Sharks Fans Excited To Be Part of History: How Some Got Tough Rookie Faceoff Tix

LOS ANGELES — Watching Macklin Celebrini’s game debut in a San Jose Sharks uniform live on Friday was not an easy ticket.

Regardless, about a dozen Sharks fans finessed their way into Toyota Sports Performance Center for Rookie Faceoff, keen on witnessing franchise history.

The 2024 first-overall pick didn’t disappoint, scoring a goal and dominating on both ends of the ice, leading the Sharks to a 3-2 victory over Utah Hockey Club.

Hopefully, it’s the first of many wins for a franchise that’s missed the playoffs for five years and counting.

Just as impressive as Celebrini’s performance were some of the stories of how die-hard Sharks fans infiltrated the building.

Some teal snuck into the building pic.twitter.com/Avel0IrbSY

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) September 13, 2024

So what was so hard about getting a prospects tournament ticket?

For starters, Toyota Sports Performance Center, the Los Angeles Kings’ practice facility in El Segundo, is just a two-ice sheet building and isn’t suited for larger crowds, perhaps about 500 at most at a rink. In comparison, Sharks Ice has six sheets, highlighted by Tech CU Arena, the home of the San Jose Barracuda, capacity 4,200.

On top of that, Rookie Faceoff, first and foremost, is an opportunity for the seven participating clubs, the Kings, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Utah Hockey Club, Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Colorado Avalanche, to evaluate their prospects in a competitive setting. Also, it’s a chance for the rest of the league to get an up-close look at these prospects. So priority for already-limited seating goes to the 32 NHL teams, and their front office personnel and scouts.

Players’ families are also prioritized. For example, I met Quentin Musty and Braden Hache’s parents on Friday. Rick Celebrini, Macklin’s father (and Golden State Warriors director of sports medicine and performance), was also in the stands for Friday’s game.

That left, according to the Kings, just 200 all-tournament tickets for the fans. They weren’t cheap or easy to acquire either. The $200 passes were offered first to Kings and Ontario Reign season ticket holders, then Jr. Kings families.

So how did San Jose Sharks fans break into these not-so-friendly confines?

San Jose Hockey Now spoke with five of them, who also shared their excitement for brighter days ahead for the down-and-now-not-out franchise.

Read the Full Article at NBC Sports Bay Area