Sharks first annual Neighborhood Game

The San Jose Sharks are hosting a special pre-season game on Sep 24th with unique programming and activation to encourage new attendees and fans. The game (against the Anaheim Ducks) will only cost $25. Community organizations, non-profits, and schools might even be able to score free tickets.

The game starts at 7pm, but the pregame activities go between 5:15 and 6:15pm. These include participation from current Sharks players as well as alumni. There will also be unique in-game content highlighting the greater Bay Areas communities.

For more info head over here.

San Jose Downtown Association TownHall at the SAP Center

The SJDA hosted a TownHall meeting focused on professional sports and arts in Downtown San Jose last month. It's worth watching the whole 60min session below, but there were three tidbits that were news to me:

• There is interest in doing another "fiberglass shark" artist collaboration. This was a very successful program years ago where 100 shark statues were decorated by local artists and then auctioned for charity. Many you can still find throughout San Jose today.
• There was a push to have a restaurant week coincide with the Super Bowl. Thousands of people will be staying in the South Bay, not SF during that week. We need to make sure they patronize local restaurants and this would be great timing for a foodie event.
• Postgame concerts after the World Cup. There will be six World Cup games at Levi's and plans are forming to have a major concert/party after each one in Downtown San Jose.

You can watch the full recording below.

Sharks Sidewalk Sale Aug 31st

The Sharks are doing a sidewalk sale this Saturday from 11am to 4pm. It's happening at 1500 S. 10th Street just south of Downtown San Jose and right outside Sharks Ice. There will also be Barracuda gear and a raffle for prizes.

Second installation of Sharks mural in East San Jose

A new mural has been commissioned by the San Jose Sharks called "Recuerdos de Este" or "Memories of the East." The 35-foot mural is inspired by other East San Jose public art displays and is one of a seven-mural project sponsored by the Sharks Community Connections Project and Local Color.

You can find the colorful mural at the Latino Business Foundation at 1652 Alum Rock.

Source: SVBJ

The San Jose Barracuda and Tech CU Arena

The San Jose Sharks are our most famous pro sports team by far, but did you know that we have an AHL pro team as well called the San Jose Barracuda? They have their own 4,200-seat home called Tech CU Arena and it's attached to the largest ice facility in the United States (370,000 SQFT). It's one of only seven facilities in the US that operate at least six regulation NHL-sized ice rinks. It also happens to be the San Jose Shark's practice facility and is open to the public. You can sign up for non-pro ice hocky, broomball, curling, speed skating or just go for open ice skating. 

The San Jose Barracuda's Arena was part of a 200,000 SQFT expansion of Sharks Ice last year that also added two additional recreational sheets. 

For a look inside head over to the source link. For the San Jose Barracuda's schedule and tickets (an amazing value for a pro game), head over here. 

Source: SVBJ

New Shark mural by famous artist

The Modera apartment complex on the Alameda near Whole Foods now has one heck of a mural. The graffiti artist Nychos has brought his unique style to San Jose with a 100-foot long mural that shows the anatomy of a shark with the city in the background. It's an interesting and eye-catching design.

The project is called "Bleeding Teal" and was a collaboration between Empire Seven Studios in Japantown, Mighty, SAP, and Modera.

Source: SVBJ

Solar4America ice rink expansion

This is an old story, but is still worth sharing. The Solar4America ice rink where the San Jose Sharks practice, will be doubling in size over the next few years and will soon become the largest ice rink on the West Coast.

At 180,000 SQFT, the building is one of just eight facilities in the US to have at least four NHL regulation-sized ice rinks. The $150 million expansion would add a staggering 200,000 SQFT.

The new space would have an additional community rink, a competition rink for the San Jose Barracuda, and a new practice facility for the Sharks.

If everything goes well, then construction will begin at the start of 2020 and be complete by the end of 2021.

Source: Enterprise-Record

Searchlight San Jose: A bet, a beating, and a basket

Losing is never easy, especially when the prize is the Stanley Cup you and have to send the mayor of the winning city a basket of gifts. Long story short, Mayor Sam Liccardo had a friendly bet with Pittsburg Mayor, Bill Peduto. The mayor of the losing team would have to send over a basket of treats representing his city.

So what was in San Jose's basket? Schurra's Fine Confections, La Vic's Orange Sause, Greenlee's Bakery Best Cinnamon Bread, Gordon Biersch beer, Fruit cocktail (invented in San Jose), J. Lohr wine, and Chiaramonte's Sausage. These are all items made locally here in San Jose with the exception of the fruit cocktail. To see a full breakdown of each item, head over to Searchlight San Jose.

