San Jose Sharks
Sharks Locker Room: Like SAP Center of Yore
This was like the SAP Center of yore.
Will Smith could feel the buzz even before the game, the San Jose Sharks’ first appearance at home in almost two weeks, sellout crowd.
“In warm-ups, I was like, this place is bumping,” Smith said, after the Sharks’ 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers. “I knew it was gonna be a big night, especially with an Original Six team here. We definitely felt the energy.”
The San Jose Sharks carried that energy over to drop of the puck, racing out to a 2-0 lead just 3:08 in. His squad overwhelmed, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan called a timeout.
Four minutes later, Macklin Celebrini blasted his second goal of the night.
Three goals scored, the crowd’s impulse wasn’t to cheer for tacos — Taco Bell has been giving away free tacos for years when the Sharks reach three goals at home — instead, they serenaded Celebrini with “MVP” chants.
It was a small moment, but meaningful. San Jose has been so bad for long at SAP Center — from 2022-23 to 2024-25, the Sharks won an NHL-worst 31 home games, 14 less than second-worst Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks — what else was there to cheer for but free food?
Celebrini and San Jose, however, have changed the narrative. The 26-21-3 Sharks hold the final wild card berth in the Western Conference. They’re 14-9-3 at home.
“The energy and how loud they were,” Celebrini said, “you definitely felt it.”
“The word around the league was you had to get through the first period,” ex-San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said in Apr. 2024, hearkening back to the days when SAP Center was always a sellout. “The building was rocking, the crowd was into it, that team could overwhelm you.”
“I’ve never witnessed that live, but everyone talks about it in the National Hockey League. I think tonight was probably the first time I felt that, and we felt that as a group,” current head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We want to keep it going.”
Macklin Celebrini
Will Smith
Pavol Regenda
Regenda admitted that even he was surprised by his backhand on his goal: "Sometimes it's better when you just close your eyes and put it there…we had a couple of drills yesterday. I felt pretty good, so I was like, okay, I'll go try [that] and it worked out."
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 24, 2026
Ryan Warsofsky
Every game is playoff hockey for the Sharks from here till April!! Sharks have grown up so much its scary from the start of this year!! Coachan staff need kudos thanks guys you guys have the boyz playing cardiac hockey!! So fun…..
The buzz early in the crowd thing last night was real. A very different thing from last night’s crowd from other sellouts the team achieved the last couple years is that people were there early. I got there and my guest and I had food and ready to sit down in the club at 6:20 and I could barely find an open table. First time I’ve had to look, like, at all for something open that long before faceoff.
I had family in town last night and had to miss the game, I knew it was gonna be buzzing so I was bummed not to be there, and then the 3-0 start made it even harder. Breakaway Pass Tix were in the 10th row section 106 too, despite the sellout
It was definitely a hot start, but then there was the stretch when the Sharks tried to let them back in it quickly but the Rangers couldn’t convert on anything. After that, the Rangers settled into that mode a ghost ship team will and the Sharks silently assented to also just playing out the clock and accepting the easy win and the last two periods were pretty dull. In theory, one goal and the Rangers were right there but it never felt like there was a chance that would happen. And the crowd was good but not super hot during… Read more »
The standings are nuts in the West. I’ll put dallas, MIN, COL and VGS in the playoffs, as those 4 have pulled away from the pack. I do standings in games above NHL .500 (more accurate and easier) So, in a 3-way tie, occupying spots 5-7 are: +6 Utah, EDM, ANA +5 SJS +4 LAK +3 SEA +2 NSH (11th) That’s 7 teams vying for 4 playoff spots Two lurking teams, but with not much time to spare of they want in: CHI at -1. They cratered when Bedard was out, but he’s back. WPG at -3, because they’ve got… Read more »
Wow the Sharks crowd actually cared more about hockey than tacos. That’s a first. Maybe the new breed of fan will be better.
If someone had told me the opening night 3rd line for the Sharks in October 2026 would be Bystedt, Lund and Musty — I’d have thought that quite possible. Now, I’m not sure if any make that leap. Clearly, there’s work to be done by GMMG between now and October, but … the Sharks added a full line’s worth of top-9 players in unexpected ways: Sherwood, Regenda and Chernshov I’ll mkae some assumptions here, but here’s a top 9 Macklin, Smith, Graf Wennberg, Sherwood, Eklund Misa, Regenda, Chernyshov But I’ve left out Dellandrea, Kurashev, Toffoli and Gaudette (also Skinner, but… Read more »
I think Lund can be a very good fourth liner as early as next season. I wouldn’t really expect Reaves back. The team will be moving further forward and have less need for a mascot in the lineup. Nor does the team need to have any interest in getting him to 1,000 games. I said recently that I think Bystedt is expendable and can be used to acquire defense. I get a good feeling about Musty as a future very good third liner but there’s more projection in that, he’s not necessarily real close to being that. See how it… Read more »
GMMG has shown with recent moves he’s a “read the room” guy. Which is why doing Reaves that ‘once in a life-time’ solid is, I’m guessing, on the table. Veterans who want to come to SJ will notice and the Sharks room seem to really appreciate Reaves and I’m sure they’d all like to see it. Bystedt seems like he’s the A.W. era guy (After Wennberg), but that’s a good bit further out with Wennberg’s new deal. Bystedt, at 25, could be the sort of 3C teams crave. But I’m not sure the Sharks can string him along until we… Read more »
Hmmm. Bystedt looks to me like a real NHL 3rd/4th line center and I think will have a good career. I will be watching a lot more of Musty and Lund during the break, but as of now I think they are really more top six, but maybe not on this Sharks team going forward.
all 3 of musty, lund, and bystedt are waivers exempt so unless they’re part of a deal for proven nhlers or win a spot in training camp they’ll start next year with the ‘cuda. regenda’s been great recently but i don’t think we should pencil him in as a clear top-9 guy yet, he’ll likely be in the mix with kurashev and chernyshov (also waivers exempt) assuming there aren’t more additions. gaudette also likely in that mix though he can also fit into the 4th line in a pinch, and frankly i’d like the team to try out gauds more… Read more »
They’ll likely get their first looks filling in as injury replacements and have a chance to stick, just like Chernyshov this year. Trying to predict this stuff so far out is a worthless exercise, too much will change and there are too many factors you can’t predict. All three players you mentioned are having very good AHL seasons. Two are rookie pros. One was always a project, and he’s been the best of the three. Where do they fit? We don’t know yet.