San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau tied hockey legend Gordie Howe's NHL-record mark of 1,767 regular-season games played when he took the ice against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday evening.

The two-time Olympic gold medal winner spoke about the impending honor two days beforehand, per ESPN News Services: "Just first and foremost is loving the game and I just love being out there and playing. Obviously, every kid's dream is to hoist that Stanley Cup, so I've been chasing it all this time and that goal hasn't changed for me, since you know what the Stanley Cup's about."

Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier owns the record for most NHL games played including playoffs with 1,992. Marleau is second on that list with 1,962.

The Sharks have 12 more regular-season games left, so Marleau could inch a little closer to Messier. However, it's unlikely that Marleau could eclipse the total-game mark this year with the sixth-place Sharks currently on the outside looking into the playoff picture.

Marleau would also have to play in all remaining regular-season games plus 18 playoff contests to get it done.

However, the 41-year-old hasn't hinted at ending his illustrious career, which has seen him score 566 career goals and post 630 assists since entering the league in 1997. He could conceivably come back for at least one more season, break Messier's record and perhaps surpass 2,000 total games played too.

"I still love playing, I still love the competition," Marleau said upon signing a one-year contract with the Sharks in October, per NHL.com.

"[I'm] still going after my dream of winning the Stanley Cup and, yeah, [I'm] still able to get out there and play and have fun. I think that's the thing that keeps me going."

He's also one of the more durable players in NHL history, as ESPN News Services explained.

"But it is his supreme skating skill and dependability that has allowed him to play 896 consecutive games since last missing a contest when he was 29 that will be his legacy. He has played through the flu, various other bumps and bruises and even chartered a plane to join his teammates in Nashville for a game in 2009 after the birth of one of his sons."

Marleau, who was the second overall pick in the 1997 NHL draft, has now played in San Jose for 21 seasons.

The San Jose Sharks announced Saturday that their first two home games of the 2020-21 season will be played at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, because of COVID-19 restrictions in California.

It was noted in the announcement that the Feb. 1 and Feb. 3 Sharks home games against the Vegas Golden Knights will be the ones moved to Arizona.

That decision is a result of the ban on contact sports in Santa Clara County, California, which also forced the NFL's San Francisco 49ers to play the final three home games of their 2020 season in Arizona.

Sharks President Jonathan Becher released the following statement as part of the announcement:

"We feel that we have put significant precautions in place, including daily COVID-19 testing of the athletes and support staff, to allow for us to safely return to play games at SAP Center, while not exposing the community to any additional health risk. In our discussions with County officials over the past several months, we have shared our detailed return-to-play plans and are hopeful that we can find practical solutions to this difficult situation very soon."

In hopes of the Sharks being permitted to play in California by the start of February, the NHL scheduled each of their first eight games on the road.

San Jose is off to a 2-3 start through five games, which leaves it in a tie with the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks for last place in the West Division.

Before playing two home games in Arizona, the Sharks will face the Minnesota Wild on Sunday and the Colorado Avalanche next Tuesday and Thursday.

After Feb. 1 and 3, the Sharks' next home games are scheduled for Feb. 13 and 15 against the Ducks. The organization noted that an announcement regarding where those games will be played will be made at a later date.

San Jose Sharks left winger Evander Kane has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, according to The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan.

Kane said in his filing he has liabilities totaling $26.8 million and assets of $10.2 million. The move comes four days after Centennial Bank filed an $8.3 million lawsuit against Kane and the Sharks over outstanding debt.

Per Kaplan, Kane said his monthly income amounts to minus-$91,131.13. He said he lost $1.5 million over the past month while gambling and has seven dependents who currently live with him.

CapFriendly estimates Kane's career earnings from the NHL at just under $53 million. He signed a seven-year, $49 million deal with the Sharks in May 2018, which puts his salary at $7 million in a traditional 82-game season.

In his bankruptcy filing, the 29-year-old noted his 2020-21 salary will be lessened amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHL is staging a 56-game season, and the New York Post's Larry Brooks reported in November the league was looking for players to defer 13 percent of their salary after having agreed to a 10 percent deferral.

The San Jose Sharks have named Bob Boughner as their permanent head coach after he finished the 2019-20 season in an interim role.

Boughner took over for Peter DeBoer last December and led the team to a 14-20-3 record after the squad posted a 15-16-2 mark under DeBoer.

"Bob did a tremendous job last season, getting our group back to playing with an identity and structure that we need in order to be successful," general manager Doug Wilson said. "We saw a marked improvement in our play in several key areas during the second half of the season, before losing some key players to injury."

Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture were among those who missed significant time because of injury.

The Sharks finished last in the Pacific Division with 63 points in 70 games, the third-fewest in the NHL, but there is still upside on a roster led by Timo Meier and top veterans like Evander Kane and Brent Burns.

Boughner will hope to get the most out of the squad while drawing on his extensive experience in the NHL.

The 49-year-old played 10 seasons in the league as a defenseman, appearing for six different organizations. He then began his coaching career with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, spending eight years as the head coach. He also served as an assistant with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010-11 and the Sharks from 2015 to 2017.

He then spent two years as head coach of the Florida Panthers, producing an 80-62-22 record and failing to reach the playoffs in either season. He returned to San Jose as an assistant in May 2019.

As the Sharks head coach, he'll look to turn the team back into a contender in the Western Conference.

Rocky Thompson will work as the associate coach while three-time Stanley Cup champion John Madden will be an assistant coach.

The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to forgo playing Game 5 of their scheduled first-round playoff matchup against the Orlando Magic amid ongoing protests against social injustice and systemic racism Wednesday set forth a chain of events that reverberated throughout the American professional sports landscape. That included the postponement of other NBA playoff games and WNBA contests, an on-court WNBA protest and the calling off of some MLS and MLB games.

The NHL, which held its entire three-game slate late Wednesday, has received backlash for a perceived lack of action on that front after police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, seven times in the back Sunday.

The San Jose Sharks' Evander Kane spoke up Wednesday:

The NHL produced a pregame statement Wednesday that put forth a call to end racism and to "wish Jacob Blake and his family well," per Shayna Goldman of The Athletic:

Kane had previously spoken with David Amber of Sportsnet to discuss what the NHL could do to support efforts to end systemic racism:

Earlier Wednesday, Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba offered his thoughts on the NHL's response to Sportsnet 650:

"I know what's going to happen, and I don't think much is going to happen from that standpoint. But it's just back to it, I don't know, the NHL we're always late to the party, especially on these topics, so it's sorta sad and disheartening for me and other members of the [Hockey Diversity Alliance], and I'm sure other guys across the league.

"But if no one stands up and does anything, it's the same thing—it's just that silence that you're just outside looking in on actually being leaders and invoking real change when you have such an opportunity to do so."

Elsewhere, ex-NHL goalie and current Sportsnet analyst Kelly Hrudey said he felt games should not be played Wednesday:

ESPN's Emily Kaplan also expressed her disappointment:

Two NHL playoff games are scheduled to take place Thursday, beginning with the Philadelphia Flyers' matchup against the New York Islanders at 7 p.m. ET.

San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture said he was "sucker-punched" in Toronto on Tuesday night after discussing the Republican Party and President Donald Trump.

Couture went on to say he can't even vote for Trump in the upcoming U.S. presidential election because he's a Canadian citizen and that he was only discussing his vote in a hypothetical sense.

Couture and his teammates are in the middle of their offseason after the Sharks failed to qualify for the NHL's modified playoff tournament. San Jose's 63 points were the fewest in the Western Conference.

Trump recently expressed his support for the NHL as it opened the postseason. He contrasted the league with the NBA, which has made social justice a focal point of its restart.

The president criticized NBA players for kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest against systemic racism and police brutality in the United States. However, a handful of NHL players have since adopted the protest as well.

Couture didn't provide additional specifics about the alleged assault.

Before the NHL went on hiatus in March, before various players tested positive for the coronavirus and before social distancing had become ingrained in societal behavior, Santa Clara County in California recommended against large gatherings being held because of COVID-19.

The San Jose Sharks, who are based in the area, did not follow that March 5 recommendation and instead hosted three home games at the SAP Center. Now, nearly a month later, Sharks president Jonathan Becher is defending that decision, saying he made the "best decision we could with the information we had at the time," per the Associated Press (h/t USA Today).

On March 12, the NHL officially suspended the 2019-20 season because of the virus. Later that day, the Sharks announced a part-time employee at the SAP Center who had last worked before the March 5 recommendation had tested positive for the coronavirus.

The same county recommendation also called for enhanced cleaning precautions should large gatherings continue. The Sharks adhered to that instruction.

"Early March felt a lot different than we are today," Becher said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency March 4. As cases continued to escalate, he took a more stringent stance, leading to a mandatory stay-home order March 19.

According to a CNN tally, there have been 6,932 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California as of Tuesday night with 150 dead. Nationwide, there have been 185,499 cases and 3,834 deaths.

