The San Jose Sharks have a great history spanning over four decades. Let’s explore that history and look at the best Sharks by Sweater Numbers 41-50. Just as a reminder, these rankings only look at players’ time with the Sharks, not their entire careers. There will also be repeats, as many players have worn more than one number for the team. Let’s look at the list.
#41 – David Williams
Williams spent the first two seasons of his career with the Sharks and wore no. 41 in his rookie campaign (1991-92). He was a bright spot on a team that struggled. Williams was tied with Doug Wilson for the team lead in points by a defenceman with 28. He also spent time on the power play and had 11 assists on the man advantage. The Anaheim Ducks drafted Williams in the 1993 Expansion Draft before parting ways two years later.
#42 – Joel Ward
Ward spent the final three years of his career with the Sharks from 2015-16 to 2017-18. He became a fan favourite but was a solid player at the same time. His best season in San Jose was 2015-16, when he helped the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup Final. Ward scored 21 goals and finished with 43 points in just under 17 minutes per game. His production dipped in his final two years with the Sharks and he didn’t play in the NHL again after the 2017-18 season. Ward retired in 2020.
The Veteran of the Group of Best Sharks to Wear Different Sweater Numbers #43 – Ray Whitney
Whitney spent the first 200 games of his 1,330-game career in San Jose. He played three full seasons (1993-94 – 1995-96) in the Bay and established himself as a good point producer, despite injury issues. In the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, Whitney played in just 39 games but had 13 goals and 25 points. He put up 40 or more points in 1993-94 and 1995-96, while only playing in 61 and 60 games, respectively. Whitney signed with the Edmonton Oilers following the 1996-97 campaign.
#44 – Marc-Édouard Vlasic
Vlasic has been a pillar of the Sharks since he broke into the league in 2006-07. He has played 1,296 games in the teal colour scheme and has been one of the best defensive defencemen in the NHL. He has only put up over 30 points in two seasons, but what he lacks in offence, he makes up for in defence. Vlasic is top-five all-time in blocked shots, with well over 2,000. He has also averaged over 20 minutes per game in his career and is consistently a plus player. Vlasic has received Norris Trophy votes in four seasons and Lady Byng votes in nine. At 37 years of age, it’s unclear how much longer Vlasic will play in the NHL. No matter how much longer he plays for, Vlasic will undoubtedly go down as one of the best players in Sharks history.
#45 – Neil Wilkinson
Wilkinson played for the Sharks in 1991-92 and 1992-93. He played in 119 and finished with 107 penalty minutes. The defenceman wasn’t known for his offensive output, but he played the role of enforcer on the expansion Sharks. The Manitoba native retired from the NHL following the 1998-99 season and was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.
#46 – Steve Bernier
Bernier played a majority of games with the Sharks as number 26, but he wore number 46 during his rookie campaign. He played in just 39 games that season but finished with 27 points. He played in all situations and found himself at the beginning of the most productive stretch of his career. In the playoffs, Bernier was an important factor in the Sharks making the second round. He tallied six points in 11 games while playing just over 15 minutes a night.
#47 – Viktor Kozlov
Kozlov spent parts of the first four seasons of his career in San Jose. He struggled to find consistency in his first two years, but broke out in 1996-97. He played in 78 games and had 41 points and 16 goals. Kozlov found a little time with the man advantage and solidified himself as a great playmaker. Following this breakout campaign, San Jose dealt Kozlov to the Florida Panthers for a first-round pick and Dave Lowry, bringing his short tenure in San Jose to a close.
Best Sharks by Sweater Numbers #48 – Tomáš Hertl
Hertl burst onto the scene in 2013-14 with a 25-point campaign in just 37 games, capped off by a four-goal night against the New York Rangers. After that point, Hertl became one of the NHL’s more consistent centres. He has battled some injuries but still found a way to collect over 60 points in three seasons. Hertl is also one of the best faceoff takers in the league. He has won over 50 percent of draws in each season of his career, except 2014-15. He was an important piece to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final team and one of the keys to the 2019 Western Conference Final team. Hertl was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2024 trade deadline for David Edstrom and a first-round pick. Hertl’s departure marked a new era in San Jose.
#49 – Scott Sabourin
This sweater number is a difficult one to select the best of the Sharks to wear it opposed to other numbers. Of the three players to wear #49 for the Sharks, none have recorded a point. Sabourin, however, had the most eventful tenure of the three. He played in just three games last year and racked up nine penalty minutes and had ten hits. Sabourin fought Jarred Tinordi in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in January 2024. He made an impression physically in his short stint. Sabourin is under contract for the 2024-25 season, but will likely spend the season in the AHL.
#50 – Chris Tierney
Tierney had an incredibly productive four-year stretch with the Sharks from 2014-15 to 2017-18. He played bottom six minutes, but collected 20 or more points in each campaign. He played in all 82 games in 2017-18 and had 17 goals. Tierney also won 51% of his faceoffs. However, he is most known for being a part of the trade for Erik Karlsson. He was packaged with numerous other pieces for the superstar defenceman and had a solid couple of years in Ottawa.
Didn’t Make the Cut of Best Sharks by Sweater Numbers
This region of the number spectrum doesn’t have a ton of players. However, there are still some that just missed the cut Al Iafrate (43), Christian Ehrhoff (44), and Mike Sullivan (47) were the closest, with other players making a push as well. This series was inspired by the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. You can check out their lists as well. We will continue this series with numbers 51-60.
Main photo: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
