Joe Pavelski Named Captain of San Jose Sharks
Following a season where the San Jose Sharks did not have a player wearing the “C” on their sweater, Joe Pavelski will assume the captaincy role entering the upcoming 2015-2016 NHL season.
#SJSharks name Joe Pavelski team captain. pic.twitter.com/BntYsuuA1J
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 5, 2015
Following a season without a captain under former head coach Todd McClellan, new head coach Pete DeBoer was the one to announce Pavelski’s captaincy on Monday. Last season, Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic all rotated wearing the alternate’s “A” on their sweater. DeBoer made it a priority of his to make sure that the Sharks did not fall into the same loop as last year without a “C” on someone’s sweater.
Pavelski, who is 31 years old, will be the 12th captain in San Jose Sharks’ history following in the footsteps of current teammates Thornton and Marleau. Pavelski will be the first American-born captain in the San Jose Sharks’ 25-year franchise history.
Past Sharks captains:
Doug Wilson 1991-93
Bob Errey 1993-95
Jeff Odgers 1995-96
Todd Gill 1996-98
Owen Nolan 1998-03
Vincent Damphousse 2003*
Mike Ricci 2003*
Alyn McCauley 2003*
Patrick Marleau 2004-09*
Rob Blake 2009-10
Joe Thornton 2010-2014
The Sharks’ captain from 2010 to 2013, Thornton, and Logan Couture will serve as the alternate captains for the Sharks in the upcoming season.
There is no one more deserving on the roster at the time than Pavelski to be captain.
Pavelski led the San Jose Sharks in goals (37) and points (70) in the 2014-2015 season. He is entering his 10th season with the Sharks this season and currently ranks second all-time in goals (228) and third all-time in points (485). Pavelski also ranks fourth in goals scored in the entire NHL over the past five seasons with 161 goals, while only Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, and Corey Perry have scored more.
Pavelski has six seasons in which he has posted at least 20 goals scored and scored a season-high 41 goals in the 2013-2014 season. He is entering just season two of a five-year contract, where he will remain under team control through the 2018-2019 season.
More from Golden Gate Sports
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
The San Jose Sharks have begun to embark in the “Joe Pavelski era” rather than it being Thornton and Marleau’s team. The window on the Thornton and Marleau-led team has closed and now it is Pavelski’s team to lead, and he has many young guns on the team to lead. The Sharks have seven players on the active roster entering the season that are age 25 or younger.
While most of the weight falls on new goalie Martin Jones, Pavelski has his work cut out for him this season as the leader of the franchise with the Sharks are coming off of a down year in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-2003 season.
Who would have thought that back in 2003 when the San Jose Sharks spent a seventh-round draft pick on Pavelski that he would become a captain of the team? That day will be Wednesday when the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings drop the puck to begin the 2015-2016 season.