EXCLUSIVE: The Story Behind the Viral SJ Sharkie Video

It all started with a last minute decision to attend the San Jose Sharks' home opener against the Florida Panthers.

Exactly a week after a family tragedy, Michael Rocha, a realtor based out of the Central Valley, decided to take his family to the SAP Center for a family night out to try to improve their spirits. Nobody expected the night to take the turn it eventually did.

"We were looking for something just to get out of the house and spend some time together while trying to get our minds off of things," Rocha said. "I mentioned the Sharks game because I've talked about going to a lot more Sharks games this year because I feel like my daughter would like it and it would be a perfect family outing."

During the second period, Rocha and his family decided to go to the concession stand and then stop by a souvenir shop to get a pin to symbolize his daughter's first Sharks game. "We saw Sharkie in the tunnel and I asked the people who were with him if we could get a photo with him and my daughter," Rocha recalled. "They were super kind and then that's when the interaction happened."

If you've been on social media over the past week, you've undoubtedly seen the interaction Rocha is talking about, even if you don't realize it. His daughter goes over and hugs Sharkie, who then playfully puts his mouth on her head. Rocha's daughter then gets terrified of the mascot, running back to her parents:

"You could tell that the individual in the costume was concerned," Rocha said of the aftermath. "The people that were behind Sharkie were trying to hold in their laughter [while me and my wife, we were laughing hysterically."

Despite the first interaction with Sharkie not going quite as planned, Rocha still wanted to get a picture to commemorate the moment. "She was still very shaken up and very scared of the idea of a shark trying to eat her," he said. "The one thing that I wish I would have caught is the fact that when I stopped filming, she screamed 'the shark tried to eat me.' I wish I had caught that on camera."

As a few days have passed, Rocha's daughter has gotten over her fear of Sharkie, at least somewhat. "She likes Sharkie," he said. "If I ask her if she wants to go see Sharkie, she'll say no, but she likes the idea of Sharkie now, knowing that he just wanted a hug. She's more open to the idea now."

In fact, Rocha's daughter has come to appreciate the video that has racked up an absurd number of views. "She asks to see the video several times a day," he added. "Any time she sees or hears me playing it, she runs over and starts laughing with me."

Rocha helps that his daughter's interaction with Sharkie will help her become a long-time Sharks fan, much to the chagrin of some of her other family. "I have family that are Ducks and Kings fans trying to tag Bailey and Wild Wing to try to see if they could switch her to a Ducks or Kings [fan]," Rocha said before adding, "I'm not for the idea, I'll tell you that."

Now, Rocha is hoping he can use this viral moment to get his daughter an opportunity to meet the Sharks' young superstar, Macklin Celebrini. 

The Rocha family's last minute decision to attend the Sharks' home opener led to a moment that attracted the attention of SportsCenter, Bleacher Report, BarDown, and numerous other organizations. An attempt to forget about a family tragedy, just for a moment, led to a night that they'll never forget.