Ever since its inception in 1991, NHL hockey has been a magical success in San Jose, California.
At the time the Sharks were created, the San Francisco Bay Area was on top of the sports world. The Oakland Athletics had just won three straight pennants, the second of which led to their sweep of their cross-bay rival Giants in the 1989 World Series.
The San Francisco 49ers had won two of the last three Super Bowls, while both the 49ers and Oakland Raiders were coming off Conference championship appearances. Run TMC was thrilling Golden State Warriors' fans.
Enter the San Jose Sharks—the first major professional sports franchise to test the waters of the South Bay. The idea was brilliant, but the beginning was rocky. Construction of HP Pavilion (called the San Jose Arena at the time) took two seasons, and the Sharks played at Cow Palace in Daly City, a suburb of San Francisco.
Those first two seasons were brutal. The Sharks went 28-129-7, including an NHL-record 71 losses in 1992-93. An offseason of roster overhaul ensued, but more importantly, the Sharks moved to their permanent home in San Jose.
Immediately, the Sharks cap ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Simon Cherin-Gordon
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June 5th, 2012 by Simon Cherin-Gordon Leave a reply »
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