San Jose Sharks
BREAKING: Sharks Pick San Jose Native Jake Gustafson No. 174
BUFFALO — The San Jose Sharks have selected Jake Gustafson with the No. 174 pick.
Gustafson is a 6-foot-4 right-handed center, who put up 13 goals and 25 points in 68 games for the Portland Winterhawks.
He’s also got a San Jose Sharks connection: The San Jose native is the son of the SAP Center vice president Jon Gustafson.
“Composed defensive centre most commonly deep in his own zone; flashes of vision and skill suggest he could become more than just a role player,” Elite Prospects says, “Projecting Gustafson to the NHL isn’t tricky: A bottom-six, two-way centre. He’ll have to turn those intriguing pieces into consistent impact and ramp up the physicality and engagement, but he has the tools for such a role.”
The San Jose Sharks’ next pick is scheduled to be their last, No. 201 in the seventh round.
Jake’s dad, Jon, was one of my first ever favorite hockey players. He backstopped the inaugural Rhinos team back in 1994, and was a named MVP of their run to the Murphy Cup in 1995. He is an awesome dude. I wrote about that team, and Jon’s unexpected career in San Jose as a result, last summer. Link for anyone interested: https://themacklinyears.substack.com/p/from-mvp-to-svp-how-the-san-jose
I wondered if there was a relationship there. A million years ago some friends and I played pickup with them the first night into the area up at the old Bladium.
very cool
I love that you mentioned the Roosevelt rink. I grew up in that neighborhood and played on that sketchy surface every year growing up! The tiles were uneven, and sometimes my blade would get caught in them, causing me to spear myself with the butt end of the stick. I made some life long friends there as a kid. And then there’s former shark Dave Maley’s “Rollin Ice” at the fairgrounds. That place felt like a huge step up, even before they got the Silver Creek Sportsplex. Money was always the obstacle for me and my brothers playing hockey, but… Read more »
Not sure I ever played at the Roosevelt rink but knew younger kids who played on it. One from that group made it on to the Rhinos briefly in one of their last seasons. Used to play a ton at Rollin Ice. Maleys invite only on Wednesday nights was awesome. Maley was great off the ice but you could see that NHL level competitive streak come out on the rink. He would hack the shit out of you. Silver Creek wasn’t a thing yet when I moved away. When the Bladium moved to the aircraft paint hanger on the old… Read more »
Quick shoutout to Roosevelt Skate Park ❤️🔥
I remember that goalie RHI Gerry St. Cyr was it and how that treated cement vibe inspired me to play roller hockey goalie the same summer I was doing H2O polo development camp even if it pissed off my polo coach at the time. I felt it helped me as a goal scorer but that was a fun time ❤️
He used to run a place out in Sacramento with his girlfriend Manaume Rhaume. Played against them in a couple tournaments at the Bladium. Also went out to his place for a tournament that apparently was canceled and we didn’t get the notice. So we got to mess around playing with him and a couple other people. He had a half pipe there and some friends decided it would be real fun to injure themselves trying to in-line skate on it. wait did St Cyr play goalie in the RHI? He skated out when I played against him. He was… Read more »
I think St Cyr was the scoring forward and I can’t recall if RHI was 4 on 4 but I am visualizing the half pipe scenario and am assuming it was wood and not cement 😬
Yes it’s 4v4. You called Gerry a goalie so I wasn’t sure…?
That River Rats (not to be confused with AAA Sacto Ricercats) franchise sounds familiar.
Oakland Skates as in Manta Ray!?
That was RHI too I think!? and the place in SJ where I played all of 2 games as a roller hockey goalie was “Gremmick” (spelling) which I believe also sold skateboards back in the day maybe out of Los Gatos or Campbell!? and before my time!?
memory is hazy but the feels are still there ❤️
Oakland Skates? I don’t remember that as an RHI team unless they came in later? San Diego Barracuda (awesome jerseys), Portland Reign?, Sac team, can’t remember the LA team but huge rivalry.
oh yeah I remember the logo but didn’t remember the name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_Skates
yup I played at Gremic from very early on in its existence. Hated that painted floor. For a while it was the only place you could play roller hockey with a puck. The other places used a ball.
Grier just drafted a 7’1 280lb guy lmao
Had to make up for taking two sub-six footers on Day One. What an insane thing to be able to claim, a four inch height advantage over Zdeno Chara.
not everyone can make Burnzie look small ..
Holy shit!
Nuclear deterrent…
Oh shit! My kid has his autograph!
Wild that he ended up playing in Portland, but no relation to Kyle Gustafson.
Oh, I didn’t think he was related to Kyle. Kyle and I already had the conversation about if he was related to Jon.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6560201/2025/08/21/biggest-tallest-hockey-player-zdeno-chara-alexander-karmanov/?unlocked_article_code=1.tVA.8ueN.YevyX4NfmS97&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta
Love it. Ok this guy can be nicknamed Godzilla!
John Carlson appears headed to Carolina, as he was traded there by ANA.
A 6th rd pick and Kyle Masters, the latter briefly in the Sharks org. Think he was the 50th contract which they had to move at one point. Never played for the ‘Cuda, but did play for Wichita in the ECHL.
So if we hadn’t let Masters go, we could have John Carlson right now? Jeez, Mike. Get it together.
So who’s leaving the canes then? Anyone the Sharks should be interested in?
Nikishin should be worth consideration if it’s really ther. Maybe once FA opens up and prices settle down a bit?
Yup would love to add him.
So was this the supposed organizational connection that people thought the Sharks had with Malte Gustafsson?