As the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week comes to a close, we’re casting the San Jose Sharks players as sharks, the non-hockey-playing types. Since sharks (the swimming ones) come with personalities just like Sharks (the players), we figured we would try to guess what some of our Sharks players would be if they were to come back as sharks.
Writer’s note: The Gili Shark Conservation in Indonesia created a handy guide to help us identify sharks by their personalities.
Vincent Desharnais as the Whale Shark
We start things off with the whale shark. According to Gili Shark Conservation, “So if you’re a big friendly giant and a chilled, laid back dude, we reckon you’re most like a Whale shark!”
It sounds like the whale shark is right up Desharnais’ alley.
At 6-foot-7, 226 pounds, Vincent Desharnais is certainly the biggest of the San Jose Sharks. And much like the beloved whale shark, Desharnais is a gentle giant.
While Desharnais has been known to drop the gloves in defense of a teammate when necessary, off the ice, he’s more of a humanitarian than a fighter. In fact, in 2019, he was one of the nominees for the Hockey Humanitarian Award while playing for Providence College.
What’s more, Desharnais doesn’t have a problem putting his flow where his mouth is, such as when he shaved his head to raise money to fight cancer.
He took a little more off the top in 2022, participating in a second shaved head challenge to raise money for the same cause.
Desharnais also has no problem discussing his feelings and his shortcomings. He talked to Tony Marinaro on The Sick Podcast in 2023 about his road to the NHL, dealing with concussions and how it hurt his journey, leaving nothing out.
“My first pro season, I got a concussion. It ended up lasting longer, developed anxieties, started having anxiety attacks, started being depressed, which led to depression,” Desharnais told Marinaro (transcript from Oilers Nation). “I wanted to quit hockey. Wanted to quit on life, pretty much. I didn’t want to be here anymore.
“At some point, it was either I go in the same direction, and it goes dark, or I get over my ego and the stubborn guy that doesn’t need help, and that’s what I did. I got over my ego and went to get help. It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, honestly. I’m so glad it happened, and I’m so glad that I went through that depression and learned to deal with anxiety. I’ve learned to deal with life. Life happens every day. You don’t control life.”
Sounds like a guy who has no problem wearing his heart on his sleeve, much like the beloved whale shark.
Will Smith – Hammerhead Shark
Gili defines the hammerhead shark as “quirky but cool,” and we feel like that fits Smith to a tee. The young Shark swims to the beat of his own drummer
Whether it’s playing hallway long shot with his good buddy Macklin Celebrini:
Or reenacting TikTok videos with the aforementioned Celebrini, Smith seems like he’s game for anything.
Also, much like the hammerhead shark, Smith seems to have a sixth sense that allows him to detect what his opponents are doing.
The hammerhead’s wide-set eyes allow it to see much more than many other sharks. Similarly, Smith seems to see a lot more of what’s happening on the ice, allowing him to read plays almost before they happen. He’s wicked smaht and that’s why he earns San Jose’s hammerhead shark designation.
Shakir Mukhamadullin – Blue Shark
If we were doing spirit animals, then I would go with a giraffe for Mukhamadullin, but we’re doing sharks, so Mukhamadullin’s spirit shark is a blue shark.
Like Mukhamadullin, the blue shark is long, slender and lanky. With an almost eel-like body, the blue shark has a powerful tail that allows it to be quick and agile in the water, allowing them to catch prey quickly (kind of what we’re hoping Mukhamadullin will do in the defensive zone this season).
We’re also expecting Mukhamadullin to use his size and skill to swim, er, skate, circles around those lesser fish in the sea, something that he did near the close of last season.
William Eklund – Lemon Shark
According to our friends at Gili, the lemon sharks actually have a sweet personality and are super social. That seems to fit with Eklund’s personality. Whether it’s working out in his home country of Sweden with buddy Fabian Zetterlund or hanging out at the NHL Draft and taking a minute to stop by to say hello to the San Jose Sharks’ first-round draftee Michael Misa, Eklund is clearly a social creature, and that makes him the Sharks’ lemon shark.
