With many great players in Sharks history, it’s hard to select the best to dawn a jersey number. Today, we’ll look at the best to wear 61-70. Just to remind you, the players considered will only be evaluated on their time with the Sharks, rather than their whole careers. With that being said, let’s dive into the best Sharks by sweater number: 61-70.
Best Sharks by Jersey Number: 61-70
#61 – Justin Braun
From 2010-2019, Braun was a solid defensive defenceman for the Sharks. In his nine seasons and 607 games in Teal, Braun had over 30 points just once, but over 980 blocked shots and 700 hits. Braun also logged over 20 minutes per game from 2013-19 and was an anchor of a good penalty kill. The Philadelphia Flyers acquired Braun after the 2019 season, bringing his time in San Jose to a close.
#62 – Kevin Labanc
Despite his struggles in recent years, Labanc was a solid middle-six forward in his early years. Labanc had his best year in 2018-19, collecting 56 points while playing in all 82 games. He also had his most memorable moment in that postseason, scoring the goal to break the 3-3 tie in Game Seven against Vegas. He had nine points in 20 games to help the Sharks reach the Western Conference Final. In recent years, Labanc has seen his ice time reduced to give younger players an elevated role. Labanc is currently an unrestricted free agent, so we’ll see if San Jose brings him back.
#63 – Jeffrey Viel
Viel is the only player in franchise history to wear #63. He played in 49 games spread over three years. He has three career goals and five career points, all of which came in the 2021-22 campaign. Viel spent the 2023-24 season in the Winnipeg Jets’ system and is unlikely to play for the Sharks again.
#64 – Mikael Granlund
Granlund signed with San Jose before the 2023-24 season and had one of the best years of his career. Despite the team’s poor record, Granlund collected a career-high 48 assists. Of those assists, 22 came on the powerplay, a unit which hovered around 20 percent on the season. Granlund is under contract for one more year, so it will be interesting to see what GM Mike Grier decides to do with him moving forward.
#65 – Erik Karlsson
The Sharks shocked the world by trading for Erik Karlsson in 2018. The career of Karlsson needs no introduction, but many forget how dominant Karlsson was in San Jose. He struggled with injuries, never playing 60 games until 2022-23. Despite this, Karlsson anchored the power play and continued his dynamic skating and playmaking ability. His best year, however, came in 2022-23 when he played in all 82 games. He scored 25 goals, put up 101 points and took home his third Norris Trophy. Karlsson was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in August 2023, bringing his successful time in San Jose to a close.
#67 – Jacob Middleton
No player has worn #66 for the Sharks, so we move on to #67, Jacob Middleton. Middleton is the only player to wear #67 for San Jose. His tenure with the Sharks was short, just 59 games, but he established his solid defensive prowess. In 2021-22, Middleton got his first full-time opportunity in the NHL. He played in 45 games and collected 89 hits and blocked shots. In March of that season, the Minnesota Wild traded for him.
#68 – Melker Karlsson
Karlsson was a great depth piece for San Jose during his NHL career. “The Milk Man” was a Shark from 2014 – 2020. He played in over 60 games in all but one campaign and had double-digit point totals every year. He also had solid defensive prowess and was an integral part of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final and 2019 Western Conference Final teams. Karlsson has not played in the NHL since 2020 after heading to Sweden.
#69 – Andrew Desjardins
Desjardins is one of two players to wear #69. He dawned the number from 2010-2012. Desjardins had 20 points in 93 games during that stretch but was more known for the other elements of the game. He won faceoffs, blocked shots and threw the body. Desjardins helped the Sharks go to the playoffs in both seasons. He switched to #10 in 2012 to finish out his career in San Jose. In March 2015, the Chicago Blackhawks added Desjardins to bolster their depth.
#70 – Alexander True
True only played 19 games for the Sharks and is the only player to wear #70. He had five assists in Teal but never found the back of the net. He was taken by the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft. True played eight games for Seattle, before spending the last two years in the AHL.
Didn’t Make the Cut
Admittedly, there are not a lot of players to wear this range of jersey numbers. There are only 17 players to wear a number between 61 and 70. That being said, some players had solid tenures in San Jose that were considered. These include Andrei Nazarov (62), Jamie McGinn (64) and Mike Hoffman (68). This series was inspired by the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. You can check out their lists as well. We will continue this series with sweater numbers 71-80.
Main Photo: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
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