In this edition of San Jose Sharks News & Rumors, Patrick Marleau’s No. 12 will be retired this upcoming February. Meanwhile, long-time general manager (GM) Doug Wilson will have a banner lifted to the rafters this October.
In other news, Nikolai Knyzhov is expected to be ready to go for the 2022-23 season. Last but not least, the Sharks officially announced five additions to their hockey operations staff on Monday.
Sharks Announce Jersey Retirement Night for Marleau
The Sharks announced this past Thursday that they will have a ceremony on Feb. 23, 2023 that will see Marleau’s No. 12 lifted to the rafters. The 42-year-old sits atop the leaderboard in franchise history with 1607 games played along with 522 goals and 1111 points. His 589 assists rank second to only Joe Thornton.
Marleau, who announced his retirement this past May, also had stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins. His 1779 total career games rank first in NHL history, while his 566 goals are 23rd. The jersey retirement is well deserved for the likely-to-be Hall-Of-Famer, who at the prime of his career was one of the best players in the NHL.
Wilson Banner Unveiling Revealed
Just a day after announcing Marleau’s retirement ceremony, the Sharks let it be known that Wilson will have a banner raised to the rafters on Oct. 15 of this year. The 65-year-old spent 19 seasons as the Sharks GM, constructing several great rosters which were always one of the best teams throughout the regular season and always considered a threat come playoff time.
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“Doug Wilson’s imprint on this franchise is unmistakeable – on and off the ice,” Sharks president Jonathan Becher said in a press release.
“As the new expansion team’s first captain in 1991, he set a standard and helped build a foundation that would allow the team to quickly morph into one of the League’s most inspiring and successful teams.
“As general manager, he crafted and fostered the most successful era of Sharks hockey the franchise has seen, drafting a blueprint which allowed the Sharks to be in the upper echelon of NHL teams for victories and appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”
Wilson, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, played a total of 1024 games in the NHL, the last 86 of which came as a member of the Sharks. Throughout his lengthy career, he scored 237…
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