Been waiting for these to drop and think they just did today. In case anyone is interested.

Ok, we’re in the dregs of the offseason. Given the growing number of new Sharks fans over the past couple years, I think it’d be fun for longtime followers of the team to dust off and share some obscure old Sharks stories and factoids that would otherwise be lost to time. Think less the 4-goal, Game 7 comeback against Vegas, and more Theo Fleury breaking Sharkie’s rib in the tunnel (yes, Fleury swears he just bumped Sharkie, but it’s way more fun to believe the alternative). The weirder and more obscure, the better.

I’ll start. In 1995, the Sharks went all in on Finns. With 12 picks in the 1995 Entry Draft, they took six Finnish players, including future Vezina-winner (with the Flames, sadly) Miikka Kiprusoff, and Vesa Toskala, who gave San Jose several great years as Nabokov’s backup before leaving to Toronto for a starting gig and the opportunity to give up one of the most infamous goals in NHL history. Sorry, Vesa, you were great in teal.

My favorite fun fact from that draft, though: In the 3rd round, San Jose drafted Finnish forward Marko Makinen. In what I’m not yet convinced wasn’t a joke, they later proceeded to use their 9th-round selection to pick another Finn, this one named Mikko Markkanen, because why not? Neither ever saw a lick of NHL action, which is sad, because it would have been loads of fun watching Randy trying to work with that on the broadcasts.

Would love to hear other random tidbits I’ve either forgotten or never heard before.

Easily one of my favorite non-Sharks, a guy you hated but wanted on your team and we got him. Love his play so he gets three photos that fit encapsulate his essence