, serving in the team's expansion years between 1991 and 1993. Igor Larionov was another early player for the team, who along with Ed Belfour are the only Sharks' players to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Goaltender Arturs Irbe, who was instrumental in leading the Sharks to their first playoff appearance in 1993–94 with 74 appearances in 84 games, and Jeff Friesen, who was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team for 1994–95, were among the team's early players.
The Sharks grew into a perennial Pacific Division contender in the 2000s following the drafting of several players. Among them are forward Patrick Marleau, taken 2nd overall in 1997, who holds the franchise records for the most goals (276), assists (334), and points (610). Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, selected in 1994, established himself as an NHL regular in 2000–01 when he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. He went on to win 293 games in San Jose. Jonathan Cheechoo is the only Sharks player to score 50 goals in a season; his total of 56 in 2005–06 earned him the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer.
The team's current captain is Joe Thornton. Acquired in a trade with the Boston Bruins in 2005, Thornton won the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophies as the league's top scorer and most valuable player in his first season. He has appeared in three NHL All-Star Games while a member of the Sharks, and won a gold medal as a member of Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
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