1997–98 San Jose Sharks season

none March 2026 August 2023 NHL 1997–98 1997 San Jose Sharks 34–38–10 17–19–5 17–19–5 Western 8th Pacific 4th 210 216 Dean Lombardi Darryl Sutter Todd Gill (Oct.–Mar.) Vacant (Mar.–Apr.) San Jose Arena 17,111 Kentucky ThoroughbladesLouisville RiverFrogs Jeff Friesen (31) Jeff Friesen (32) Jeff Friesen (63) Owen Nolan (144) Bill Houlder (+13) Mike Vernon (30) Mike Vernon (2.46) The 1997–98 San Jose Sharks season was the Sharks' seventh season of operation in the National Hockey League (NHL). Following their second last-place finish in as many years, the Sharks unceremoniously fired first-year head coach Al Sims; he was replaced by Darryl Sutter, who had previously coached the Chicago Blackhawks. At the time of his hiring, Sutter was the first head coach in franchise history to have previously coached another NHL team. The Sharks' coaching switch was accompanied by a handful of player acquisitions and debuts. Of these, the addition of five-time NHL All-Star goaltender Mike Vernon proved most important. On August 18, 1997, the Sharks acquired Vernon from the Detroit Red Wings for a pair of second-round picks; at the time of the trade, Vernon was only two months removed from backstopping the Red Wings to victory in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals. Additionally, the Sharks drafted highly-touted forward Patrick Marleau with the second overall pick in the 1997 NHL entry draft. Despite a lackluster rookie season, Marleau would enjoy considerable success with the Sharks over the following two decades. Lastly, 1996 first-found pick Marco Sturm was added to the roster early in the season. Sturm and Marleau, in particular, supplemented a burgeoning collection of young forwards that already included mainstays Jeff Friesen and Owen Nolan. In Sutter's first season at the helm, the Sharks' play improved substantially. While they once again failed to post a winning record, the team managed to clinch the Western Conference's eighth (and final) playoff berth. In the first round of the 1998 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Sharks faced the top-seeded Dallas Stars. The Sharks quickly dropped their first two games in Dallas; upon returning to San Jose, however, the Sharks rallied to tie the series at two games apiece. An upset was not to be, however, as the Stars responded with a pair of one-goal victories to win the series in six games. Despite a quick exit from the playoffs, the 1997-98 season would prove to be a turning point for the franchise. After finishing with the Western Conference's worst record in four of their first six seasons of play, the Sharks would miss the postseason just twice between 1998 and 2019. Regular season Captain Todd Gill was traded to the St. Louis Blues, in March. Final standings SJS SJS Playoffs In a Conference Quarterfinals series, the Sharks met the #1 seeded and Presidents' Trophy-winning Dallas Stars. The Sharks were eliminated by the Stars in six games. Schedule and results Regular season background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 5px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 5px solid; 1997–98 regular season1997-98 San Jose Sharks Schedule https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/SJS/1998_games.html Hockey-Reference.com July 8, 2023 y background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 2px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 2px solid; October: 4–9–0 (home: 2–5–0; road: 2–4–0) Game Date Score Opponent Record Recap |- |1||October 1, 1997||3–5 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1997–98) ||0–1–0 || 1997020010 L |- |2||October 4, 1997||3–2 || align="left"| Chicago Blackhawks (1997–98) ||1–1–0 || 1997020027 W |- |3||October 7, 1997||0–1 || align="left"| Ottawa Senators (1997–98) ||1–2–0 || 1997020037 L |- |4||October 9, 1997||2–3 || align="left"| @ Colorado Avalanche (1997–98) ||1–3–0 || 1997020048 L |- |5||October 11, 1997||5–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1997–98) ||2–3–0 || 1997020063 W |- |6||October 13, 1997||2–3 OT|| align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1997–98) ||2–4–0 || 1997020070 L |- |7||October 16, 1997||2–5 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1997–98) ||2–5–0 || 1997020085 L |- |8||October 19, 1997||3–5 || align="left"| @ Phoenix Coyotes (1997–98) ||2–6–0 || 1997020103 L |- |9||October 22, 1997||2–5 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1997–98) ||2–7–0 || 1997020120 L |- |10||October 25, 1997||4–3 || align="left"| @ New