We’re just 25 days away from the San Jose Sharks hosting the Vegas Golden Knights at the SAP Center to kick off the 2025-26 season.
In honor of that fact, we’re going to take a look at the Sharks’ history with the jersey number 25.
The history of the number 25 dates back to the Sharks’ inaugural 1991-92 season. Defenseman Bob McGill had already spent over a decade in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks before making his way to the Bay Area. During his time in San Jose, McGill played 62 games before being moved to the Detroit Red Wings to close out the season. He recorded three goals and a single assist for a total of four points with the Sharks. He spent a few more seasons in the NHL before retiring as a member of the International Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves following the 1995-96 season.
Long-time New Jersey Devils enforcer David Maley joined the Sharks for the second half of the 1992-93 season and the first half of the following season. He played a total of 62 games for the Sharks, scoring a single goal and assisting on six others. He also registered a total of 156 penalty minutes during that time span. The 1993-94 season would be his final season in the NHL, and after a couple of seasons in the minor leagues, he called it a career following the 1999-00 season.
The Sharks’ sixth-overall pick in the 1993 NHL Draft was the next to wear the number 25. Viktor Kozlov started his career wearing the number 47 for the Sharks, but changed to 25 for the 1995-96 season. He played a total of 174 games with the Sharks spread across four seasons, totaling 69 points. In the middle of the 1997-98 season, Kozlov was moved to the Florida Panthers where he’d spend the majority of his NHL career. He’d leave the NHL to return to Russia following the 2008-09 season, and officially retired from professional hockey in 2015. Today, Kozlov is the head coach of the Kontinental Hockey League’s Salazar Yulaev Ufa, a role he’s held since the 2022-23 season.
Winger Mike Craig had a cup of coffee with the Sharks during the late 90s and early 2000s. He played three games for the team in teal, and failed to register a point. Currently, Craig is an amateur scout for the Calgary Flames.
Long-time member of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, Vincent Damphousse joined the Sharks near the end of the 1998-99 season. He’d finish his career in the Bay Area, calling it quits and ending a legendary career following the 2003-04 season. He played a total of 385 games for the Sharks, scoring 92 goals and tallying a total of 289 points during his time in San Jose.
The Sharks drafted Matt Carle in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2003 NHL Draft. The former University of Denver captain joined the Sharks during the 2005-06 season. He’d spend a relatively short time with the team in teal, playing 151 games over the course of three seasons. During that span, he recorded 63 points and 70 penalty minutes. He’d leave the Sharks following the 2007-08 season, and split the remainder of his career between the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators.
Gritty forward Mike Grier joined the Sharks ahead of the 2006-07 season. He’d go on to spend three seasons with the Sharks, scoring 35 goals and recording a total of 78 points over the course of 221 games. Grier would return to the Bay Area nearly a decade and a half later, being named the Sharks’ new general manager during the summer of 2022, a role he still holds today.
The next player to wear the number 25 would come half a decade later, as winger Tye McGinn joined the Sharks during the 2014-15 season. He only played a single season in San Jose, appearing in 33 games before being moved to the Arizona Coyotes. He scored one goal and had four assists during his time with the Sharks. His final NHL appearance would come the following season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
McGinn would then spend quite a bit of time in the American Hockey League before heading overseas to finish his career in the German DEL, officially retiring following the 2022-23 season.
The Sharks drafted defenseman Artemi Knyazev in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft. The Russian defender made the jump to North America for the 2021-22 season, making a single appearance for the Sharks and spending the majority of his time with their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
After two and a half seasons in North America, Knyazev returned to Russia and currently plays for Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL.
The Hockey News Sunday Recap: San Jose Sharks` - Sunday Sept. 14th
Happy Sunday, San Jose Sharks fans.
26 Days Until Opening Day: The Sharks' History of Number 26
The San Jose Sharks' season is just around the corner. This weekend is the 2025 prospect tournaments around the NHL. We are also just eight days away from preseason hockey and 26 days away from the official kickoff of the 2025-26 season against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights">Vegas Golden Knights</a> on Oct. 9 at 10 p.m.
Sharks Pull Off Miraculous Comeback, Defeat Kings 8-5 at Rookie Faceoff
Day two of the Golden State Rookie Faceoff is in the books, as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon. The Sharks’ portion of the event in Irvine has come to a close, as the only remaining game will be between the Kings and the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow afternoon.