The San Jose Sharks didn’t open the season the way they wanted to last week when they lost two close games on home ice. But the team at least enjoyed some renewed fan support, with one announced sellout crowd at SAP Center and another at near-capacity.
Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer took notice.
DeBoer, who coached the Sharks for four-plus seasons from 2015 to 2019 when sellouts at the arena were more the norm, said Tuesday he watched part of the Sharks’ season-opening game against the St. Louis Blues.
The game featured the NHL debuts of forward prospects Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, and DeBoer saw how it looked — and sounded — like old times inside the 31-year-old building.
“I got a glimpse of the home opener, and great to see the Shark Tank starting to fill up again,” DeBoer said Tuesday morning before the Stars hosted the Sharks at American Airlines Center. “It’s great that area is getting excited about some of the young guys coming, obviously Celebrini and Will Smith and some other young players.”
The Sharks announced a sellout crowd of 17,435 for their opener on Oct. 10, a 5-4 overtime loss to the Blues, and a crowd of 17,016 for their 2-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks two days later.
The Sharks’ average announced attendance last season was 13,559, or 77.8% of the arena’s capacity for hockey. That percentage was the lowest in the NHL.
For 13 of the Sharks 41 home dates, paid attendance ranged between 10,000 and 11,000, although the actual number of spectators in the building for those games appeared far smaller.
It’s tough to blame the fans for not showing up, as the Sharks limped to an NHL-worst 19-54-9 record, which included just 11 wins on home ice.
When DeBoer and former longtime Shark Joe Pavelski came to San Jose for two games last season, announced crowds were 10,070 – a season-low — and 12,208.
“It’s such a great hockey market,” DeBoer said of San Jose. “I enjoyed it at its peak. I remember talking with (Pavelski) last year (who) was there during the peak; you don’t like to see it when it’s not at the peak because of how great a spot it is.
“So nice to see it on the way back.”
DEBOER ON DELLANDREA: Sharks forward Ty Dellandrea is trying to re-establish himself as a full-time NHL player. According to DeBoer, Dellandrea is in the perfect spot to do that and has the perfect person to look up to while in San Jose.
DeBoer recalled that during his first season as the Sharks coach, the team assigned a still-developing Barclay Goodrow back to the AHL after he spent most of the previous season in the NHL.
But after Goodrow spent almost all of the next two seasons with the Barracuda, he returned to the Sharks at 24 years old as a more complete player.
Dellandrea was a first-round draft pick by the Stars in 2018 and played all 82 games with the team in 2022-23, collecting nine goals and 19 assists as he averaged over 14 minutes of ice time per game.
Last season, though, amidst a deeper Stars lineup, Dellandrea was a healthy scratch 40 times, had just nine points, and saw his ice time dip to below 13 minutes a night.
San Jose can be a great place for Dellandrea to get back to where he was, DeBoer said.
“He oozes character. I think he has big leadership potential,” DeBoer said of Dellandrea, who just turned 24 in July. “The key for Ty is you’ve got to establish yourself as an NHL regular every night player in whatever role that’s going to be before you can really get into some of that leadership stuff.
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“But he learned under some great leaders here, Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn, and I’m glad he’s getting an opportunity. There’s no better opportunity for a young player who wants to grow into a role than on (the Sharks) roster right now. He’s got some great complimentary characteristics to his game that could really help that group if he can grow into that role.”
Goodrow, now 31, is nearing 600 career NHL games with two Stanley Cups on his resume.
“That’s a good blueprint for Ty Dellandrea,” DeBoer said. “Establish yourself as a player, and then let your character and leadership take over.”
TUESDAY’S LINEUP: The Sharks are keeping their forward lines and defense pairs intact from Saturday’s game, but are making a change in net as goalie Mackenzie Blackwood will start against the Stars. Blackwood allowed five goals on 40 shots in the Sharks’ season-opening loss and is 0-3-0 with a .888 save percentage in three career games against Dallas.
Vitek Vanecek started Saturday’s game and stopped 28 of 29 shots.
The Sharks finish the road trip with games against Chicago on Thursday and Winnipeg on Friday.
