Last time, we looked at the best Sharks to wear sweaters with numbers between 1 and 10. Today, let’s take a look at those who have worn 11-20. Once again, this is only based on these players’ tenures with the Sharks, not their entire careers. With that out of the way, let’s dive into the list.
San Jose Sharks Sweaters #11 – Owen Nolan
The former first-overall pick started his career with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to San Jose in 1995 in a one-for-one trade with Sandis Ozolins. Nolan spent parts of eight seasons in San Jose teal and had the most productive of his career. He scored 30 or more goals twice, including a 44-goal campaign in 1999-00 that led to him finishing top-five in Hart Memorial Trophy voting. In addition, he also has two seasons of 60 or more points. Nolan captained the Sharks from 1998-99 to 2002-03 before being dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a first-round pick, Brad Boyes, and Alyn McCauley. He finished his time in San Jose with 451 points in 568 games played and left his legacy on the team.
#12 – Patrick Marleau
Marleau was the easiest entry on this list, as his resume speaks for itself. The all-time leader in games played, he spent 21 seasons in San Jose and finished with 522 goals, 589 assists and 1,111 points. He spent five years as captain and is undisputedly the best player in franchise history. The only debate about Marleau is whether or not he will be a Hall of Famer. Though he is eligible for this year’s ballot, he already was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in December 2023.
#13 – Todd Harvey
The Sharks traded for Harvey in 1999-00 in exchange for Radek Dvorák and he spent four full seasons with San Jose. Nicknamed “Heartbeat”, his playing style drew the love of his teammates, coaches, and fans. In very limited minutes, he collected 20 or more points in two seasons, scoring 10 goals in 2000-01. However, the Sharks let Harvey go to free agency following the 2003-04 season, bringing his time in San Jose to a close.
#14 – Jonathan Cheechoo
Cheechoo broke into the NHL in 2002-03 and struggled, only scoring nine goals in 66 games. Then, between the 2003-04 and 2006-07 seasons, something clicked. His breakout year was in 2005-06, when he scored a league-leading, franchise single-season record of 56 goals. He was a force on the power play and notched 11 game-winning goals, all while playing under 20 minutes per game. The following year, 2006-07, he scored 37 goals and then never replicated the production. He was traded to the Ottawa Senators in September 2009 and left the NHL after one year with them. While his fall-off was sudden, his production can’t be understated as he had two great years in San Jose.
Halfway Through Today’s San Jose Sharks Sweaters List With #15 – Dany Heatley
Heatley was the player that Ottawa sent to the Sharks in the trade for Cheechoo. “Heater” spent two seasons in San Jose, but he made the most of his time. In his first season, 2009-10, he played in all 82 games and scored 39 goals, continuing his prior goal-scoring dominance. While his goal-scoring may have dipped the following year, he still finished with 26 goals and 64 points. He was then traded to the Minnesota Wild in July 2011 for Martin Havlat. This brought his Sharks tenure to a close after making back-to-back Western Conference Final appearances.
#16 – Devin Setoguchi
Setoguchi spent the first four years of his career with the Sharks. In that time, he had the three most productive campaigns of his career. His second year, 2008-09, was the best, as he notched 31 goals and finished with 65 points. He scored 20 or more goals in each of the following two seasons. Setoguchi was sent as a part of the package to the Minnesota Wild that landed Brent Burns, who was pretty good in his own rights.
#17 – Pat Falloon
As the first draft pick in Sharks history, Falloon also spent the first four years of his career in San Jose. His rookie campaign proved to be his best by netting 25 goals and 59 points, each being a career-high. His second season was cut short and was the beginning of his issues with his shoulder. He played in just 41 games and only played over 70 twice more in his career. He was a highly touted goal scorer in his draft year but was hindered from living up to his pre-draft expectations.
#18 – Mike Ricci
Ricci was a part of the Sharks from the 1998-99 season to the 2003-04 season. In that time, he played in 70 or more games every year, was a solid offensive contributor, and was a dependable two-way player, being a vital part of their 2004 Western Conference Final team. He was also named captain in that season. Ricci scored 20 or more goals in two seasons and always hovered around 25 assists. Ricci is currently a part of the Sharks’ front office as a scout and development coach.
#19 – Joe Thornton
Another all-time great Shark, “Jumbo Joe” spent 15 of his 24 years in the Bay, notching 1,055 points. Thornton represented the Sharks in the 2007, 2008, and 2009 All-Star games. In the year that he was traded to the Sharks, 2005-06, he finished with 96 assists and 125 points and won both the Art Ross and Hart trophies. His number 19 will be retired by the Sharks in the upcoming 2024-25 season, officially cementing his legacy in San Jose.
#20 – Evgeni Nabokov
Nabokov spent 10 years with the Sharks, including nine as the starter. During his rookie season, 2000-01, he took home the Calder trophy by posting a .915 save percentage (SV%). Although he never took home the award, Nabokov had five seasons where he finished top-five in voting for the Vezina Trophy. His highest Vezina finish, second, came in the 2007-08 season, where he tied for third all-time in games played by a goaltender with 77. Nabokov leads all Sharks goaltenders in games played (563), wins (293), and shutouts (50), is third in goals against average (2.39) and is fourth in SV% (.912).
Missed the Cut
Ray Whitney (14), Craig Janney (15), and Scott Thornton (17) each had good tenures with the Sharks. Each of them was heavily considered for their respective numbers of the list of San Jose Sharks sweaters. This series was inspired by the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. You can check out the #11-20 articles for both teams. We’ll continue this series with numbers 21-30.
Main photo credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
