The
San Jose Sharks franchise began to take shape in 1990 when the NHL agreed for
George and Gordon Gund to sell the Minnesota North Stars and get an expansion
franchise in the San Francisco Bay area. As their first ever draft pick, the Sharks
selected WHL star Pat Fallon and added Ray Whitney and Sandis Ozolinsh. They began
play as an NHL team at the Cow Palace in Daly City in the 1991-92 season. Things
were rough at the beginning (to say the least!). In their second season the Sharks
had a record tying 17 game losing street that spanned through January-February,
1993. They ended year with a 11-71-2 record, setting the dubious league record
for most losses by a team in the regular NHL season.
But
boy have their fortunes changed! Soon after their dismal
1992/93 season, then coach Kevin Constantine propelled the
Sharks from the laughing stock of the NHL all the way to
the playoffs, a turnaround of record proportions. In their
first playoff action the Sharks faced off against the #1
seed Detroit Red Wings, a back and forth series that ended
up with the Sharks defeating the heavily favored Red Wings
in seven games, still one of the most memorable play-off
series in Sharks' history. The 2000-2001 season saw the
Sharks put together their most successful season in franchise
history (at that time), garnering a team-record 95 points
with 40 wins and becoming just the fifth team in NHL history
to improve their point total in five consecutive seasons.
And the franchise has continued its progress year after
year (even winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2008/09 and
making the Conference Championship in 2010 and '11) with
a continued balance of young and veteran players, including
Evgeni Nabakov, Antti Niemi, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski,
Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, Dany Heatley, Ryane Clowe, Devin
Setoguchi, & Logan Couture, among others. The only thing
missing for this model NHL franchise is a Stanley Cup...and
many folks feel that will be on display in San Jose in the
very near future.
Sports Gallery is your home for authentic, unique Sharks
collectibles.
We have the largest selection of quality collectibles on the web. So buy on-line
to get your piece of this very exciting time in SJ Sharks history. And if you
don't see exactly the Shark collectible you want please feel free to drop us a
line and let us help you
find it!
Let's
Go Sharks!
Sharks
Stars Pavelski & Couture Sign at Sports Gallery!