What do you think? Is there anything missing from the basket that would better represent San Jose?

San Jose District 3 New & Events

Sure, the Stanley Cup Final didn't go as expected. That still does not negate the positive branding benefits that we received thanks to the Shark's stellar performance this season. Raul Peralez--San Jose City Councilmember for District 3 (Downtown)--started his last newsletter with some thoughts on how San Jose's brand is changing for the better. I have included his statement in its entirety below, but recommend reading the whole newsletter over here. 

Sports and politics putting us in the spotlight.

Never before has the Bay Area and specifically San José been in the spotlight as much as it has in recent weeks. Holding strong as the tenth largest city in the Unites States, it has been difficult to receive the same level of national recognition as other major cities. Sitting in the shadow of one of the greatest tourist destinations in the world, we San Joséans have regularly described ourselves in geographical context with San Francisco. This year I believe we can finally begin to see ourselves emerging with our own identity and that means our own internationally news worthy moments, for better or for worse.

Starting with Super Bowl 50 in February, there began to be a sense of pride amongst city officials, staff and our partners. When the San José Sports Authority helped cement a downtown hotel as the official NFC team host and the SAP Center as the official opening night venue, there was a measurable buzz going around. Fast forward to this past week, downtown has now played host to three more internationally newsworthy and historical events.

A few weeks ago both Democratic presidential candidates, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton made campaign stops in San José. Last Thursday night, while the Centennial of COPA America was having a kick off VIP celebration at our City Hall Rotunda, some San Joséans were helping to create national news with an inexcusable and disappointing display of violent protesting outside of the Trump rally at the McEnery Convention Center.

Friday afternoon, one of the greatest soccer players of all time was practicing at Spartan Stadium while fans were laying on the ground just trying to get a peek at him. Later that evening after the US National team lost to Colombia, downtown SubZero Festival guests could see lines of Colombia's visiting fans still donning their jerseys and patronized bars in the SoFA District.

On Saturday night the SAP Center hosted its first Stanley Cup Hockey game as our San José Sharks played their very first championship home game. The Sharks won the game with a spectacular overtime goal and created what may very well have been one of the single most prideful and exciting nights for San Josèans in a long time. The city had been shining teal all week with support pouring in from all over and after Saturday's win, the streets of downtown were flush with Sharks fans celebrating into the early morning.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention our friends to the Northeast, the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. Needless to say there are plenty of San José residents who are also enjoying the spectacular and historic run that this team is having. I'll note that the SAP Center kicked off the Warriors preseason this year by hosting a game here in San José and fans even received a fantastic Stephan Curry bobble head with him wearing a Sharks Jersey. For those who caught it you may have also noticed Marreese Speights wearing his own personalized Sharks jersey prior to his team's game 2 win on Sunday.

Tomorrow marks a very important day in both national and local politics and I know I will be very keenly focused on the results. To keep your sports fix going, have no fear, San José is gearing up to become Gymnastics City USA once again when we host the Women's Gymnastic Olympic Trials early next month. Our very own San José Earthquakes are still undefeated at home and the San José Giants continue to farm their talents to their Major league ball club in that little city to our North.

Thank you to every one of our downtown residents, businesses and community partners for making San José shine brighter into the future.

Go Sharks!
Raul

Game Six!

Let the rally continue!

On the fence in a desperate Game Five in Pittsburgh, the Sharks successfully staved off elimination, bringing the series back to San Jose to play their last game in front of the faithful fans this season.  A win today will force a Game Seven in Pittsburgh, this time with the momentum on the Sharks' side.

Goaltender Martin Jones' brilliant performance (who arguably has played a significant role in keeping the Sharks in the running), coupled with an extremely solid defensive core, kept the Sharks in the lead.  Jones made 44 saves in Game Five, some of which were deadly scoring chances that many thought would be goals.  While the Penguins lit up Jones with shots, the Sharks' strategy of ensuring quality shots has given them a lower shot count.  The Penguins have also been nothing short of amazing with their positioning as to block most of the Sharks' opportunities and to not allow any clear shots towards the net.

