We’re officially just 52 days away from the San Jose Sharks’ home opener against the Vegas Golden Knights in October. The history of the number 52 began on February 25, 2007, when the San Jose Sharks acquired [https://www.nhltradetracker.com/user/trade_list_by_player/Rivet,Craig]defenseman Craig Rivet from the Montreal Canadiens. Rivet would finish the 2006-07 season and play one more full season in the Bay Area before moving to the Buffalo Sabres, where he’d be named captain. The number would next be worn by another defenseman, Matt Irwin, who made his debut with the Sharks during the 2012-13 season. After splitting that season between the NHL and the Sharks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Worcester Sharks, he would become an NHL regular beginning in the 2013-14 season. Irwin would leave the Sharks following the 2014-15 season, when he signed with the Boston Bruins organization. Lukas Radil would be the next player to wear the number 52 during the 2018-19 season. Over the course of two seasons with the Sharks, he played a total of 50 NHL games before returning to the Russian Kontinental Hockey League for the 2020-21 season. He’s still playing today, as he’ll join Mountfield HK in Czechia for the coming season. Most recently, Tristen Robins wore the number for three games during the 2022-23 season. Robins remained with the Sharks organization until this past season, when he was traded to the Ottawa Senators as a part of the Fabian Zetterlund deal.
