The San Jose Sharks' season is rapidly approaching. We’re just 10 days away from preseason hockey and, more importantly, 28 days away from the Sharks officially kicking off the 2025-26 season against the Vegas Golden Knights on October 9.
As a result, we’re taking a look at the Sharks’ long history with the jersey number 28.
That history dates back all the way to the Sharks’ inaugural season in 1991-92, when forward Jean-François Quintin took the ice for the team in teal. He spent two partial seasons with the Sharks, spending the majority of his time in the organization with their International Hockey League affiliate at the time, the Kansas City Blades.
At the NHL level, he played 22 games over the course of two seasons for the Sharks, registering five goals and five assists. He’d stay with the Blades even after the Sharks’ affiliation with them ended, and he left Kansas City following the 1997-98 season when he went overseas. He would officially retire from professional hockey following the 2002-03 season.
Sergei Bautin made a single appearance with the Sharks after signing as a free agent for the 1995-96 season. The 6-foot-5 defenseman returned to Europe following that season, spending time in Sweden, Russia, Germany, and even spending a couple of seasons in Asia playing in the Japan Ice Hockey League. He would officially retire from hockey following the 2003-04 season.
Scarborough, Ontario native Iain Fraser would be next to wear the number 28 for the Sharks, although once again it was for a very brief period of time. He played two games for the Sharks during the 1996-97 season, failing to register a point. He spent some time bouncing around the minor league system and Europe before officially calling it a career following the 2006-07 season. Ironically, his stint in Northern California, he played 15 games for the Fresno Falcons of the West Coast Hockey League during the 2002-03 season as well.
Veteran winger Shawn Burr wore the number 28 for his first season with the Sharks before changing to the number seven for his final year in teal. He played a total of 60 games for the Sharks, registering 13 points and 79 penalty minutes during that time. He’d retire following the 1999-00 season, in which he split time between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the IHL.
The Sharks’ fifth-round pick in the 1998 NHL Draft, Mikael Samuelsson, would be next to wear the number. He played four games with the Sharks during the 2000-01 season and failed to record a point. He’d go on to have a journeyman career, with his best seasons coming with the Detroit Red Wings and the Vancouver Canucks. He’d retire after playing the 2014-15 season in the Swedish Hockey League but made a one-game comeback on December 13, 2022, with Aker/Strangnas HC in Sweden’s HockeyTvåan.
Currently, Samuelsson is a development coach for the Canucks.
Matt Bradley started his career with the number 44 but changed to the number 28 following his rookie season. He totaled 121 games with the Sharks and registered 29 points and 99 penalty minutes during his time in teal. Today, he’s a scout with the Washington Capitals organization.
Swedish forward Nils Ekman played two seasons with the Sharks, beginning with the 2003-04 season. He played 159 games with the Sharks, scoring 43 goals and assisting on 69 others for a total of 112 points. After leaving the Sharks, he played one final season in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins before returning to Europe to finish the remainder of his career. Today, he’s the head coach of the Swedish U16 team.
6-foot-4 defenseman Jay Leach would be the next player to don the number 28 for the Sharks, playing 28 games for the team during the 2009-10 season. He recorded two points during that stint and captained their American Hockey League affiliate at the time, the Worcester Sharks, the following season. Today, Leach is an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins.
Forward Andrew Murray would come next, wearing the number 28 for his brief stint with the Sharks during the 2011-12 season. He played 39 games for the Sharks, recording a goal and three assists. Following his departure from the Bay Area, the Selkirk, Manitoba native would just play one more NHL game with the St. Louis Blues before finishing his career in Croatia.
The Sharks’ ninth-overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, Timo Meier, was the next, and most well-remembered, to wear the number 28. Over the course of seven seasons, Meier played 451 games, scored 154 goals, and assisted on 162 others for a total of 316 points. Ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, Meier was dealt to the New Jersey Devils in a trade that saw Fabian Zetterlund and Shakir Mukhamadullin, among other pieces, heading to the Bay Area. Today, Meier is entering the third year of an eight-year contract with the Devils.
Most recently, defenseman Jack Thompson wore the number 28 for a couple of games during the 2023-24 season before changing to the number 26 for the 2024-25 season and beyond.
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