While the Penguins currently have the upper hand on the series lead, the Sharks have shown stronger play as a team with each progressive game this series as they learn from the Penguins' method of playing, matching speed with finesse, and blind shots with quality scoring chances.  The Sharks had plenty of scoring opportunities in Game Five (i.e. one-on-none on the goalie), but Penguins goaltender Murray found a way each time to keep his team in the running.  Converting more of these can tun these close games into more of a runaway.  (Remember Game Seven vs. the Predators in Round Two?)  Ardent observers of the game understand that while you need to be good to begin with, hockey really comes down to matching up playing styles, and the Sharks' lack of experience with playing a team like the Penguins hurt in the opening of the Stanley Cup Finals.

This undoubtedly has changed in the Sharks' favor as this series has unfolded.

There are several points of consideration I would like to mention that will keep the Sharks fans happy and force a Game Seven.  See below:

FIRST TO SCORE
The Sharks absolutely must be the first team to score.  While they demonstrated that - twice - in Game Five, it is equally important to not let up and allow the opposition to get two quick ones right back.  As the Sharks have shown this series that they have learned the Penguins' style of play to adapt to it (notice how the Penguins do not look as 'fast' as they did in Games One and Two?), they certainly will learn to "shut the gates" if they can throw one or two quick ones during the first period.

ELIMINATE THE PENS' OFFENSE
One notable point about this series is the lack of scoring by each team's best players.  Notice the lack of scoring by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin (well, he did get one 'weak' one in Game Five), and Phil Kessel (invisible since Game One)?  Thank Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun.  While Martin Jones' kudos is rightly earned, the Sharks' defensemen have been extremely hard at work, nullifying the team's most capable offensive producers.  (That explains why players like Vladimir Tarasenko from the Blues struggles to put points on the board.)

In addition to this, we must continue to position ourselves well to eliminate any potential scoring chance.  We have shown that we can do this, so let us continue on!

GET IN THEIR HEAD
This one is both for the fans and for the players.  We can watch the trash talk and videos of Joe Thornton messing with Sidney Crosby, but there is good reason why playing at home gives the home team a distinct advantage.  Even more so, players voted the SAP Center as the toughest place to play in the entire league (as evidenced by this video, where the two facilities determined as 'tougher' to play no longer exist).  In other words: NO EXCUSES!  Time to be loud!  Remember that hockey is a fast-paced game, and either team can certainly recover from any goal deficit, so keep the cheers coming!

STAY COOL AND COLLECTED
Sharks hockey, when they are playing well, is like watching some kind of art form.  Joe Thornton is arguably one of the best passers - ever - in the NHL, and watching him set up teammates is quite fun to watch.  Now that we know Joe Thornton can shoot as well, we are seeing far more scoring from any line he is on.  It seems now Thornton is not the only one who can pass well, with the likes of Tomas Hertl, and setting up scorers like Joonas Donskoi and Joel Ward.  While it is natural to have the Stanley Cup Final jitters, the Sharks need to relax and play like they can, because when they are indeed "cool and collected," it is quite beautiful to watch; not only what the team can do with the puck, but how the puck beautifully enters the opposing net.

BIG GUNS A-BLAZIN'
We saw Brent Burns score in Game Five (the first time this series) and add on a couple of extra exciting scoring chances.  Joe Pavelski, despite getting his only goal on an empty netter, looked quite good as well.  The Sharks' prominent offense is waking up, and it does not seem like it will slow down through the rest of the series.  If they can keep this all up, a forced Game Seven seems all too within reach.

Along with many other diehard fans, I will be in attendance tonight.  It is going to be a fun one!

GO SHARKS!

Go Sharks!

It's great to see Centerra showing some team spirit!

Source: jawz from the San Jose Development Forum

Your guide to San Jose festivities during the Stanley Cup Final Series

Sharks Themed Festivities in San Jose Encourage Fans to #TurnUpInTeal

SAN JOSE, Calif. – For the first time ever, the Stanley Cup Final Series comes to San Jose and the city has planned several events and activities for Sharks supporters and traveling fans. There are a variety of ways to cheer on the Sharks and the list below is your guide to celebrating the Final in San Jose:

It's Happening! Sharks at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in Downtown San Jose (June 4, 6, 9, 12 and 15 from Noon – 6:00 p.m.)
During home and away Stanley Cup games Plaza de Cesar Chavez will host a Sharks Rally with food trucks, a dessert truck, SJ Boom Box, a beer/wine garden, and games including Cornhole, Ping-Pong, giant Jenga, and more.

San Pedro Square Market Viewing Party (June 6 from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.)
San Pedro Square Market is the official Sharks viewing party for game 4. Fans will be treated to a Sharks game production and entertainment.

