A Tale of Bay
Area Hockey
How One Player Forever Changed the San
Jose Sharks
Ever
wonder what it’s like to carry a team and a city on your back? And to be
thought of as a curse to the people you’re trying to please? Patrick Marleau
knows exactly how that feels.
In
the past, hockey has been overshadowed by other more American sports like
football and baseball. But that is starting to change. The San Jose Sharks and
other teams like them are transforming the status of the National Hockey
League. In the Bay Area of California, hockey is on the rise. And the Sharks
can thank one man: Patrick Marleau.
This
article is about the rollercoaster ride of the San Jose Sharks franchise, and
how one man shaped the team’s identity. Marleau’s presence has propelled the
Sharks’ popularity and success, but he is also at the center of the most
controversial disagreements among Sharks fans. I will explain how the Sharks
were born and the era of Patrick Marleau, how he and the team have thrived
through periods of condemnation, and how they have emerged from judgment and
are blazing a new path to make a name for themselves in the hockey world.
A New Era -
Starting From the Ice Up
The
San Jose Sharks began their franchise in 1991, playing in the Cow Palace. At
the time, the Cow Palace was more known for the rodeos it housed than the
hockey team playing there. The team started out as a joke, going 17-63 in its
first season -- the worst record in the NHL. But no matter how rough the city
was and how badly the team played, the people of San Jose immediately became
loyal to the sport and the team. The Cow Palace was sold out every night and
merchandise sales were the highest in the league (Sports Illustrated). The next
few years had some ups and downs. They made the playoffs and surprised everyone
with an upset win, but couldn’t keep that momentum up. The year of 1997 was the
year everything changed. The Sharks drafted Patrick Marleau as the 2nd overall
pick. He was 18 years old and still a kid, but people thought he was the next
big thing. He had his good and bad moments like any 18 year old who had the
pressure of a new team on his back. Marleau came under intense scrutiny as soon
as he was drafted, but he improved his numbers every season. He was named
captain of the team in 2003, a huge honor in hockey. The fans loved him because
he was humble, kind, and led by his actions (San Francisco Chronicle). But he
was never consistent enough to please the fans. People kept asking: is Marleau
a future superstar or a too-young burnout? People thought he could be a real
turning point in the Sharks’ unpredictability, but every year fans were
disappointed (The Hockey Writers).
Judgment and
Condemnation
Despite
Marleau’s work ethic and leading the team to playoff appearances in his first 5
seasons, people were never completely happy with him. While the team stuck
behind Marleau, fans were quick to throw him to the dogs. Yes they loved him as
a person, but he wasn’t producing what the fans thought the team needed. The
Sharks never made it past the third round of the playoffs. So, in 2010, they
demoted him and took away his captaincy. Rumors spread that he was soon to be
traded and these rumors swept the news for years. Every season people were more
certain that they knew what was best for the team. Unfortunately for Marleau,
what people thought was best was to not have him around (Kawakami, 2012). He
wasn’t what the Sharks needed to win the championship. His nickname changed
from “Hat Trick Patrick” to “Pointless Patrick” in one season (Purdy, 2011). Still,
the Sharks coaching staff kept him around. Through all of this, Marleau kept
his head down and powered through, playing his heart out every night. But this
constant fear around the trade deadline divided the fans. There were those that
thought he was a curse on the team, while others couldn’t imagine the Sharks being
the same without him. Most Sharks fans were as loyal as they could be, but
everyone questioned what the general manager was thinking. These issues plagued
the Sharks, and the entire league even questioned the Sharks’ future. The fans
were subject to embarrassing criticism from other fans around the country when
the Sharks made the playoffs every year and then choked. Their leaders almost
completely stopped producing goals or making any impact. The Sharks fell apart
at the end of each season and no one knew why, so they blamed Marleau. But it
all changed in 2015 (Purdy, 2015).
The Future of
the Sharks
In
2015, Joe Pavelski, a new face in hockey, was named captain of the Sharks and
rumors about Marleau being a plague on the team ceased. The controversy
surrounding Marleau in 2010 dissolved and a new age of the Sharks surfaced.
With the addition of Joe Thornton -- the 1997 1st overall draft pick
coincidentally -- the Sharks continued to improve. With minor setbacks, today they
have crafted a newer, younger team. A new coach this 2016 season did the
impossible and led them to the Stanley Cup finals. They have overcome adversity
and harsh condemnation from teams and fans throughout the NHL (New York Times).
