SAN JOSE SHARKS
Once Again, the Time is Now for Sharks Fans

By San Jose Sharks Staff

San Jose Sharkes

The Sharks enter the 2010-11 National Hockey League season with their dangerous core group of players intact and poised to build upon last season's regular-season and playoff successes. Fresh off a long playoff run and restocked with some of the best talent in the NHL, Team Teal is expected to once again be among the NHL's top competitors for the Stanley Cup.

The Sharks put together a tremendously successful regular season in 2009-10, winning their third consecutive Pacific Division championship and finishing atop the standings in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season. They carried momentum from the regular season into the first round of the playoffs, where they dispatched the upstart Colorado Avalanche in six games.

San Jose's first-round success was rewarded with a matchup against the team's biggest rival, the Detroit Red Wings. The Sharks showed they could overcome adversity and stunned the league by eliminating the reigning Western Conference champions in just five games. For the second time in the team's history, the Sharks reached the Western Conference final.

In a fiercely competitive and exciting series highlighted by three one-goal games, the Sharks would fall to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, but in the process, grew as a team determined to take the next step.

In 2010-11, the Sharks look to swim into uncharted waters. The upcoming campaign will mark San Jose's 20th anniversary as an NHL franchise and there will be plenty to cheer about for Sharks fans as the season gets under way.

With their top players back in the fold, the team will turn its attention to defending its division title and continuing to be one of the NHL's most feared lineups. After the success of their deep playoff run in 2009-10, the Sharks set out to keep their talented core of players together while adding some pieces to help continue the growth of the franchise.

In June, leading goal scorer Patrick Marleau and playoff hero Joe Pavelski re-signed, choosing to stay in San Jose and finish the work they started instead of testing the free-agent market. Young speedster Devin Setoguchi and pesky center Scott Nichol both made commitments to stay in the South Bay, showing that San Jose has become a premier location and organization for some the NHL's elite.

With playmaker Joe Thornton and sniper Dany Heatley returning, the offense will be one of the most dangerous in the league. Physical grinders Ryane Clowe, newcomer Jamal Mayers and promising youngster Jamie McGinn will give the team solid two-way play that's sure to energize the HP Pavilion crowd.

Savvy puck handler Dan Boyle returns with Douglas Murray to lead a defense that combines skill and speed with brute force and physicality. Acquired late last season, veteran blueliner Niclas Wallin decided to rejoin the team in search of his second Stanley Cup ring. The clever, consistent presence of Marc-Edouard Vlasic will be an asset to a Sharks blueline that looks to carry the team to new heights in the upcoming year.

But the game plan in 2010-11 doesn't stop with the top two lines. The organization's depth is coveted and talented, with young players such as Logan Couture and Jason Demers ready to made significant impacts in the coming year.

The Sharks also made a splash by remaking their goaltending unit, after seeing veteran Evgeni Nabokov in the San Jose net for the past 10 seasons. 2009-10 Stanley Cup champion Antti Niemi and Finnish Olympian Antero Niittymaki will join German Olympian Thomas Greiss to form one of the most versatile and formidable creases in the NHL.

The winning tradition has trickled down the Sharks prospects pipeline. Despite having one of the youngest teams in the American Hockey League, the Worcester Sharks, San Jose's top development affiliate squad, finished near the top of the AHL standings, and many promising young prospects will wage a fierce battle to make the NHL roster this season.

Youngsters such as Benn Ferriero and Tommy Wingels will look to take their play to the NHL level. Physical forwards Frazer McLaren and Brandon Mashinter promise to throw their weight around in an attempt to make the NHL squad, while highly recruited free agents Cam MacIntyre and defenseman Matt Irwin will look to take their development to the next level.

Even before the skates hit the ice this fall, Sharks fans can look forward to a season full of excitement. The team will be celebrating 20 years of Sharks hockey with special events designed to commemorate the past two decades of hockey in Santa Clara County. The team will wear specially designed 20th-anniversary logos on their helmets and sweaters, at center ice and on the Sharks website, sjsharks.com.

Since entering the NHL in 1991-92, the Sharks have made the Stanley Cup playoffs 13 times, and their 24 playoff series played during that time are tied for the seventh-most of any NHL franchise. Since 2003-04, the Sharks are one of only three teams to make the postseason in each season and their 13 playoff series played in that time span are second-most in the NHL, behind only Detroit.

"Fans all over the Bay Area have embraced this franchise and its players from day one," said San Jose Sharks President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Jamison.

"As we look back with great pride over the team's first 20 seasons," Jamison added, "we keep one eye securely focused on the next 20 as we continue to strive toward our goal of bringing a Stanley Cup championship to the Bay Area."

The Sharks will begin their quest for a championship on an international level as they kick off the 2010-11 season in Stockholm, Sweden, as part of the 2010 Compuware NHL Premiere and NHL Face-Off on Oct. 8-9, against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This will mark the first time the Sharks have played on European soil. The team previously took part in the NHL's "Game ONe" (not a typo) event in Tokyo back when the team participated in two irregular

regular-season games against the Calgary Flames to start the 1998-99 campaign.

With all these historic events, celebrations and sky-high expectations, the Sharks will continue to be among the hottest tickets in Bay Area sports. Last season, the Sharks marked a franchise high in attendance, averaging nearly 18,000 per game over 41 regular-season games. Through the years the Sharks have distinguished themselves, both on and off the ice. Now is the time to start thinking about reserving your spot to witness another exciting season.

Fans can guarantee they won't miss any of the action by purchasing any number of season-ticket plans. Sharks season tickets range from full-season plans to shorter "SharkPaks," and group ticket rates as well. Fans can find more information about these packages by calling 408-999-5797 or visiting sjsharks.com.

For the casual fans or those looking to see what all the buzz is about, single-game tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.com, the HP Pavilion ticket office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.

This season should prove to be another banner year for the San Jose Sharks, filled with excitement and promise. Make sure you're part of the action.