Hockey History
Sharks Will Retire Marleau’s Number Next Year
Patrick Marleau will be the first San Jose Sharks player to have his jersey retired.
Marleau’s No. 12 will be raised to the rafters before the Feb. 25, 2023 game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
“As a little boy skating on a frozen pond, my dream was to play in the NHL,” Marleau said in a team press release. “Never could I have imagined the honor of my jersey hanging in the rafters above the very ice that I played so many of my NHL games on. I cannot begin to describe the way I feel. I am truly grateful and thankful for this recognition, but also for being able to play in front of the great San Jose Sharks fans for so long. I’ll miss doing so for the rest of my life. Thank you to the Sharks organization, my teammates throughout my career, and especially the fans for this honor of a lifetime. I can’t wait to see you all on Feb. 25.”
There’s no Shark who deserves this honor more.
The San Jose Sharks’ second-overall pick in the 1997 Draft, Marleau made his Sharks debut on Oct. 1, 1997 against the Edmonton Oilers. His last game was San Jose’s May 12, 2021 season finale against the Vegas Golden Knights.
In between, Marleau set the NHL’s All-Times Games Played record with 1,779. He also scored 566 goals and 1,197 points. He’s one of just 46 players to have scored 500 or more goals in his career.
The 42-year-old enjoyed three stints with the San Jose Sharks, from 1997-2017, the beginning of the 2019-20 season, and the entire 2020-21 campaign. He also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The speedy, durable forward holds a bevy of significant Sharks regular season franchise records, amassing 1,607 games played, 522 goals, 1,111 points, 342 even strength goals, 163 power play goals, 17 short-handed goals, 101 game-winning goals, and 3,953 shots in teal.
Marleau also paces the franchise in the playoffs with 177 games played, 68 goals, 120 points, and 457 shots. Marleau skated in the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 and the Western Conference Finals in 2004, 2010, and 2011 as a member of the Sharks.
“It is only fitting that the first San Jose Sharks player to receive the ultimate franchise recognition of having his number retired is Mr. San Jose Shark himself, Patrick Marleau,” Sharks president Jonathan Becher offered. “Patty symbolizes the Sharks franchise as much as our famous jersey crest and the color teal. We look forward to celebrating his amazing NHL legacy with Patrick’s family, friends and his legions of fans, many of whom were in the arena when Patrick first stepped on the ice in San Jose in 1997.”
Every fan attending the Feb. 25, 2023 game will receive a commemorative Marleau print. More details about this special occasion will be released later.