Sharks’ Preseason Schedule

You know it’s hockey season again when Doc is back in the broadcast booth and NHL Network has stopped replaying last year’s playoff series.  When you can lean back on your couch and listen as the mic picks up skates cutting into ice and rubber caroming off plexiglass.  Music to a hockey fan’s ears.

image credit – Sharkspage.com Jon Swenson

Forget that this is only the preseason.  When fall rolls around and the puck drops, all bets are off.

The Sharks have a preseason schedule similar to last year’s.  They’ll take on the Coyotes, Ducks and Canucks two games each.  One home, one away.  Do preseason results mean anything?  Not really, but the games provide clubs with a chance to get their veterans and prospects out on the ice together in a game situation.  The preseason gets the cobwebs out of the players’ legs and pumps excitement back into the fans’ hearts.

During their training camp scrimmages at Sharks Ice in San Jose and more recently their Teal and White game at HP Pavilion (The Shark Tank), the Sharks have mixed their superstars with prospects in order to figure out which skaters have chemistry together and which young guys might have a shot at cracking the lineup.  This year’s preseason is especially important for the Sharks’ chemistry issues, as they have about 6 open spots in their lineup.  With the entire fourth line and third defense pairing still up in the air, look for coaches to jumble lines around, and for some relatively unfamiliar faces to take the ice for team teal.

The Sharks take on Anaheim in Anaheim at 7:00 PM Pacific on Wednesday, Sep. 21.  The Sharks don’t get a whole lot of love on NHL Network this preseason and baseball is still taking up CSN Bay Area and California so there’s not a whole lot of coverage for the games.

The Ducks then visit The Tank on Friday, Sep. 23 for the usual 7:30 PM start time.

After whetting their teeth on some duck feathers, the Sharks take on Phoenix Saturday, Sep 24 at 7:30 PM before heading up to Vancouver on Sunday, Sep. 25 for a 6:00 PM Pacific game.  The Vancouver game will be aired live on NHL Network.  I know it’s just preseason but I hope for Bieksa’s sake he doesn’t get a lot of ice time come this weekend.

The Sharks then have a few days off before hosting the Canucks on Thursday, Sep. 29 at 7:30 PM Pacific.  Look for this live broadcast on NHL Network as well.

Black and Teal finish up their preseason back at home on October 1 vs. the Coyotes.  Look for this game and the Sep. 29 game against Vancouver on 98.5/102.1 FM in the Bay Area and other stations on the Sharks Radio Network elsewhere.

If you do manage to catch one of the preseason games, one name to look for is Brodie Reid, who has been consistently lighting the lamp during the Sharks’ scrimmages.

For more information on some of the Sharks training camp players, check out JD’s training camp notes.  Day 1 and 3.

Regular season opens in San Jose October 8 against the Coyotes.

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