And William Eklund made sure to stop by and welcome Misa to the organization. pic.twitter.com/AxU0ulmSEv
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 28, 2025
Zack Ostapchuk – Mako Shark
They say speed kills, and the fastest shark in the sea is the mako shark, so it only makes sense that the fastest shark on the ice for the San Jose Sharks is the one that earns the title of mako shark.
Surprisingly, that title goes to Zack Ostapchuk, who, according to the NHL Edge stats, reached a top speed of 23.29 mph last season, barely edging out Carl Grundstrom for fastest Shark on the ice.
For comparison, the fastest skater in the NHL last season was Miles Woods, who hit a top speed of 24.82 mph last season. Ostapchuk isn’t breaking any ice speed records in the NHL, but he is the fastest skater in teal, and so he’s our mako shark.
As a side note, he’s also got a mean right hook:
Ryan Reaves – Greenland Shark
The oldest living species of shark, the Greenland shark has been known to survive up to 250 and 500 years. Reaves isn’t that old, but he certainly drags up the average age of the San Jose Sharks.
According to Oceanwide Expeditions, “Greenland sharks never seem to be in a hurry. Their average pace of 0.3 meters per second (0.76 mph) is so slow that they are also known as ‘sleeper sharks,’ and they can only increase their speed for short bursts. Even so, the size of a Greenland shark helps protect it from any would-be predators.”
Sound like anyone else you might know?
Alex Wennberg – Ornate Wobbegong Shark
I had no idea what an ornate wobbegong shark was before reading the Gili article, but once I did, I really felt like this described Wennberg. According to Gili, the ornate wobbegong shark prefers to “lay low and stick to ordinary.” However, that does not mean that the shark is a “plain Jane.” In fact, far from it.
“You’re actually a tactful hunter. Their unusual coloration and decoration make them camouflaged while they wait for prey,” wrote Gili.
Wennberg’s game snuck up on me last season. It was well thought out and tactful. He wasn’t flashy, but he was efficient and effective, and that’s why he earns the title of ornate wobbegong shark.
Tyler Toffoli – Bull Shark
Bull sharks have voracious appetites and that’s what Toffoli has around the net.
“Bulls have a voracious appetite and will eat anything they see! These guys are aggressive and will do anything for that snack,” writes Gili. “They’ll do whatever it takes. If ‘Joey doesn’t share food’ and you are the hangriest person you know, you can be a Bull shark!”
That’s Toffoli around the net, a core reason why he hit 30 goals once again last season.
San Jose goal!
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 4, 2025
Scored by Tyler Toffoli with 11:12 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Mario Ferraro and Macklin Celebrini.
San Jose: 2
Edmonton: 2#EDMvsSJS #TheFutureIsTeal #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/Ow5kn9qdfy
Toffoli gobbles up every puck he sees around the net and then some. So, he’s our bull shark.
Mario Ferraro – Sand Tiger Shark
Setting aside the fact that sand tiger sharks have a mouth full of teeth that stick out in every direction and Ferraro has … well, not so many teeth, he still earns our sand tiger shark honors.
According to Gili, “These sharks are seriously smart and tactful … In the human world, the epitome of tactfulness is arguably winning Monopoly.”
It feels like the “Youngest of Plugs,” so named for a YouTube channel that reviewed electronics, should earn sand tiger shark honors.
Plus, Ferraro just strikes me as the kind of guy who would build those hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place.
Macklin Celebrini – Great White Shark
Finally, we arrive at Celebrini and the great white shark.
As Gili wrote: “Hollywood made them into the world’s scariest animal. They’re associated with the most shark attacks, but you should be more scared of flip flops, hot dogs and your bed! These all cause more harm to people each year than any species of shark put together.”
Celebrini will soon strike fear into defenses around the league with his quick attacks, sneaky shot and off the charts hockey IQ and skills. Plus, when you cue up that “Jaws” theme song, the future generations of Sharks fans are immediately going to think of Celebrini. While us OG fans are going to think of Patrick Marleau as Mr. Shark, for those newer fans and those up and coming Sharks fans, the chomp and Celebrini are going to be synonymous.
