Shark Fans circle for next season after Edmonton ousting
Fans have already begun counting the days until October and more
postseason hopes as the Sharks exited the playoff after losing four
straight to the Edmonton Oilers.
From minnows to feared goalie-eaters in the span of a decade,
the Sharks have solidified a fan base hungry for hockey
– and the school’s growing bigger and smarter.
Shark Fans circle for next season after Edmonton ousting
Fans have already begun counting the days until October and more postseason hopes as the Sharks exited the playoff after losing four straight to the Edmonton Oilers.
From minnows to feared goalie-eaters in the span of a decade, the Sharks have solidified a fan base hungry for hockey – and the school’s growing bigger and smarter.
Two local Sharks fans have done their best to convert other locals into finheads – starting with their families, friends and neighbors.
Tom Corsick of Gilroy showed his playoff spirit by mounting a homemade Sharks sign in front of his Church Avenue apartment. Corsick, a fan since the Sharks moved from the Cow Palace to San Jose in 1994, made the sign out of scrap material when he was working construction.
During last Friday’s loss to the Oilers in Edmonton, Corsick wore his airbrushed Sharks T-shirt and, like he always does, tapped the sign for good luck before the game.
“This morning, while I was in the shower, I was already taunting Pronger: ‘PROOONGEERRR, PROOONGEEERRRR, PROOOONGEERRRR,'” said Corsick, giving an example of his taunt of Edmonton’s reviled right-wing defenseman Chris Pronger.
“So that’s what you were saying,” said his sister-in-law, Linda Bridges, one of many Shark’s fans in Corsick’s family.
Suddenly Corsick and his father-in-law explode as the Sharks’ Jonathan Cheechoo fed Joe Thornton the puck at 7:47 for the first goal of Friday’s game.
After re-entry, Corsick gives some thoughts about this season’s Sharks.
“I give credit a lot to the young players – McLaren, Gautch, Cheechoo, Marleaux,” Corsick said. Still, he admits that his playoff beard is inspired, in part, by Joe Thornton’s beard – that and the fact he ran out of razors during the playoffs.
“The Sharks have been the best road team,” continued Corsick.
“The Sharks are hungry,” added his father in law, who goes by the nickname “Wolf.” Wolf watched the Sharks play the Calgary Flames three years ago and was instantly hooked. “We were in ninth place [earlier this season] and I could tell they were hungry – then BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.”
The Sharks were 12-for-15 during April, landing them the fifth seeding going into their best-of-seven, first-round-playoff match with the Edmonton Oilers.
Gary and Linda Cooper of San Martin were forced to watch Friday’s 6-3 loss from Box Seat Sports Grill after the color in their television went out.
“We are debating whether to go to Goodguys and say ‘if you can get have a big screen delivered by the game on Sunday we’ll take it,'” said Gary.
The only ones clad in teal (and yes they wear the jerseys while watching games from home), the coopers reacted to every play with exhilaration and dismay as the Sharks gained and lost the advantage. Being partial season ticket holders, the Coopers usually attend 13-14 games a season, bringing relatives and friends with them.
“We’ve got a few converts,” said Gary. “They all used to tease us about hockey and now they watch it on TV.”
They were eligible to buy playoff and Stanley Cup tickets but declined because of the expense of a recent kitchen remodel. Now the same friends and relatives who teased the Coopers are making a big fuss because of the missed opportunity for playoff tickets.
Just as the Sharks’ faithful spread the good news of consecutive post-season appearances, they have also boned-up on there knowledge of hockey.
Cooper, who listens to radio shows about the NHL, has heard many comments lately that as the Sharks hockey team has become more established; its fans have become better educated and well versed in hockey.
Pinnacle Sports Editor John Bagley – who hails from Boston, the home of Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and the multiple Stanley Cup winning Bruins – has confirmed that the buzz is that San Jose has transformed itself into a bonafide hockey town with hockey fans who know their stuff.
“Nobody knew anything about the game but they all had their teal Sharks shirts on and were yelling and screaming,” wrote Bagley about his experience at the Cow Palace back in 1991.
The only thing that has changed about the fans seems to be their numbers and knowledge of the game as they try there best to yell and scream their way to the ’07 Stanley Cup.
