We’re just 72 days away from the San Jose Sharks kicking off their season against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The number 72 has only been worn three times in franchise history. The first to wear it was Brandon Mashinter in 2011, followed by Tim Heed from 2017 to 2020, and most recently, William Eklund, who has worn it since 2022 and still does today.

Starting with Mashinter, he played just 13 games for the Sharks during the 2010-11 season. In that time, he didn’t record a point but did rack up 17 penalty minutes.

Next up, Heed spent four years with the Sharks from 2016 to 2020. During that stretch, he played in 105 games and scored six goals and 23 assists for 29 points. After those four years with the organization, he went back overseas and is currently playing for Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss Hockey League.

Lastly, there’s Eklund, easily the most well-known player to wear number 72. He also has the potential to have the number retired one day, depending on how the rest of his career plays out. So far in his young career, he’s played in 174 games and recorded 35 goals and 75 assists for 110 points. He’s been with the Sharks for four seasons and, as of July 1, signed a three-year contract extension that begins in 2026-27.

The future is bright for the Sharks, and Eklund is one of the young talents making it that way.

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3 Most Fascinating Additions By The Sharks This Summer The San Jose Sharks have been one of the most active teams this summer. General manager Mike Grier had a clear idea of what he wanted to do and made sure it got done. There were some notable veterans signed who can better support the young core. Overall though, Grier has been drastically improving his roster, so let’s take a look at some of the most fascinating additions by the Sharks this summer.

72 Days Until Opening Day: The Sharks' History of Number 72