SubZERO Festival in the SoFA District (June 3 and 4 from 6:00 p.m. – Midnight)
SubZERO Festival is a mash-up of street-meets-geek with outdoor stages and entertainment from over 300 artists, musicians, performers, plus food trucks and craft beer tasting. The festival takes place along South First St. between San Carlos and Reed Streets.

SHARKS PROMOTIONS:

#TurnUpinTeal and win Sharks prizes
When you "turn up in teal" at participating locations throughout San José, you have a chance to win San Jose Sharks prizes and Final tickets. For a list of times and locations visit: http://sharks.nhl.com/.

20 Percent Off at the San Jose Museum of Art
The San Jose Museum of Art will offer 20 percent off museum admission to anyone wearing their Sharks gear. The museum’s “Art and Science” exhibition that opened on June 1, prominently features “Shark’s Tooth” by Catherine Wagner.

Lick Observatory Declares Itself Sharks Territory
Sharks territory extends to the top of Mount Hamilton at the iconic Lick Observatory, where visitors can enjoy stunning views from 4,200 feet above the valley and see one of the largest refracting telescopes in the world. Discover how physicist Stephen Hawking is working with Lick Observatory on the biggest scientific search for intelligent life in the universe.

Stanley Cup Cocktail Crawl – On your way to the game be sure to stop by the following restaurants and bars for Sharks themed cocktails:

• Peggy Sue's (29 N San Pedro St #100): Shark Tank (32oz. margarita) – three shots of Tequila, two shots of triple sec, lime juice, premium blue curacao, and sweet and sour mix.
• AFK Gaming Lounge (163 W Santa Clara St.): Shark Bowl cocktail – Smirnoff Sour Berry Vodka, special teal sauce and lemon lime soda.
• Nomikai (48 S 1st St.): Shark Tank Punch Bowl – Coconut rum, blue curacao, pineapple, lemon juice and gummy sharks.
• O'Flaherty's Irish Pub (25 N San Pedro St.): Shark Attack – a Great White Beer paired with a shot of Jameson.

Happy hour at Stanley’s Sports Bar
Stanley’s Sports Bar located inside Sharks Ice and the home of the San Jose practice facility is offering happy hour pricing for every Stanley Cup Final game.

“Jumbo Joe” Burger at the Fairmont San Jose
The Fairmont San Jose’s Lobby Lounge is offering Sharks themed menus including: Shark Attack Burger & Brew Special, which comes with a “Jumbo Joe” Burger (Niman Ranch Burger, Braised Short Ribs, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Onion Rings and Chipotle Ranch) and Local Draft Beer; and The Power Play Special, which comes with a “Jumbo Joe” Burger, Local Draft Beer and Decadent Chocolate Brownie.

Sharks themed sandwiches at Ike's Love & Sandwiches
Ike’s Love & Sandwiches in San Jose is serving up Sharks themed sandwiches including: a Patrick Marleau Sandwich with Roast beef, bacon, creamy horseradish, Sriracha and jack cheese; a Go Sharks Sandwich with Vegan Chicken, Honey Mustard, Buffalo Wing Sauce and Gouda; and a Randy Hahn with ham, dirty sauce and cheddar.

For the latest information on San Jose Sharks festivities and events, visit http://www.sanjoseca.gov/SJSharks.



In addition, here is a bonus release disclosing a wager between Team San Jose and VisitPITTSBURGH...



Team San Jose and VisitPittsburg Make Stanley Cup Final Series Wager

San Jose, Calif. – Team San Jose CEO Karolyn Kirchgesler and VisitPITTSBURGH President and CEO Craig Davis made a friendly wager for the Stanley Cup Final Series between the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

VisitPITTSBURGH will send Primanti’s Bros. sandwiches, a burnt almond torte (one of Pittsburgh’s most famous desserts) from Prantl’s Bakery and traditional pierogies from Pierogies Plus to San Jose if the Penguins lose. Team San Jose will send tacos and orange sauce from La Victoria, J. Lohr wine and manju from San Jose’s Japantown to Pittsburgh, if the Sharks lose.

“San Jose has been waiting a long time for the Sharks to go to the finals we couldn’t be happier for our team and our city,” said Karolyn Kirchgesler. “We are grateful to share the spotlight with a major sports destination in Pittsburgh and look forward to showing Pittsburgh Penguins fans all that San Jose has to offer leisure travelers. It will be a great series and we’re glad to be part of the action with this wager against VisitPITTSBURGH.”

