For an organization that doesn't have any trouble drawing at the gate, the addition of pre-game events certainly isn't on the front page of the Sharks to-do list. A few times throughout the year the Sharks will have special events outside of HP Pavilion, but for the most part they let the team's play serve as the focal point of entertainment during their 41 home games.

In general, Fan Appreciation night is held on the last regular season game at HP Pavilion, where an assorted number of items are given away to the first 18,000 fans to enter the buildings. Hats are a popular giveaway at these types of events, but other teams have done things such as shirts, pucks, and posters. It's a good way for the organization to give back to fans and show their appreciation for the extraordinary amount of money they spend on the team via apparel, tickets, and concessions.

However, their lies a great opportunity for the Sharks this season to connect with all of us on a different level. A big part of the reason why we love the team is not just because of the great sport that is hockey, but because of the personalities and emotional connection we feel to the players. When Scott Nichol has a great shift throwing around the body we identify with his blue collar work ethic, and when Niclas Wallin explains that his wife thinks his mustache makes him "look like a porn star" we laugh because it's just plain funny.

In order to capitalize on that, here are a couple suggestions for Sharks Fan Appreciation Night this season. Set up an all-day event before the game (or on an off-day so the players aren't gassed by the end of it) and watch thousands of people flock to HP Pavilion to enjoy in the spectacle.

Is it realistic? Probably not. Would it be amazing? You betcha.

Enter HP Pavilion in late April. The lights are dimmed, colorful posters of the Sharks adorn the walls, and a kooky carnival tune is playing. The mood is tense but fulfilling, the type of moment where you can feel the electricity in the air. As the kids peer around the corner to the main stage, all of a sudden it appears-- Joe Thornton on a mechanical wooly mammoth, beckoning wildly for everyone to come join him for a night filled with grandeur.

Courtesy of Ivan, from our Halloween Photoshop Expo last season

Imagine the excitement! Re-live ancient history! Joe Thornton, a self-proclaimed "wooly mammoth guy" will be riding a his favorite prehistoric beast clad in a leopard skin garment, as well as giving three seminars throughout the night on the mammoth, it's extinction, and why everyone should be a huge fan of this magnificent animal.

Jumbo Joe is no stranger to doing interviews shirtless, but you've never seen him like this! An action figure of Thornton, which also comes with a wooly mammoth and three types of interchangeable clothing, will also be available for purchase! Get your Fan Appreciation tickets today!

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Perhaps nothing is more controversial in the modern NHL than the League's policy concerning suspensions.

The Wheel of Justice, referring to Colin Campbell's decisions on assessing supplementary discipline for actions frowned upon by the League, has become a sort of comedic riot for hockey fans in North America. It has become increasingly difficult to figure out what constitutes a play being deemed worthy of suspension, from head shots to lewd gestures to blindside hits to off-ice comments. The discrepancy amongst the punishment assessed for infractions runs the gamut from too lax to overprotective, slightly confusing to absurd.

This isn't to say the League doesn't get suspensions right some of the time-- they most definitely do. As is the case with nearly everything in contemporary society, mistakes get magnified and correct behavior tends to be overlooked. Human beings as a whole love to nitpick and second guess. It is empowering to know that those in power can make mistakes like the common man. They are human beings after all, and that fact is one which will never go unnoticed.

However, the NHL's disciplinary policy is one that has received it's fair share of criticism over the years, and rightly so. The list of complaints over suspendable offenses has now become too large to ignore-- from blogs to mainstream outlets, players to fanbases, it seems as if everyone has felt the NHL has gotten something wrong that pertains to the sport or organization they follow and cover.

The biggest complaint? A lack of consistency, and a lack of communication from the League to their customers.

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If you poke your cute little head out into the big wide world of SBN Hockey today, you'll notice posts upon posts about the fan experience concerning a hockey game. And as you may have guessed from the backdrop on the site, Samsung is involved and sponsoring these posts. There will be a chance for you to win some swag in the coming weeks which we'll be sure to keep you updated on, but for the time being, make your way around SBN and check out what everyone has written.

Being directly tapped into the Sharks fanbase here at Fear The Fin, we receive a lot of comments and e-mails about what fans enjoy about watching the game of hockey. Wins always come first for the obvious reasons, but after that you get into a range of tertiary concerns that ran the gamut from watching the team skate hard every night to the sounds of the building as you make your way up the HP Pavilion entrance steps. There's so much that goes into being a hockey fan, so much that defines your passion, that boiling down one ultimate experience to trump them all probably is improbable.

But everybody loves a rink rat.

The rink rat is a fan favorite, a guy fans can identify with on a multitude of levels. It could be because he exemplifies all of the societal and cultural values we have been raised to respect-- hard work, nose to the grindstone, giving it your all every time you hit the ice. It's blue collar work ethic at it's finest, and for the majority of hockey fans around North America, that is something that is very appealing on a basic level. A Silicon Valley employee is accustomed to working sixty hour weeks during entry-level jobs and beyond, and the same goes for a lot of markets across the country. We can identify with a guy who didn't get handed his talent on a silver platter, a guy who had to work his tail off from midgets to juniors to minors to the big show in the NHL, even if his pay scale is higher than the majority of us will see on an annual basis.

The rink rat is also a guy who generally isn't blessed with the best of looks. Take Mike Ricci for example-- a legend in San Jose for his commitment to the game, and probably even more so because of his ratty hair, busted nose, and missing teeth. We can't see the scars and bruises populating his body because of his jersey and pads cover them during, but his face tells the story of a man who was a pure team player. He'll block a shot with his face, lose a tooth or two, and not miss a single shift because that's what got him here. And that is what is going to keep him here.

Finally, the rink rat is a guy who entertains us. He'll go out and take a run at the best defenseman on the opposing team to get under their skin. He'll forecheck hard to generate a turnover, he'll backcheck from the end line to break up a scoring opportunity, and he'll mix it up after the whistle and chirp on the bench. His role is to provide energy for the building and his teammates, and ensure that no one takes liberties with any of the younger or more-skilled players on the team.

We love the rink rat. And now is the time we should celebrate him.

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