NHL Announces Start Date for 2021 Season

 It's official: the NHL and NHLPA have come to a tentative agreement on the 2021 season, which will start January 13 and consist of 56 games. Team training camps open on January 3, while teams who didn't make the bubble playoffs this past season can start their training camps as soon as December 31. 

Another huge difference with this coming season compared to those in previous years is that the conferences have been abolished and the divisions have been realigned since the U.S.-Canada border has been closed to non-essential travel due to COVID-19. All of the Canadian-based teams have been placed in one division known as the North Division, which consists of the Canucks, Flames, Oilers, Jets, Maple Leafs, Senators, and Canadiens. The U.S.-based teams have been divided into the other three divisions for this coming season to minimize travel and possible exposure to COVID-19. Those divisions are the West, Central, and East. The Sharks have been placed in the West Division with the Kings, Ducks, Golden Knights, Coyotes, Avalanche, Blues, and Wild. The new Central Division consists of the Blackhawks, Predators, Panthers, Lightning, Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Hurricanes, and Stars. The East Division consists of the Bruins, Sabres, Devils, Rangers, Islanders, Penguins, Flyers, and Capitals. The division realignment is expected to spark new rivalries and reignite previous rivalries in the NHL. 

Teams in the East, Central, and West Divisions will play every other respective division opponent eight times, while the all-Canadian division teams will face every other Canadian-based team nine or ten times over the course of the 2021 season. Most teams will play games at their home arenas, while a few teams may have to play at neutral sites because COVID-19 restrictions in their local areas may not allow them to play and practice where they normally would. Most teams are expected to start the 2021 season without fans in attendance, but may be able to allow a limited number of fans at games depending on how the pandemic progresses in their local areas. The top four in each division will advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Intradivisional play will continue until the Semifinal round, in which the teams that reach the Semifinals will be reseeded by their regular season point total. In each playoff round, the 1 seed would play the 4 seed, while the 2 seed will play the 3 seed, whether it's intradivisional or not.

Other key dates during the upcoming season include the trade deadline on April 12, the end of the regular season on May 8, and the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 11. The Seattle Expansion Draft is scheduled for July 21, while the NHL Entry Draft will be held on July 23 and 24. Free agency is set to begin on July 28. The NHL is expecting to return to normal for 2021-22, with that season starting in October and consisting of a full 82 games and the return of the regular divisions that we all knew and have been accustomed to.

As for the Sharks, they were one of the seven teams that didn't participate in the bubble playoffs this past season, so they will begin their training camp ahead of most other NHL teams. However, the Sharks will have to hold their training camp in Arizona due to a health order banning all organized sports in Santa Clara County to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Team Teal is also prepared to play next season outside of San Jose if they have to. I hope the Sharks don't have to spend all of this coming season outside of San Jose as this would be a big hassle for the players, coaching staff, team personnel, and their families. You may have seen how this same health order by Santa Clara County health officials has screwed over the 49ers in the NFL this year. I fear it may have the same effect on the Sharks as it did on the 49ers, but let's see what happens in the coming months. 

The NHL still has to clear a few more obstacles before getting underway with the 2021 season, but the bulk of their issues regarding this coming season have been resolved. At the end of the day, I'm just grateful that there will be another NHL season and the league was able to work something out despite the current and ever-changing circumstances with the pandemic. I am expecting some surprises this coming season due to the NHL's unpredictable nature, but I don't know what form they will take. Most of all, I hope the Sharks bounce back from last season, perform well, and make the playoffs, and I know they're more than capable of doing so. 

Source: NHL.com

My Thoughts on the Sharks' New Heritage Jersey

 The Sharks recently unveiled a new jersey to commemorate their 30th anniversary this coming season. San Jose basically brought back their home jersey they wore throughout much of the 90s and early 2000s except in Adidas form. Like their Reverse Retro jersey, the new heritage jerseys will be worn during select games next season. It is mostly teal and contains the original Sharks logo, with white, black, and gray around the middle of the sleeves and bottom of the jersey. The collar is surrounded in white, while black surrounds the part of the collar where the NHL shield is heat-pressed onto the jersey. 