The city of San Jose will colored in teal in support of the Sharks throughout the Stanley Cup Final Series. Visitors can look forward to discounts at local attractions and enjoy viewing parties and street rally’s throughout Downtown San Jose.

“We are excited to make this wager with our colleagues from the beautiful city of San Jose, so we can show our tremendous pride in our Pittsburgh Penguins who have helped make Pittsburgh a legendary sports town and a major sports destination,” said Craig Davis, President and CEO. “Both of our teams have put our cities in the national spotlight, and that exposure will help drive tourism well into the future. We invite the great sports fans from San Jose to come and visit Pittsburgh and experience our great restaurants, hotels, sports events, attractions, theaters, museums and attractions.”

In 2015 Pittsburgh was named one of the top 10 destinations on the rise by Trip Advisor and the No. 1 Food City in the U.S. by Zagat. Prantl’s Bakery is a Pittsburgh institution and the Huffington Post recently named their Burnt Almond Torte the “best cake America has ever made.”

Primanti's Bros is a Pittsburgh original, known for topping its sandwiches with coleslaw and French fries. The Penguins' third line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel — the HBK line — has grown in such popularity that it has its own Primanti's sandwich

Pierogies Plus is the go-to place for homemade authentic pierogies, a crescent-shaped, tender dumpling filled with a variety of fillings – potato and cheese is most popular.

Think Bigger San Jose's blog post on what the Stanley Cup means for San Jose

Check out this great post on "Think Bigger San Jose" about the implications of the Stanley Cup on our city's brand. I couldn't agree more!

Go Sharks!!!

Here is a great photo before Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference finals posted by Hillrise on the San Jose Picture Thread at SkyscraperCity. This year could be the first time in history that the Sharks win the Stanley Cup!

The San Jose Sharks are going to the Stanley Cup Finals!!!

For the first time in history, the Sharks are the NHL Western Conference Champions! Fourth time's a charm. Next week San Jose will participate in the Stanley Cup Finals! Now's the time to paint the city teal.

An Emotional Game

An emotional game.  A passionate game.  A game only the most ambitious can win.

I write, of course, about the NHL, and more specifically, our Sharks.  In today’s fast paced sport with largely even teams, skill can only go so far before work ethic and desire must take over to be advantageous.

Skill certainly helps define how well a hockey player can execute in any given game, but as any ardent observer of hockey can confirm, it is the will and hunger that ultimately determines the difference between winning and losing.  In an era where there each game presents no discernible certainty of victory, it is only true desire, which in turn fuels better execution, that provides the advantage.

Many can assume that the Chicago Blackhawks or the Los Angeles Kings, the only two teams to have had multiple Stanley Cup Victories in the last six years, are the strongest teams and have the best chance of winning.  While having postseason success is indeed the mark of superior hockey playing, by skills alone, it is inconclusive to determine, on stats alone, that the current Blackhawks or Kings team are better than any other team out there.  The Blackhawks, for example, have dropped the last three games in a row.

From a standpoint of skill, the Sharks are unquestionably one of the top NHL teams in the league.  If the results of today’s hockey are dictated by skill alone, the Sharks would have no problems finishing in the very top amongst perennial playoff contenders each year.  I mean, look at Joe Thornton, arguably the best playmaker on the ice today (still!), and a combination of terrific young talent (e.g. Karlsson, Donskoi, Hertl) to complement the veteran leadership.  How about the amazing consistency of Captain Joe Pavelski?  Fans will remember, of course, that the Sharks did not qualify for the playoffs last year for the first time in over a decade.  Why is that?  What happened?

The lackluster finish should be clear to fans of the team.  As a whole, there was a lack of emotion, a lack of passion.  No aggressive net crashing.  No accurate passing or shooting.  No desire to take it to the postseason, despite having the skill to do so.

Often times, just by watching the first five to ten minutes of any Sharks game, I can predict the end result.  From a game’s onset, if I witness energetic speed, pinpoint pass and shot accuracy, and aggressiveness, the Sharks generally have a good chance of winning.  Some of the most exciting games I have witnessed the Sharks play came against the rival Anaheim Ducks last year (a team that finished high in the league standings), where their overt display of toughness and energy allowed them to win in four out of their five total contests (with their only loss coming from overtime).  Sure, the Sharks had moments of brilliance against other teams, but the body checks were not as hard, the players did not appear as fast, and the team did not seem to quickly adapt to their opponents’ changing strategy.

