Sharks by Number

Here is the fourth installment of Sharks By Numbers. Now into the 30's, where we finish up with the goaltenders and get a few surprises.

#31 - Antti Niemi

The rest: Wade Flaherty, Steve Shields, Nolan Schaefer

Another all-goalie number, #31 has been taken over by the current Sharks netminder, Antti Niemi. Niemi won the Stanley Cup with Chicago, and was rewarded by Chicago letting him go. The Sharks picked him up, and he has been one of the top goalies in the league over the past couple years.

#32 - Arturs Irbe

The rest: Kelly Hrudey, Alex Stalock, Murray Craven, Stephane Matteau, Miroslav Zalesak, Claude Lemieux

For the Sharks, #32 still belongs to Arturs Irbe. Irbe was "like wall" in the mid-90's for the Sharks, and backstopped the team in its shocking playoff upset of the Red Wings in 1994. Another notable #32 was Claude Lemieux, who made a brief comeback with the Sharks after a storied career.

#33 - Marty McSorley

The rest: Dale Craigwell, Marcus Ragnarsson, Brantt Myhres, Brian Boucher

The Sharks have been rather thin at #33 over the years, allowing Marty McSorley to hold onto the title. McSorley, who is most famous for being Wayne Gretzky's on-ice bodyguard, having an illegal stick in the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, and swinging his stick into Donald Brashear's head, spent two forgettable seasons with the Sharks.

#34 - Patrick Rissmiller

The rest: Michael Colman, Niklas Andersson, Daniel Winnik, Miikka Kiprusoff

Another number with little history for the Sharks, #34 belongs to Patrick Rissmiller, a checking line forward during the latter half of the 00's.

#35 - Evgeni Nabokov

The rest: Jarmo Myllys, Vesa Toskala

Our first repeat champion, Evgeni Nabokov wore #35 before switching to his now familiar #20. He switched to #20 to honor his mentor and idol, the great Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak.

#36 - Jeff Odgers

The rest: Todd Ewen, Steve Guolla, Dwight Helminen

The Shark most associated with #36 is the tough-nosed Jeff Odgers. Odgers was the captain of the Sharks in 1995-96, and is the franchise record holder for most penalty minutes, with just over 1000 PIM.

#37 - Stephane Matteau

 

The rest: Miikka Kiprusoff, Don Barber, Rob Gaudreau, Ville Peltonen, Curtis Brown, Grant Stevenson, Brad Lukowich, TJ Galiardi, Adam Burish

Stephane Matteau edges out Rob Gaudreau for the #37 crown. Matteau actually wore #32 for more games in teal than he did #37. Matteau was a 3rd/4th line guy for the turn of the millennium Sharks teams, and is most famous for scoring the overtime goal in Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals while with the Rangers. A notable #37 is Miikka Kiprusoff, who was a backup goalie for the Sharks when he was traded to the Flames, where he immediately became one of the best goalies in the league.

#38 - Michal Sykora

The rest: Pat MacLeod, Rob Davison, Bracken Kearns

Another woefully thin number, #38 belongs to Michal Sykora. Sykora was a borderline NHL defenseman for the Sharks during the mid-90's.

#39 - Jeff Friesen

The rest: Ed Courtenay, Tomas Plihal, Logan Couture

The 30's end with a couple of big stars for the Sharks. Jeff Friesen was one of the leaders and fan favorites of the late '90s Sharks teams. The first Sharks game I went to, Friesen scored a goal. As great as Friesen was, Logan Couture is making #39 his own. Couture is the young stud of the current Sharks team, and fans hope that he sticks around long enough to officially take over #39.

#40 - Mike Rathje

The rest: Mikhail Kravets, Mark Beaufait, Riley Armstrong, Kent Huskins

We end this time with another repeat, Mike Rathje. Rathje is second only to Marleau in games played in teal. Although we first saw him on this list at #2, he actually played the majority of his games wearing #40.

That's it for this edition of Sharks By Number. Tune in next time when we get into the 40's. Spoiler alert: there's going to be some guys you've probably never heard of.