The Sharks had one more game to show what they could do.
San Jose defeated the Utah Mammoth 3-1 on Sunday at Tech CU Arena, closing the Rookie Faceoff with its second win of the tournament. After opening with an 8-1 win over Los Angeles, the Sharks faced another physical game against Utah and found a different way to finish it.
Jake Gustafson gave the Sharks one more reason to remember him before the Rookie Faceoff ended. The sixth-round pick scored twice Sunday, including a goal with 1.5 seconds left in the first period, as San Jose defeated Utah 3-1. His performance capped a tournament where young Sharks like Carson Wetsch and Quentin Musty also made their presence felt. With Rookie Faceoff over, we turn to training camp, where those impressions will carry more weight.
The performance mattered because the Sharks closed the Rookie Faceoff with another strong showing from their young players. Gustafson emerged as the night’s biggest difference-maker, while Musty and Wetsch sew continued the physical, competitive style San Jose established in its tournament opener. The 3-1 win gave the Sharks a fitting finish to a tournament where their prospects began to show what they can bring as a group.
The Sharks found themselves in a different kind of game on Sunday. Utah pushed back throughout the night, outshooting San Jose 29-22, but the Sharks made their chances count. The game also carried the physical edge that defined San Jose’s tournament, with Wetsch fighting twice before being ejected. Musty added an empty-net goal with 29 seconds left to seal the 3-1 win.
“A little scramblier, a little more physical,” Head Coach John McCarthy said.
The win showed that the Sharks’ young players are finding different ways to contribute. Gustafson provided the offense, Wetsch brought the physical edge and Musty continued to play through contact and difficult areas of the ice. Those different contributions became important as the game tightened, especially after Utah outshot San Jose in the second period.
McCarthy liked what he saw from the group throughout the tournament.
“I liked a lot of guys,” he said. “I didn’t think there was anyone that really stood out negatively.”
Wetsch’s night also reflected the identity the Sharks established in their first game. He fought twice before receiving a game misconduct, but McCarthy supported his decision to stand up for his teammates.
“He did what he thought was right, and as I said, we support him,” McCarthy said.
The Sharks finished Rookie Faceoff with two wins, but the bigger takeaway was how different players stepped forward in different moments. Gustafson’s scoring, Musty’s physical play and Wetsch’s willingness to defend his teammates gave San Jose a glimpse of the depth and competitiveness within its young group.
The Sharks closed Rookie Faceoff with a stronger understanding of the group they put together. Across the tournament, San Jose showed it could handle physical games, create offense and respond when the game tightened. Now the evaluation continues with training camp this upcoming week.
“Real bullets start flying next week, so I guess that’s an exciting time here,” McCarthy said.