Overall, the new Sharks Heritage Jersey looks beautiful and better than their recently-released Reverse Retro Jersey. I am more eager to see the new Heritage jerseys on the ice this upcoming season and to add one to my jersey collection than the Reverse Retros. However, I don't need one of these right away, and there is only a limited supply of Sharks Heritage Jerseys, so I expect them to sell fairly quickly. Although I would love to have a heritage jersey in my possession, I am uncertain if I will ever get one since it is only for this coming year and they will become more difficult to find afterwards. 

On a side note, I like the current Sharks logo more than their original logo because the former is more colorful, eye-popping, and aggressive.

Jamie Baker Steps Down as Color Commentator for the Sharks

 Longtime Sharks color commentator Jamie Baker announced that he is stepping down from the role to focus on himself once again. 

He has been part of the Sharks organization for over 25 years as a player in the 90s and a member of their broadcast team for the past 15 years. Baker stepped away from the broadcast booth a few times during the 2017-18 season to address his mental health and well-being. In 2019, he made his struggles with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts known publicly. 

I knew Jamie Baker best as a broadcaster from many of the Sharks games I have watched on TV. He has been a fantastic color commentator while also raising more awareness toward mental health issues through his own personal struggles. I will miss seeing him in the broadcast booth and hearing his commentary on my TV during Sharks games.

Wishing nothing but the best in retirement Bakes! 

Source: Fear the Fin

Sharks Prospects Participating In This Year's World Juniors

 One of the biggest showcases in the hockey world is starting in just a matter of days in the Edmonton bubble that held the most recent Stanley Cup Playoffs. The same protocols will be in place that made this past Stanley Cup Playoffs possible to keep everyone on each team safe. All IIHF World Junior Championship games will be televised on NHL Network in the US and TSN in Canada. 

Here are the players in the Sharks organization participating in the World Juniors this year and which country they will be representing: 

• Artemi Kniazev, defenseman, Russia (2019 2nd round pick)
• Yegor Spiridonov, forward, Russia (2019 4th round pick)
• Santeri Hatakka, defenseman, Finland (2019 6th round pick) 
• Adam Raska, forward, Czech Republic (2020 7th round pick) 

 I may not be as familiar with prospects as I am with NHL roster players, but good luck to those representing the Sharks in the World Juniors. On the other hand, I want the US and Canada to medal in the tournament this year and think they will perform pretty well. 

Source: NHL.Discussion via Instagram

Melker Karlsson Signs with Skelleftea AIK of Swedish League

 Former Sharks forward Melker Karlsson has signed a contract with Skelleftea AIK in his native Sweden for at least this coming season. 

This doesn't come as much of a surprise as he became an unrestricted free agent after this past season and indicated early in the offseason that he wouldn't be re-signing with the Sharks. 

The Melkman, as he is known as, spent the past six seasons with San Jose, totaling 60 goals, 52 assists, and 112 points in 396 games over those six seasons. He also recorded six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 60 playoff games. During the 2019-20 season, Melker tallied only six goals and six assists in 61 games for the Sharks. He mainly spent time on the third and fourth lines in his Sharks tenure. 

I don't see this as a huge loss for Team Teal as Melker Karlsson is entering the wrong side of 30 and hasn't been one of the Sharks' most significant contributors, but he has made some clutch plays when it mattered the most. 

Source: NHL.com

My Thoughts on the Sharks' Reverse Retro Jersey

 The NHL introduced a new series of jerseys known as the Reverse Retro for the 2021 season. This is one way the league plans to make up for lost revenue due to the stoppage of play caused by the pandemic and not being able to have fans attend the bubble playoffs to wrap up this past season. Each NHL team reintroduced a jersey they wore previously and modified it to an extent. Some teams went all out and drastically altered a jersey they previously wore in their history, while other teams only made minor tweaks to create their Reverse Retro jersey. 

In the case of the Sharks, San Jose threw it back to 1998 with its Reverse Retro jersey. It uses the original Sharks logo with a primarily gray background and black, white, and teal layers outside of the gray. The latter three colors protrude outward from the center of the jersey when looking at it from the front. The collar of the jersey is in teal unlike most of the jersey itself. I assume most of you reading this post have seen it by now. These jerseys will be worn during select games this coming season. It looks fantastic but isn't the best Sharks jersey in my opinion. With that being said, I want to add the Sharks Reverse Retro jersey to my jersey collection at some point, but I'm not in a big hurry to do so, especially since the Reverse Retro jerseys are limited editions and selling relatively quickly. I am looking forward to seeing the players wear the Reverse Retros on the ice whenever the Sharks decide to do so this coming season.

