The National Hockey League's Sun Belt cities have been unfairly painted with a one size fits all brush by some pundits. The San Jose Sharks continue have defied southern expansion stereotypes and remain a club with a dedicated fan based despite a series of seasons in hockey purgatory. Sharks fans that have turned up at the team's home games have had the opportunity to root for the likes of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Owen Nolan.
San Jose Sharks Stadium
After a brief initial stay at the Cow Palace, the Sharks got settled into their San Jose home and have never left. The SAP Center's only seen glimpses of the later rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the building has still enjoyed its share of memorable moments. The most special? That depends on who you ask, although we're confident Shark fans hold Ray Whitney's 1995 double overtime Game 7 winner versus the Flames close to their hearts.
Attendance remains strong in San Jose even with the club in a relative tailspin over the past few years. Last year, fans packed the Shark Tank to 109.2% capacity to watch their hockey heroes hit the ice to the sounds of Metallica's "Search and Destroy." Did the massive fan presence give the Sharks an edge in 2014-15? Nope. The club managed to have two more wins on the road than at home in a playoff-free season. The upside? Fans still had the opportunity to make the "Chomp" gesture during every Sharks power play.
Arena Vitals
Date Opened: 1993
Construction Cost: $162.5 Million
Architect: Sink Combs Dethlefs, Prodis Associates
Capacity Attendance: 17,562
Has A Stanley Cup Final Been Played There: No
Previous San Jose Sharks Arenas
Cow Palace
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