By making the decision to remove Marleau from high-pressure leadership
positions, they have allowed him to lead through experience, letting the
younger generation take over (Purdy, 2010). The Sharks are still yet to win the
Stanley Cup, but they have tremendous potential. They continue to surprise (and
disappoint) San Jose fans, but the cheering has not quieted. The years of doubt
surrounding Marleau made the Sharks and their fans stronger. It hasn’t been
forgotten, but people have moved on and the Sharks have proven they’re more
than just one player. Every year the Shark Tank comes back louder than before,
and the sold out stadium continues to believe that this could be the year they
win it all. They know how to fail. Now they need to learn how to win.
Citations
Bensch,
Andrew. "No Reason to Panic on Patrick Marleau." The Hockey
Writers. N.p., 01 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
http://thehockeywriters.com/no-reason-to-panic-on-patrick-marleau/
Cooper,
Tony. "It's Taking Patrick Marleau a While to Adjust to the NHL, but the
Sharks Feel They've Landed a Big One." San Francisco Chronicle.
N.p., 4 Jan. 1999. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
Kawakami,
Tim. "It’s Time for San Jose Sharks to Part Ways with Patrick Marleau."
Mercury News [Oakland] 23 Apr. 2012: n. page. http://www.mercurynews.com/2012/04/23/kawakami-its-time-for-san-jose-sharks-to-part-ways-with-patrick-marleau/
Pollak, David.
"Penguins Finish Off Sharks to Win Stanley Cup." New York Times.
N.p., 12 June 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/13/sports/hockey/pittsburgh-penguins-finish-off-san-jose-sharks-to-win-stanley-cup.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FSan%20Jose%20Sharks&action=click&contentCollection=hockey®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection&_r=0.
Purdy,
Mark. "Mark Purdy: San Jose Sharks Need More Soon from Pointless Patrick Marleau."
The Mercury News. N.p., 07 May 2011. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2011/05/07/mark-purdy-san-jose-sharks-need-more-soon-from-pointless-patrick-marleau/
Purdy,
Mark. "Purdy: Why Patrick Marleau Will Remain in Sharks' Teal for Awhile
Yet." The Mercury News. N.p., 12 Nov. 2015. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2015/11/12/purdy-why-patrick-marleau-will-remain-in-sharks-teal-for-a-while-yet/
Purdy,
Mark. "Mighty Marleau Silences the Doubters." Oakland Tribune
08 May 2010: n. http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_15048798
Prewitt, Alex.
"Sharks Tales: First Season Was Classic Exercise in Futility." Sports
Illustrated. N.p., 06 June 2016. http://www.si.com/nhl/2016/06/06/san-jose-sharks-original-team.
Wow Tierny!!! that is an excellent "draft." I like how you start your paper with questions. It really helps get the readers attention. I also liked how you used the short sentences in the beginning paragraphs, which made it easier to understand what you were trying to convey. Finally, I am really not a sports fan and don't know of any famous players, but your paper was really entertaining and not only helped me learn about Patrick Marleau as a hockey player but also everything he endured during the process of becoming the star he is.
ReplyDeleteMy only previous knowledge of hockey comes from the movies The Mighty Ducks, so it was interesting to read your deep dive into one specific team. I really felt how passionate you and the people of San Jose are about the Sharks. I thought your information was good and your introduction really drew me in. My only suggestion would be to break up your paragraphs in your three sections more because I just found it a little hard to read but I enjoyed the content. I am excited to read it again once you add the finishing touches!
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank you completing so much on your draft. You almost finished it! I think the whole paper has a very nice flow, starting from attracting readers by a bunch of questions. After the introduction of Patrick Marleau, you talked about his problems and discussed about the future of the Sharks. Those up and downs made me very focused when reading them. I think the overall quality is decent already. Probably one problem I found was your focus. I was a little bit confused was it Patrick you wanted to focus on or was it the Sharks that you wanted to talk about. I mean through your paragraphs, I can clearly see Patrick and Sharks are strongly connected but still it's better to focus one of those two. Hope that helps! Well Done!
ReplyDeleteSorry this comment is late. I enjoyed the way you started the blog, especially the intro because it does a great job making the reader curious. As you were talking about in class, there does seem to be a stray in the focus of the blog. You begin talking about one player and then talk about the team. I think you can do that if you maybe talk about Patrick again in the end and tie his experience to that of the team as a whole. Otherwise, I enjoyed the tone in your blog and look forward to reading the final draft!
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