Patrick Giles has had a chaotic, winding road to the San Jose Sharks and the NHL as a whole. As the most recent player to wear the number 54, we'll take a look at how he found his way to San Jose.
A native of Chevy Chase, Maryland (which is not named after the actor for those who may be confused), Patrick Giles was a somewhat highly touted prospect heading into the 2018 NHL Draft. While he wasn't expected to be taken in the first couple of rounds, as the 47th ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, it seemed that someone would take a chance on the 6-foot-5 center. Instead, when the two day event came to a close, he left without hearing his name called.
After going undrafted, Giles moved from the US National Team Development Program to the NCAA's Boston College. While Giles was never making his presence felt on the scoresheet on a nightly basis, he was making an impact on the ice. As a result, after serving as an alternate captain in his final two seasons with the Eagles, the American Hockey League's Charlotte Checkers came calling.
Giles signed a professional tryout with the Checkers to close out the 2021-22 season and earned himself an AHL contract for the following season. After two full seasons in Charlotte, he finally made his way to the NHL as he debuted with the Florida Panthers during the 2024-25 season. He only played in nine games with the Panthers, and 39 more with the Checkers that season, before he was traded to San Jose.
Giles split the end of the 2024-25 season evenly between the Sharks and the San Jose Barracuda, appearing in eight games for both teams. The following season, he was named an alternate captain for the Barracuda, spending the majority of his time in the AHL. Despite that, he did appear in three NHL games as well.
The Sharks then signed Giles to a two-year contract extension earlier this year, which will kick in this coming season.