Why Did I Become a Sharks Fan?

 Like I mentioned in the first post, I am a diehard San Jose Sharks fan, and I have supported them ever since I could remember. My first exposure to this team was when I was a kid in elementary school and I would see my dad watch their games on TV on some nights during the week. My interest in the team only grew from there. Over the next several years, I would watch more games as a teenager, and there eventually came a point where I realized that the mainstream sports media where I lived wasn't covering the Sharks and the NHL anywhere near as much as other sports. I previously attended one Sharks game with my dad and had an absolute blast at that game, and once I started conducting research on the Sharks and looking to YouTube and other social media for more NHL content, I got hooked on the Sharks and the sport of hockey and never looked back.

 Many people wonder why I am a Sharks fan, and it goes further beyond the fact that Team Teal is the nearest NHL team to where I live. In this post, I will explain each reason why the Sharks have been and will always be my favorite NHL team. 

 

First, I was born in San Jose and spent my early childhood there. Despite its high cost of living, San Jose is one of my favorite cities and has a special place in my heart. It has several amenities and things to do, a mild climate, and friendly residents. In addition, San Jose has an underrated car scene, is relatively spread out, and is almost always thriving since the tech industry is located in and around Silicon Valley. This is also one of the main reasons why I am a fan of other Bay Area teams, specifically the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Golden State Warriors. 

Second, ever since their introduction to the NHL in 1991, the Sharks have become one of the most successful franchises in the NHL. They are a well-run franchise that flies under the radar compared to other NHL teams with little to no drama surrounding them. Team Teal is a consistent playoff contender in most years, having made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 21 of their 29 seasons in the NHL. In addition, the Sharks have won six Pacific Division titles, one President's Trophy, and one Western Conference title. The only accomplishment the Sharks are missing is a Stanley Cup; the closest they got to winning a Stanley Cup was in the 2015-16 season, in which they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in Team Teal's only Cup Final appearance so far. I grew up watching future hall-of-famers Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Evgeni Nabokov on the Sharks; other notable Sharks players I remember from my childhood are Dan Boyle, Ryane Clowe, Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi, Martin Havlat, Scott Hannan, and early renditions of Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Marc-Eduoard Vlasic, and Brent Burns. When I was a kid, I remember Todd McLellan was the Sharks' head coach at the time. The more recent Sharks teams have had strong defense pairings, solid goaltending (up until this past season), great power play and penalty kill units (for the most part), and could roll four lines on any given night.

The third reason consists of many of the Sharks' team attributes. I may be biased, but the Sharks have the best logo in the NHL and one of the best logos in all of professional sports. This doesn't apply to just their current primary logo but their entire logo history as well. Their colors make them distinct from other pro sports teams, as not many other teams use teal in their color combinations. Team Teal has had a great jersey history as well, producing some absolutely beautiful jerseys. The Sharks mascot, S.J. Sharkie, is one of the best and coolest mascots in the NHL and all of sports, especially when he zips down to the ice from the ceiling of SAP Center. The Shark Head inside SAP Center is the coolest entrance in the NHL and possibly all of sports. The Sharks' overall video production quality is top notch, and very few sports teams are able to match it. Its broadcast team is one of the best in sports, consisting of Randy Hahn as the TV play-by-play announcer, Bret Hedican as a color commentator, Dan Rusanowsky as the radio play-by-play announcer, and Brodie Brazil as the host of Sharks Pregame, Intermission, and Postgame Live on NBC Sports California (Jamie Baker's replacement as color commentator has yet to be determined).

The fourth reason has to do with many of the Sharks' traditions. Their pregame shows during the Stanley Cup Playoffs look amazing and get my blood pumping. When the Sharks go on the power play, the Jaws theme starts to play and fans in the Tank make chomping motions with their arms, which I really enjoy. They also hold several fundraisers and charity events every year to give back to the less fortunate and improve the communities of Silicon Valley and nearby Santa Cruz. 

I could go on and on about the Sharks, but they have always been and always will be my favorite NHL team, and nothing will ever change that. Lastly, I hope the San Jose Sharks remain consistent and successful for many years to come and eventually win a Stanley Cup someday. 

I've included a few photos of some of my Sharks memorabilia to spice up this post.