The San Jose Sharks announced earlier this week that the number 19 will be retired, making the unspoken rule in the Sharks’ organization official. No one will ever wear the number 19 in a Sharks uniform again. While the official date of the jersey retirement ceremony has yet to be announced — we’re betting that the game against the Boston Bruins is what the Sharks are hoping for — it will likely be the game most attended by Sharks fans for the entire 2024-25 season. We’re making that prediction now.
As for Joe Thornton, I love that he’s telling everyone San Jose is his home.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to play in the National Hockey League for 24 seasons,” said Thornton. “But when I came to San Jose, it felt like I was truly home. I fell in love with the area and the people, and I had the best years of my career wearing the Sharks crest. I want to thank Hasso Plattner, the Sharks organization, my teammates, our fans and especially my family for all their support over my career. I am humbled by this recognition, which is a reflection of all of those great teams we had in San Jose during my time there.”
Sharks General Manager Mike Grier had the privilege of playing with Thornton during some of his prime years.
“Jumbo was the best playmaker of his generation and I feel lucky to have gotten to play with and against him,” said Grier. “On the ice, his size, strength and IQ made him impossible to defend but off the ice, he was the most caring and generous teammate I have ever had. He’s a special player and person, and is very deserving of this honor.”
Almost every article you’ve read about this has dived into Tornton’s numbers. It’s a Hall of Fame career and well worth repeating several times. But we won’t do that today because Sharks fans already know. Instead, let’s take a look at the other guys who wore number 19 with the Sharks since it will never happen again.
Brian Mullen (1991-92)
The Sharks’ OG number 19 is Brian Mullen. Mullen played the inaugural season with the Sharks and put up some pretty good numbers for an expansion team that didn’t get the same step up that some of the newer expansion teams have received in recent years.
Mullen had 46 points in 72 games in 1991-92 and then left the Sharks to play for the New York Islanders the next season. Unfortunately, his hockey career ended less than a year later when he suffered a small stroke caused by a blood clot in his brain. He tried to come back but suffered a seizure in 1994, and he was forced to retire.
Doug Zmolek (1992-94)
The next season, Doug Zmolek donned number 19 for the Sharks. Zmolek was acquired from the Minnesota North Stars during the dispersal draft. That’s when the NHL told then North Stars owners George and Gordon Gund that they couldn’t move the North Stars to California but could get an expansion team. As part of the deal, the Gunds sold the North Stars and would have the right to draft players from the North Stars franchise. Crazy times.
Zmolek, a college player with the University of Minnesota at the time, was one of the players taken in the draft.
Zmolek played two seasons in a Sharks uniform, scoring 19 points in 152 games.
On March 19, 1994, Zmolek was traded to the now Dallas Stars with Mike Lalor and “cash” according to NHL Trade Tracker. The Sharks received in return, Ulf Dahlen and a 1995 7th round pick (Brad Mehalko).
Jeff Friesen (1995-1996)
Jeff Friesen was one of the first draft picks for the San Jose Sharks. Drafted in 1994, Friesen played seven seasons with the Sharks. He scored 350 points in his time in teal and wracked up nearly as many penalty minutes (316). He was one of the faces of the franchise in those early seasons.
On March 5, 2001, the Sharks traded Friesen, Steve Shields and a 2003 second round pick (Vojtech Polak) to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Teemu Selanne. I’ll keep my Selanne as a Shark opinions to myself, but the ultimate result is he walked away from the Sharks after two seasons and the Sharks had little to show from trading Friesen.
Friesen played his rookie season in the number 39 but switched to 19 for his sophomore campaign, which was, ironically, the year he was 19 years old. He switched back to the number 39 the next season, presumably to make way for the next number 19 on our list.
Tim Hunter (1996-1997)
Veteran hockey player Tim Hunter joined the Sharks in 1996 for the final season of his career. We’re assuming that Friesen returned to 39 to allow Hunter to wear his preferred jersey number.
A noted enforcer, Hunter played one season for the Sharks and made it into 46 games, where he compiled 135 PIMs. He retired after that season, but returned to the Sharks in 2002, this time behind the bench.
Marco Sturm (1997-2005)
Which is how we arrive at Marco Sturm, who donned that number 19 faithfully until the Sharks packaged him in a trade for the most famous 19 of all.
Sturm was drafted by the Sharks in 1996 and started his rookie season with San Jose in 1997. He wore 19 from the start and established himself as a scoring forward who could be counted on for 30-40 points a season. He was at the height of his powers in 2005, when he scored 29 goals and had 59 points split between the Sharks and Bruins.
While Sharks fans loved Sturm, no one seemed to have many regrets when the Sharks traded him, Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau to the Bruins for Thornton.
Final Thoughts
Thanks to all the 19s who came before Thornton but Jumbo Joe will forever be the greatest.
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