It is easy to see when our boys in teal decide to “turn it on,” like in such instances where one would be convinced their proficiency at scoring goals is better on the penalty kill or even strength than the power play.  The team’s proficiency is more than just executing good strategies.  It is the requirement to be hungry and aggressive.  Watch any NHL game today, and you will find that most goals come from an intense rush from one end to another, and with players cognizant of each other’s position as to increase the awareness of where a passed or rebounded puck will end up.  Remember, proper crashing of the net translates to goals, as does reading, understanding, and adapting to the opposition.

Last night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning was a good example of the polarizing impact of playing with emotion.  The Sharks lost 4-3 in regulation, but at one time was at a 4-1 deficit in the third period.  Early on in the game, the Sharks were indeed not playing well, made worse by bad reads, such as missed passes to the point (i.e. the area in the back of the offensive zone where defensemen often stand) and lack of energy.  This is not to say the Sharks displayed no energy (besides, who am I to comment on the ethic of seasoned pro athletes?), but I have seen far better execution.

At the second half of the game, with the Sharks at that point down 2-0, the team started performing extremely well.  The Sharks not only maintained significant control of the puck, but managed to get off a lot of shots through to Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop as well.  Most notable was the performance of Brent Burns, likely the best example on the Sharks of playing complete, passionate hockey.  At of today, Burns is third in the league in points for defenseman, and first in goals (with ten).  During the game, Burns not only got unleashed his devastating shot (with a team leading seven), and scoring, he also set up plays for others, and at one defining moment of an offensive power play push, blocked a clearing attempt by the Lightning and kept the play moving.  This play set up the first goal of the game from a blast by Matt Tennyson.

Shooting repeatedly at the net, skating hard, and having constant awareness of one’s teammates is critical in the NHL for steering one’s team to victory.  The Sharks may have unlocked their potential late in the game, the attempted rally was too late to overcome the struggles of the first half, complemented with timely blocks and fortunate saves by the Lightning.  With a game as fast as the NHL, even dropping one’s guard for one minute can be the difference between winning and losing, especially in games where the decision is by one goal.

If the Sharks play like they did the second half of yesterday’s game, they will finish at the top of the Pacific Division.  Likewise, if they do not, the team must attempt to rely on their skill to win games; however, as I mentioned earlier on, how far can skill alone really take a team in the NHL? This year, we finally have solid leadership with the team of Joe Pavelski (C) - Joe Thornton (A) - Logan Couture (A). May they inspire the team to carry through a successful 2015-2016 season!

(Despite how the game turned out, wishing all the best for goaltender Ben Bishop, whose unprotected neck was the unfortunate recipient of Tomas Hertl’s deflected stick.  Hope for a speedy recovery!)

The San Jose Sharks Extend Their Lease Through 2025

The City of San Jose and the San Jose Sharks have come to an agreement that will guarantee the Sharks continue to play at the SAP Center until at least 2025. The agreement also allows for annual extensions that can continue all the way up until the year 2040. I don't think anyone expected them to go elsewhere, but now this cements the team in San Jose for at least another decade. By then, perhaps it will be time to build a newer arena in Downtown San Jose.

Source: Bleacher Report

The Sharks are Moving Their Minor League Team to SAP Center!

The San Jose Sharks are going to be one of the first NHL teams to have their minor league (AHL) affiliate play in the same arena. The "minor league Sharks" are going to be moved from Massachusetts to San Jose this October, and will be playing 38 AHL home games at SAP. This is of course great news for Downtown, which will see even more visitors and activity during game nights. The AHL games will cost substantially less than the NHL games and will hopefully make hockey accessible to more people in the area.

Source: SVBJ

Sharks Fan Fest this Weekend!

Right before the Saturday, Sep. 27 preseason game at SAP Center, the Sharks are hosting their first Fan Fest. This includes all sorts of activities for fans such as watching the Sharks practice at SAP Center, taking photos with the Shark Head on the ice [awesome!], and player/alumni autographs. There will also be roundtable sessions with players and coaches moderated by the new Sharks broadcast team and concessions will be open for meals and snacks. Outside of the Shark Tank, you can expect an entertainment area for kids and music.

It all starts in a couple days at 9:15am and complimentary parking is going to be available at SAP Center's A, B, and C parking lots. Speaking of free parking...the entire event is completely FREE, but you will need to reserve tickets here. This is a great way to say thank you to the fans for their support!

Source: San Jose Sharks

Saturday Stats: SAP Center Infographic

Check out the infographic below courtesy of Realtor.com that compares the SAP Center in San Jose to the average house in America.