Sharks Quarter Century Team Released; Here’s How I Voted

The NHL has released the San Jose Sharks Quarter Century Team, and I was chosen to participate in the voting process.

The voting instructions were clear: vote for six forwards, four defensemen, and two goalies. Voters were told to rank each player in the order so the breakdown could be made into first and second teams.

Here is my vote in order:

First team

Joe Thornton-Patrick Marleau-Joe Pavelski

Marc-Edouard Vlasic-Brent Burns

Evgeni Nabokov

The first team was straightforward. The six players listed are the clear and obvious best players to play for the San Jose Sharks from Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2024.

Thornton, Marleau, and Pavelski are the top three in points scored for the Sharks, not just in the 21st century but in all-time Sharks history. Thornton and Marleau were the first two players in franchise history to have their numbers retired, and Pavelski has a chance to be the third.

For the defenseman, Vlasic was often seen as one of the best shut-down defensemen in the entire NHL. He was a stalwart on the Sharks blue line every season. Burns enjoyed the best seasons of his career in San Jose. The bearded forward-turned-defenseman won the Norris Trophy in 2017 and was well-loved by the fan base.

Nabokov is the obvious choice. He won a Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year and is the all-time leader in wins (297), saves (13,463), and games played as a goalie (563).

Second team

Logan Couture-Tomas Hertl-Jonathan Cheechoo

Erik Karlsson-Dan Boyle

Antti Niemi

The beginning of the second team is reasonably easy to pick, but there is some debate on who the final forward could be and certainly debate who the second goalie could be.

Couture and Hertl were both leaders of the franchise during the 21st century. Couture’s second-place finish in Calder voting and consistent elite playoff form made him a perfect write-in. Hertl was a fan favorite who gave his all and produced iconic moment after iconic moment. Whether it was his between-the-legs goal against the New York Rangers or his game-six shorthanded double overtime-winning goal against the Vegas Golden Knights, Hertl always said: “Fun must be always.”

Owen Nolan won the vote but I chose Cheechoo as the final forward because of his iconic 05-06 season, during which he scored 56 goals and won the Rocket Richard Trophy. He’s the franchise leader in hat tricks, with nine, and is a memorable name to the fan base.

While some fans may disagree that Erik Karlsson deserves to be on the list, to me, he’s the third-best defenseman behind Vlasic and Burns. He became just the fourth defenseman in NHL history to score 100 points. Like Burns, he won a Norris Trophy and is an NHL superstar, having had his best offensive season in Teal.

Picking the fourth defenseman was tough, but I ultimately chose Boyle due to his consistent production and overall sound play. While players like Brad Stuart or Scott Hannan are memorable to the fan base, Boyle’s offensive play put him ahead of those two, at least for me. In the 21st century, Boyle had the third most points of any defenseman (269).

Antti Niemi didn’t get the love I felt he deserved during his time with the San Jose Sharks. Niemi played the third most games in the 21st century (296) and had 163 wins. That’s just seven wins behind Martin Jones, who appeared in 31 more games (327). Niemi finished third in Vezina voting during the 13-14 season after leading the league in wins (24) in just 43 games. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in save percentage at .917.

Jones got San Jose to the Stanley Cup Final, but Niemi provided a more consistent play during one of the best times to be a Sharks player. This was my most challenging decision.

Stay updated with the most interesting San Jose Sharks stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Make sure you bookmark THN’s San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

Macklin Celebrini Forced To Wear Will Smith’s BC Jersey After Losing Friendly Wager

REPORT: Friedman Wonders If Maple Leafs Will Look To Sharks’ Luke Kunin As Trade Target

‘That’s Something I Think Any Team Loves To See’: Sidney Crosby Shares Thoughts & Experiences With Macklin Celebrini