The NHL is not immune from those statistics, either. Two unnamed Ottawa Senators have tested positive as well as two players on the Colorado Avalanche.

On Tuesday, the NHL extended its self-quarantine policy for league players and personnel through April 15 as it continues to work through contingency plans. There has been no deadline placed or timeline given for when the league will return.

The San Jose Sharks have announced a part-time employee at SAP Center has tested positive for the coronavirus. 

The team released the following statement: 

"Late yesterday, Sharks Sports & Entertainment (SSE) received notification that a part-time employee at SAP Center at San Jose has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. This person is under self-quarantine and receiving care from medical professionals. ... In coordination with the public health department, SSE Management is following the health authority's determination that risk to the public from that exposure is low and that no additional precautions are necessary. SSE will continue to monitor the situation."

The Sharks said the employee last worked at SAP Center on March 3, when San Jose hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

The game occurred two days before the County of Santa Clara put a moratorium on public gatherings of more than 1,000 people. On March 12, the National Hockey League announced it would "pause" its season amid the pandemic.

"The NHL has been attempting to follow the mandates of health experts and local authorities, while preparing for any possible developments without taking premature or unnecessary measures," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "However, following last night's news that an NBA player has tested positive for coronavirus -- and given that our leagues share so many facilities and locker rooms and it now seems likely that some member of the NHL community would test positive at some point -- it is no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time."

Bettman said NHL play will resume when it is "appropriate and prudent."

Worldwide, COVID-19 has infected more 125,000—including 1,272 confirmed cases in the United States—according to CNN's latest tally.  

The status of future San Jose Sharks home games at SAP Center is in question after Santa Clara County implemented a mandatory ban of gatherings at events with more than 1,000 people because of concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.

Maggie Angst of the Mercury News reported the news, noting Santa Clara County Counsel James Williams announced the ban during a Monday press conference after the first coronavirus-related death in the county.

Per the Associated Press, there is also uncertainty surrounding NCAA women's basketball tournament games being held at Stanford and one MLS game.

The ban will go in place at midnight on Wednesday and last for three weeks, with sheriffs and police enforcing the restrictions.

The Sharks released the following statement:

"SAP Center at San Jose is aware of the County of Santa Clara's Public Health Department order to prohibit public and private mass gatherings through the end of March. We will adhere to the mandated guidelines. No events are scheduled at SAP Center until Tues., March 17. We will be reviewing each scheduled event due to take place for the rest of the month and provide an update in the coming days. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our fans, guests and partners during this unprecedented time."

The Sharks have some time to develop a plan because the team starts a four-game road trip Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

They have just three remaining home games in March against the Montreal Canadiens on the 19th, Boston Bruins on the 21st and Arizona Coyotes on the 29th.

Concerns about the coronavirus have directly impacted the hockey world in a number of ways. The National Hockey League joined Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the National Basketball Association in issuing a joint statement revealing it would limit access to locker rooms to just players and essential personnel:

The International Ice Hockey Federation canceled the Women's World Championship in Canada, and Greg Wyshynski of ESPN noted the Swiss National League finished its regular season in empty arenas. The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association also postponed a tour of Japan.

According to CNN, the coronavirus has infected more than 108,000 people and led to the deaths of more than 3,800.

The San Jose Sharks will hold Thursday's game against the Minnesota Wild at SAP Center despite health officials calling for the cancelation of games due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

According to Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today, Santa Clara County (California) health officials held a press conference Thursday urging sports games and other large gatherings of people to be canceled as worries about the virus continue to spread.

However, Sharks Sports and Entertainment said the game "will go on as scheduled" despite the recommendations. The Sharks also said they will "continue to actively monitor the situation."

Reyes noted there have been 20 confirmed coronavirus cases in Santa Clara County.

"This would include Sharks games, yes," Santa Clara County Emergency Operations Center Director James Williams said when explaining the events that should be canceled or postponed, per Thy Vo of The Mercury News. "It's not just a question of Sharks games. There are many organizations that host large gatherings…we have an obligation to make this apply to everyone."

The Sharks are also scheduled to host home games against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Following those two contests, San Jose heads on a four-game road trip and does not return home until March 19.

Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.com noted the Swiss National League has played games in front of empty stadiums because of coronavirus, while the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association postponed a tour in Japan.

"We're aware of and focused on all possibilities," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said when talking about the possibility of postponing the Stanley Cup playoffs. "But at this point it would be premature to pick any one of the possibilities, especially because it may or may not become necessary in North America."

According to CNN, the coronavirus has spread to more than 70 countries and territories and has led to the deaths of 3,200 people.