Along the way, the team has hosted some
world class players with two going to the Hockey Hall of Fame and
more to come. The individual single season offensive records of the
team are pretty impressive for a team that didn’t compete during
the high-scoring 1980’s.
Jonathan Cheechoo – Most Goals
In 2005-06, Cheechoo scored 56 goals
for San Jose. It not only set a team record, it led the NHL, earning
Jonathan the Rocket Richard Trophy. Playing all 82 regular season
games for the Sharks that year, Cheechoo also assisted on 37 goals
for a total of 93 points, good for tenth spot in the race for the Art
Ross Trophy.
After just his first of three years in
the Ontario Hockey League with the Belleville Bulls, Cheechoo was
selected in the second round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by San Jose,
29th overall. In his final season with Belleville,
Jonathan placed fourth in the league with 45 goals.
It took until the 2002-03 NHL season
before Cheechoo saw his first action with the Sharks. He placed with
the club until 2008-09, scoring 165 goals and assisting on 126 for
291 points over 440 regular season games. In the Stanley Cup
playoffs, he played 58 more games, adding 35 points. Jonathan spent
the 2014-15 season in the KHL with Dynamo Minsk.
Joe Thornton – Most Assists
In 2006-07, his first full season with
the Sharks, Thornton led the league with 92 assists, eight more than
Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored 22 goals, as
well, for 114 points over 82 games. The season before, he assisted on
96 but 24 were with the Boston Bruins before being traded midseason
to the Sharks.
Destined for the Hockey Hall of Fame,
Thornton started his NHL career in Boston. After two stellar seasons
with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, he was the first
overall pick by the Bruins at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
Joe Thornton – Most Points
Joe’s 114 points in 2006-07 stand as
a team record. He was second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy that
year, six points behind Sidney Crosby. The previous year, his 125
points led the league, earning him the Art Ross. However, 33 points
were with the Bruins and just 92 were with the Sharks. He also earned
the Hart Trophy that year as the league’s MVP.
Thornton had one other 100+ point
season. In 2002-03 with Boston, he totalled 101. In his second year
of junior with the Greyhounds, Joe placed second in the race for the
Eddie Powers Trophy with 122 points, eight less than leader Marc
Savard of the Oshawa Generals. He also placed second with 81 assists,
six behind Savard.
Pat Falloon – Most Points Rookie
Falloon came into the National Hockey
League expected to be a superstar. After his first season with San
Jose in 1991-92, it looked like he might live up to the billing. His
59 points on 25 goals and 34 assists over 79 games in the franchise’s
inaugural season remain the most by a rookie.
Unfortunately, that was the best
offensive season put in during his NHL career. Pat played 575 regular
season games in the league between 1991-92 and 1999-00, scoring 143
goals and assisting on 179 for 322 points. In the playoffs, he
playing in 66 more games, adding just 18 points.
Pat was the second overall pick at the
1991 NHL Entry Draft by San Jose, behind just Eric Lindros who was
selected by the Quebec Nordiques. Therefore, he’s an important part
of San
Jose Sharks Trivia, being the first player ever drafted by the
club. Along with the Sharks, Falloon also played for the Philadelphia
Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sandis Ozolins – Most Points Defenseman
Ozolins totalled 64 points on 26 goals
and 38 assists over 81 games in 1993-94. It was his first full season
in the National Hockey League and he remained with the club until a
trade seven games into the 1995-96 season sent him to the Colorado
Avalanche. Sandis returned to the Sharks for 39 games in 2007-08.
Over his NHL career, Ozolins played 875
regular season games, scoring 167 and assisting on 397 for 564
points. Sandis played another 137 playoff games, adding 90 points. He
has been in the Russia based KHL since 2009-10. Ozolins has played
for Latvia at the Winter Olympics on three occasions, 2002, 2006 and
2014.
