Despite their short history, the Sharks have had many players wear a variety of jersey numbers. Let’s look at the best who have worn numbers 1-10. The players chosen will only be evaluated based on their time with the Sharks, rather than their entire careers. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s dive into the list.
Best Sharks by Jersey Number: 1-10
#1 – Thomas Greiss (Goaltender)
Griess spent the first four years of his NHL career in San Jose by serving as the backup goaltender to Evgeni Nabokov and Antti Niemi. In his first season as the full-time backup, 2009-10, he collected seven wins and earned a .912 save percentage (SV%) on a team that reached the Western Conference Finals. In his final two seasons with the Sharks, he posted a .915 SV% in each of them, before signing a free-agent deal with the Phoenix Coyotes. Griess has carved out a solid NHL career that started with him donning the number one in Teal.
#2 – Mike Rathje (Defenceman)
Rathje had a 13-year career that ended with 768 games played. 11 of those years and 671 of those games came with the Sharks. He ranks eighth in Sharks’ history for games played with the organization and consistently logged over 20 minutes per game. He had limited offensive production, however, he was a key piece to multiple Sharks teams that made the playoffs. This included five straight seasons of playoff hockey where Rathje averaged over 22 minutes a night.
#3 – Douglas Murray (Defenceman)
Like Rathje, Murray spent the majority of his career with the Sharks. He finished his Sharks tenure with 422 games played and was a solid defensive piece to multiple Sharks playoff teams. He was a very tall and strong player, standing at 6’3″ and weighing in at 240 lbs. Murray was a consistent staple of San Jose’s penalty kill, a group that consistently ranked above league average during his time in the Bay. He wasn’t afraid to catch a player with their head down, either.
#4 – Brendan Dillon (Defenceman)
Dillon played a stable, shutdown defenceman role during his time with the Sharks. He spent parts of five seasons in Teal and played 80 or more games in all but one. Dillon was also a part of the team that made the lone Stanley Cup Final appearance in Sharks history, 2015-16. He blocked shots, threw the body and played on the penalty kill before being dealt to the Washington Capitals in February 2020.
#5 – Jason Demers (Defenceman)
Demers debuted for the Sharks in the 2009-10 season and racked up an impressive 21 points in just 57 games. Similar production happened the following year as his minutes increased. In 2013-14, he had the best statistical campaign of his career, notching 34 points in 75 games. He found himself playing and contributing on the power play, with eight of his 29 assists coming on the man advantage. Demers was then dealt to the Dallas Stars, bringing his Sharks tenure to a close.
#6 – Sandis Ozolinš (Defenceman)
Ozolinš had an illustrious, 15-year career in the NHL that spanned over three decades. He spent the first three years of his career in San Jose, where his reputation as an offensively-minded defenseman began to become known. His rookie year, 1992-93, was cut short by a knee injury that he suffered in December of 1992, but he ended his campaign with 23 points in just 37 games. Upon recovering from the injury, Ozolinš played in 81 games and finished with 26 goals and 64 points. He had cemented himself as an elite offensive defenceman. Ozolinš would be traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Owen Nolan, who went on to do pretty well in Teal. Ozolinš would eventually return to San Jose for his final NHL season where, at age 35, he would earn 16 points in 39 games.
#7 – Brad Stuart (Defenceman)
Stuart was drafted third overall by the Sharks in the 1997 NHL Draft. He played three seasons in the WHL before debuting for the Sharks in 1999. In his rookie year, he had 36 points, which earned him a spot on the all-rookie team and second in the Calder trophy race. Stuart was a good skater who saw consistent ice time with the Sharks. He would spend his first five full seasons with the Sharks before being dealt to the Boston Bruins for a guy named Joe Thornton.
#8 – Joe Pavelski (Centre)
One of the greatest American-born players in NHL history, Pavelski spent 13 years with the Sharks and played 963 games. He was a consistent point producer, elite at winning face-offs and known as one of the best at redirecting pucks in front of the net. Pavelski was the key factor of the 2015-16 Cup Final team. He was the captain, led the team with 38 goals and was second on the team with 78 points. Pavelski just recently retired, unfortunately never capturing the Stanley Cup. That doesn’t take away, however, his impact on the Sharks franchise or the city of San Jose.
#9 – Milan Michálek (Right Wing)
While some big names such as Bernie Nicholls and Adam Graves have worn the number nine for San Jose, Michálek produced at a high rate in his time. He spent the first four full seasons of his career (2003-04 – 2008-09) with the Sharks and became one of their key offensive contributors. He scored over 20 goals and 50 points in three of the four years and played in the postseason in each of those years. Michálek was dealt to the Ottawa Senators for Dany Heatley, thus bringing his time in San Jose to a close.
#10 – Marcus Ragnarsson (Defenceman)
Playing on the same teams as Rathje and Stuart, Ragnarsson was a solid, do-it-all defenceman. He had a stellar rookie campaign in 1995-96 with 39 points and ended up finishing ninth in Calder trophy voting. He played in all situations and consistently played over 2o minutes a night. During his time with San Jose, he would represent Sweden in two Ice Hockey World Championships and two Olympics. In the 2002-03 season, Ragnarsson would be traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Dan McGillis.
Didn’t Make the Cut
Since this was based on just the time spent with the Sharks, many legends got left off this list. Teemu Selanne (8), Igor Larionov (7), Rob Blake (4), Nicholls and Graves (9) are all NHL legends who just didn’t spend enough time in San Jose, even if we wanted them to.
Other Jersey Number Series on LWOS
This series was inspired by the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. You can check out the #1-10 articles for both teams. We’ll continue this series with numbers 11-20 and see which Sharks legends you may have forgotten about.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
