My 9th NHL Game: Oilers 3, Sharks 0 (4/16/25)

 I attended the Sharks’ 2024-25 season finale against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night, and it was certainly more of a unique experience compared to some of the other NHL games I have previously attended. Let’s begin: 

Since it was the Sharks’ final game of the season, the team gave out free collectible card packs to everyone in attendance, which I definitely enjoyed adding to my hockey card collection. Once I entered the SAP Center, the first order of business per usual was to visit the team store to find more souvenirs, where I purchased a Macklin Celebrini acrylic display and a Sharks 2024-25 yearbook magazine. After the team store, while walking through the main concourse to determine what I wanted to eat at the game, I saw, met and took photos with SJ Sharkie for the second time ever, which was awesome since he is my favorite mascot in all of sports. 

Soon after, I headed towards the lower bowl to catch warmups, which remain one of my favorite aspects of hockey games besides the game itself. The Sharks’ 2024-25 season finale marked my first time seeing a Canadian-based team play in person, so the dual national anthem performance prior to first puck drop added to this experience being more unique than others. 

As for the game itself, the Sharks were shut out 3-0 by the Edmonton Oilers in their last game of the season to conclude 2024-25 on an 11-game losing streak. The Oilers scored in each period: former Shark Ty Emberson in the first, Max Jones in the second, and Corey Perry with an empty-netter in the third. It is also worth noting that Connor McDavid registered an assist on the first goal of the game by Emberson for his 100th point of the season and to cap off the eighth 100-point season of his career. 

During one of the first stoppages early in the opening period, the Sharks honored Logan Couture after he announced his retirement from professional hockey the day prior, which was great to see him acknowledged as one of the greatest to ever play in a Sharks uniform with fans giving him a standing ovation. He spent nearly all of the game in the suite in section 206 with his wife, then headed onto the ice near the player benches at the conclusion of the game to shake hands with the Oilers. 

Alexandar Georgiev made his final start in teal and performed well, compiling 25 saves on 27 shots against. The Sharks’ best chance of getting on the board came late in the third period on a shot by Noah Gregor that hit the post. Throughout this game, the Sharks announced team awards: Macklin Celebrini was named Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, Mario Ferraro was named Media Good Guy, and Sam Dickinson was named Prospect of the Year. During one shift in the second period, I was blown away seeing Connor McDavid flying from one end of the ice to the other with his incredible and absolutely unreal speed. 

Lastly, to acknowledge the conclusion of the season, some fans in attendance were selected to receive jerseys from the players, and some players tossed t-shirts into the crowd. I was not one of the fans who were selected to receive a player’s jersey, but it was great for the lucky bunch who did. The end result was not how I and most other fans in attendance wanted the Sharks’ season to end, but I am extremely grateful that I was able to attend four games this year and see this Sharks team be more competitive and make strides in their rebuild. In addition, it was fun watching the first-year additions of Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Tyler Toffoli inject more life into the Sharks all season long. 

I am also glad to have seen Connor McDavid, the Oilers, and a Canadian-based team play in person for the first time. The Sharks finished their 2024-25 campaign in last place with a 20-50-12 record and 52 points, most importantly an upgrade over last season. Their record now falls to 3-3-2 when I am at their games. Heading into a busy and pivotal offseason for Team Teal, they are guaranteed another top-three pick and potential star player in the draft. On top of that, they have a ton of cap space to work with, and I am absolutely looking forward to what Mike Grier and the Sharks front office have up their sleeves as they aim to take another leap towards playoff contention next season. 

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Logan Couture Stepping Away from Professional Hockey

 Longtime Sharks forward and current Sharks captain Logan Couture announced in a press conference today that he is officially done playing professional hockey due to his ongoing battle with osteitis pubis. This condition has held Couture out of the Sharks active roster for most of the past two seasons. It is also important to note that although he will no longer be playing hockey competitively, Logan Couture remains under contract with the Sharks at a cap hit of $8 million through the conclusion of the 2026-27 season. 

It is deeply unfortunate that Logan Couture's NHL playing career had to be cut short like this. However, Logan Couture has had an excellent career, is one of the greatest players in Sharks history, and is arguably the greatest playoff performer in Sharks history. He has amassed 323 goals, 378 assists, and 701 points in 933 games played across 15 seasons, which rank third, fifth, fourth, and fifth in Sharks history respectively. Couture is also one of 59 players in NHL history to record 300 goals, 700 points, and 900 games with one franchise and one of three Sharks to ever do so, alongside Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. In the playoffs, Logan Couture has compiled 48 goals, 53 assists, and 101 points in 116 games played, ranking tied for second, second, third, and fifth in Sharks franchise history respectively. His 101 playoff points are the fourth most among NHL players in the 2010s, trailing only Sidney Crosby (123), Patrick Kane (109), and Evgeni Malkin (106), while Couture's 48 playoff goals rank second among NHL players in the 2010s, only trailing Alex Ovechkin's 50 playoff goals during that decade. In addition, Logan Couture ranks tied for second all-time in Sharks franchise history in shorthanded goals with 14 and fourth in power play goals with 83. He was named an NHL All-Star three times in his career (2012, 2020, 2022), and a Calder Trophy finalist and member of the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2011. 

