Jamison Steps Down, Leaves Lasting Memories

The biggest story of the week does not belong to the new monster goaltender the Sharks signed (Antti Niemi), but to the man who currently helped build the monster of a team, that is the current San Jose Sharks.

Greg Jamison resigned this week as team president and CEO of the San Jose Sharks, ending his 13 year tenure. He will finish out the month and be replaced at the beginning of October. He will continue to be a minority owner and the Sharks Governor to the NHL.

I can sit here and give the facts that the Sharks were 530-377-155 under his tenure. And I can tell you that San Jose made it to the playoffs in 11 of his 13 seasons as the president, including two conference finals. But Jamison was a lot more than just the CEO and President.

He was the man behind many of the operations and ventures that we as Sharks fans should be thankful and appreciative of. Jamison led the effort to keep the Sharks in San Jose. He also was instrumental in helping the Sharks build the HP Pavilion, one of the best venues not only in hockey, but in the entertainment industry.

Most importantly Jamison brought aboard Doug Wilson. We know how Wilson has helped the Sharks. He brought in Joe Thornton via trade when it seemed as though the Sharks were heading toward the hockey abyss. Without that trade, the Sharks might not have been in the playoffs every season for the past five years that Thornton has been wearing teal. He decided to keep Patrick Marleau and sign veterans like Mike Grier, Rob Blake, and Manny Malhotra who were instrumental in keeping the Sharks afloat. He also traded for the heart of the Sharks defense when he acquired Dan Boyle.

None of those moves would have been possible if not for Jamison. So I salute Greg for his dedication, hard work, and most importantly his love for the Sharks. Whoever takes his place will have some big shoes to fill. However, Jamison didn’t rule out a return in the near future. Let’s see how quickly he gets the itch to come back. I know that Sharks fans would not bat an eyelash if he wanted to return. I surely wouldn’t.