Tickets to the San Jose Sharks

San Jose "Blades?" That could have been the nickname of the San Jose Sharks. In 1990, franchise owners held a contest to name the team and the winning submission was "Blades." Despite the connection to hockey (skate blades), team owners worried that the nickname was too violent (knife blades). Therefore the franchise went with the second-place finisher, "Sharks." The team began play in 1991 and finished their inaugural season with 58 losses. Their second year was worse. They lost 71 games and finished with 24 points. Amazingly, the team rebounded in 1993-1994 to win 33 games—22 more wins than the year before. The Sharks qualified for the playoffs for the first time ever and defeated the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round. In the second round, they fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games.

The franchise's third season was also their first season in the SAP Center at San Jose (formerly known as the HP Pavilion) and also known as "The Shark Tank". The team still sells San Jose Sharks tickets to that venue. The team plays in the Western Conference's Pacific Division along with the Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, and Phoenix Coyotes. Some of the Sharks best players over the years include Joe Thornton (Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophy winner in 2005-2006), Patrick Marleau, Owen Nolan, and Evgeni Nabokov.

From 2001 through 2010 (nine seasons), the Sharks finished first or second in the Pacific Division every year but one (2003). Despite all the regular season success, the Sharks have yet to win a Stanley Cup or even reach the finals. They have reached the Western Conference finals twice, 2004 and 2010, but lost both times. In 2004, the Sharks were ousted by the Calgary Flames in six games. In 2010, the Sharks were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champions Chicago Blackhawks. The Sharks won the President's Trophy for the 2008-2009 season, after winning 53 games and tallying 117 points. However, they were knocked out of the playoffs by the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks. After the defeat, critics once again chided the team for failing to turn regular season success into postseason victories.