The most likely scenario for what the Sharks do with the remainder of Logan Couture's contract is that it stays on IR until it expires, as Team Teal currently needs it to reach the salary cap floor next season. If the Sharks make a significant improvement in team performance and enter the playoff discussion within the next two seasons, the remainder of Couture's contract will get moved to LTIR to give them more salary cap flexibility to add to their roster if necessary. As for who becomes the next Sharks captain, I can guarantee that the Sharks are in no rush to name their next captain. Heading into next season, I think the most likely candidate to become the next Sharks captain is Tyler Toffoli, as he has fit in well and become the Sharks' best veteran player in his first season in teal. I can also see a scenario where the Sharks leave their captaincy vacant until they determine that Macklin Celebrini is inevitably ready to become team captain. If Tyler Toffoli becomes the next Sharks captain, I see his captaincy lasting for the next two to three seasons, and then it becomes Celebrini's captaincy to lose. 

Back to Logan Couture, he has been and will always be one of my all-time favorite San Jose Sharks players. He has been a massive contributor towards the Sharks' playoff window throughout the 2010s, including the Sharks' first-ever Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016 and the Sharks' most recent playoff run in 2019. Not only was Logan Couture an all-around skilled forward and leader, he would step up his game and perform his best when it mattered the most. It is certainly sad to see his playing career end like this, but I have nothing but love, respect, and appreciation for one of the greatest to ever play for the Sharks. Hopefully the Sharks at least briefly acknowledge Logan Couture during tomorrow's season finale, and his no. 39 eventually gets retired and raised to the rafters at SAP Center in the near future. Wishing Captain Clutch nothing but the best in his future endeavors. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks 2024-25 Game 81 Recap: Canucks 2, Sharks 1 (OT) (4/14/25)

 Another one that the Sharks started off well and were fully in but ran out of gas towards the end, as they fall 2-1 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks in their final road game of the season. 

The Sharks struck first early in the second period on Macklin Celebrini’s 25th goal of the season, assisted by Tyler Toffoli and Luca Cagnoni. This retakes the NHL rookie lead in goals for Celebrini. Fast forward to the third period, when Linus Karlsson scored to tie the game at one for the Canucks to eventually force bonus hockey. With 18 seconds remaining in overtime, the Canucks would prevail on the game-winning goal by Jake DeBrusk to hand the Sharks their tenth straight loss. 

Alexandar Georgiev was outstanding in the Sharks’ last road game of the season, compiling 35 saves on 37 shots against. In addition, Jack Thompson, Jan Rutta, Zack Ostapchuk, and Thomas Bordeleau are all day-to-day, while Danil Gushchin, Luca Cagnoni, and Jimmy Schuldt were recalled from the Barracuda as the injuries are mounting towards the end of the season. On the flip side, Cam Lund was back in the lineup tonight after missing yesterday’s game due to an illness. In other news, Logan Couture is expected to announce his retirement from professional hockey due to his ongoing battle with osteitis pubis, which I will provide more details and reflection once this becomes official. 

The Sharks return home for one more game this season, hosting the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday at 7:30 pm PT. This next game recap will be more of a personal experience post, as I plan to be in attendance at the Shark Tank to catch Team Teal’s final game of the season in person, and you won’t want to miss it. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App, Curtis Pashelka via X, NHL Discussion via Instagram 

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Sharks 2024-25 Game 80 Recap: Flames 5, Sharks 2 (4/13/25)

 Team Teal’s losing streak has been extended to nine games with a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames. 

The Sharks opened the scoring early in the first period on Tyler Toffoli’s 30th goal of the season, assisted by Lucas Carlsson and Noah Gregor. This sets a career-long three consecutive 30-goal seasons for Toffoli. Later in the first frame, the Flames scored twice via Mackenzie Weegar and Adam Klapka to go ahead 2-1. 

San Jose evened the game at two early in the second period on Jan Rutta’s third goal of the season, assisted by William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli. It was all Flames from there, as Calgary scored three more goals via Yegor Sharangovich, Matt Coronato, and an empty-netter from Sharangovich in the third period to finish this one off. It is also worth noting that Jack Thompson and Zack Ostapchuk exited this game early due to injuries. 

Georgi Romanov recorded 25 saves on 29 shots against in the Sharks’ ninth straight defeat. In addition, the Sharks recently called up Thomas Bordeleau from the Barracuda as a replacement for Cam Lund, who was out with an illness. The Barracuda clinched a Calder Cup playoff berth for the first time since 2019, the latter of which is great and pretty big for the Sharks farm system. 

With the Blackhawks earning a point in their shootout loss to the Jets on Saturday, the Sharks have officially clinched last place in the entire NHL, the best odds to win the draft lottery, and a guaranteed top-three pick in the draft for the second consecutive season. This should come as practically no surprise, but at least it should result in another potential star player being added to the Sharks pipeline this summer. Team Teal plays its final road game of 2024-25 tomorrow in Vancouver against the Canucks at 7 pm PT. 

Sources: Sharks Audio Network, NHL App, Curtis Pashelka via X 

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