Jersey Devils (1997–98) ||3–7–0 || 1997020136 W |- |11||October 27, 1997||2–1 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1997–98) ||4–7–0 || 1997020147 W |- |12||October 29, 1997||3–4 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1997–98) ||4–8–0 || 1997020158 L |- |13||October 31, 1997||3–5 || align="left"| @ Chicago Blackhawks (1997–98) ||4–9–0 || 1997020170 L |- y background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 2px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 2px solid; November: 5–8–2 (home: 2–4–1; road: 3–4–1) Game Date Score Opponent Record Recap |- |14||November 1, 1997||0–2 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1997–98) ||4–10–0 || 1997020177 L |- |15||November 4, 1997||0–0 OT|| align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1997–98) ||4–10–1 || 1997020190 T |- |16||November 7, 1997||3–4 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1997–98) ||4–11–1 || 1997020209 L |- |17||November 8, 1997||3–1 || align="left"| Tampa Bay Lightning (1997–98) ||5–11–1 || 1997020218 W |- |18||November 10, 1997||6–4 || align="left"| @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1997–98) ||6–11–1 || 1997020227 W |- |19||November 12, 1997||2–5 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1997–98) ||6–12–1 || 1997020238 L |- |20||November 13, 1997||3–6 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1997–98) ||6–13–1 || 1997020247 L |- |21||November 15, 1997||2–3 || align="left"| Phoenix Coyotes (1997–98) ||6–14–1 || 1997020260 L |- |22||November 18, 1997||4–2 || align="left"| Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1997–98) ||7–14–1 || 1997020274 W |- |23||November 20, 1997||3–0 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1997–98) ||8–14–1 || 1997020285 W |- |24||November 22, 1997||5–2 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1997–98) ||9–14–1 || 1997020299 W |- |25||November 24, 1997||2–2 OT|| align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1997–98) ||9–14–2 || 1997020307 T |- |26||November 25, 1997||1–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1997–98) ||9–15–2 || 1997020311 L |- |27||November 28, 1997||2–4 || align="left"| New Jersey Devils (1997–98) ||9–16–2 || 1997020334 L |- |28||November 30, 1997||1–6 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1997–98) ||9–17–2 || 1997020346 L |- y background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 2px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 2px solid; December: 5–3–3 (home: 1–1–2; road: 4–2–1) Game Date Score Opponent Record Recap |- |29||December 1, 1997||2–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1997–98) ||9–18–2 || 1997020351 L |- |30||December 4, 1997||3–2 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1997–98) ||10–18–2 || 1997020369 W |- |31||December 10, 1997||3–3 OT|| align="left"| Washington Capitals (1997–98) ||10–18–3 || 1997020401 T |- |32||December 12, 1997||1–0 || align="left"| @ Dallas Stars (1997–98) ||11–18–3 || 1997020411 W |- |33||December 14, 1997||2–1 || align="left"| @ Chicago Blackhawks (1997–98) ||12–18–3 || 1997020423 W |- |34||December 16, 1997||5–1 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1997–98) ||13–18–3 || 1997020436 W |- |35||December 18, 1997||0–0 OT|| align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1997–98) ||13–18–4 || 1997020449 T |- |36||December 21, 1997||4–2 || align="left"| @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1997–98) ||14–18–4 || 1997020466 W |- |37||December 26, 1997||0–4 || align="left"| Phoenix Coyotes (1997–98) ||14–19–4 || 1997020489 L |- |38||December 29, 1997||1–2 || align="left"| @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1997–98) ||14–20–4 || 1997020506 L |- |39||December 30, 1997||2–2 OT|| align="left"| @ Florida Panthers (1997–98) ||14–20–5 || 1997020513 T |- y background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 2px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 2px solid; January: 6–5–2 (home: 5–4–1; road: 1–1–1) Game Date Score Opponent Record Recap |- |40||January 2, 1998||4–1 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1997–98) ||15–20–5 || 1997020531 W |- |41||January 3, 1998||0–3 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1997–98) ||15–21–5 || 1997020534 L |- |42||January 6, 1998||1–5 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1997–98) ||15–22–5 || 1997020556 L |- |43||January 10, 1998||5–2 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1997–98) ||16–22–5 || 1997020583 W |- |44||January 12, 1998||1–3 || align="left"| Dallas Stars (1997–98) ||16–23–5 || 1997020597 L |- |45||January 14, 1998||2–4 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1997–98) ||16–24–5 || 1997020610 L |- |46||January 15, 1998||2–2 OT|| align="left"| @ Colorado Avalanche (1997–98) ||16–24–6 || 1997020614 T |- |47||January 21, 1998||7–1 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (1997–98) ||17–24–6 || 1997020628 W |- |48||January 23, 1998||3–2 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1997–98) ||18–24–6 || 1997020638 W |- |49||January 24, 1998||1–1 OT|| align="left"| Florida Panthers (1997–98) ||18–24–7 || 1997020649 T |- |50||January 27, 1998||4–2 || align="left"| Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1997–98) ||19–24–7 || 1997020663 W |- |51||January 29, 1998||0–3 || align="left"| Chicago Blackhawks (1997–98) ||19–25–7 || 1997020676 L |- |52||January 31, 1998||5–2 || align="left"| Colorado Avalanche (1997–98) ||20–25–7 || 1997020690 W |- y background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 2px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 2px solid; February: 2–4–0 (home: 1–1–0; road: 1–3–0) Game Date Score Opponent Record Recap |- |53||February 2, 1998||2–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1997–98) ||20–26–7 || 1997020703 L |- |54||February 4, 1998||3–0 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1997–98) ||21–26–7 || 1997020714 W |- |55||February 5, 1998||2–4 || align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1997–98) ||21–27–7 || 1997020721 L |- |56||February 7, 1998||3–6 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1997–98) ||21–28–7 || 1997020736 L |- |57||February 26, 1998||3–1 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1997–98) ||22–28–7 || 1997020752 W |- |58||February 28, 1998||1–4 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1997–98) ||22–29–7 || 1997020763 L |- y background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 2px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 2px solid; March: 7–8–0 (home: 3–4–0; road: 4–4–0) Game Date Score Opponent Record Recap |- |59||March 2, 1998||1–3 || align="left"| Carolina Hurricanes (1997–98) ||22–30–7 || 1997020776 L |- |60||March 5, 1998||5–4 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1997–98) ||23–30–7 || 1997020793 W |- |61||March 6, 1998||3–0 || align="left"| @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1997–98) ||24–30–7 || 1997020797 W |- |62||March 9, 1998||3–2 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1997–98) ||25–30–7 || 1997020818 W |- |63||March 11, 1998||3–5 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1997–98) ||25–31–7 || 1997020827 L |- |64||March 12, 1998||1–3 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1997–98) ||25–32–7 || 1997020833 L |- |65||March 14, 1998||2–1 || align="left"| @ Carolina Hurricanes (1997–98) ||26–32–7 || 1997020842 W |- |66||March 16, 1998||2–1 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1997–98) ||27–32–7 || 1997020861 W |- |67||March 18, 1998||1–3 || align="left"| Dallas Stars (1997–98) ||27–33–7 || 1997020873 L |- |68||March 21, 1998||0–2 || align="left"| Colorado Avalanche (1997–98) ||27–34–7 || 1997020891 L |- |69||March 22, 1998||1–3 || align="left"| @ Phoenix Coyotes (1997–98) ||27–35–7 || 1997020897 L |- |70||March 24, 1998||3–4 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1997–98) ||27–36–7 || 1997020906 L |- |71||March 26, 1998||5–2 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1997–98) ||28–36–7 || 1997020921 W |- |72||March 28, 1998||4–1 || align="left"| @ Dallas Stars (1997–98) ||29–36–7 || 1997020930 W |- |73||March 30, 1998||2–6 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1997–98) ||29–37–7 || 1997020943 L |- y background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 2px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 2px solid; April: 5–1–3 (home: 3–0–1; road: 2–1–2) Game Date Score Opponent Record Recap |- |74||April 1, 1998||3–2 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1997–98) ||30–37–7 || 1997020948 W |- |75||April 2, 1998||3–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Ottawa Senators (1997–98) ||30–37–8 || 1997020959 T |- |76||April 4, 1998||5–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1997–98) ||31–37–8 || 1997020972 W |- |77||April 7, 1998||6–0 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (1997–98) ||32–37–8 || 1997020992 W |- |78||April 9, 1998||5–2 || align="left"| Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1997–98) ||33–37–8 || 1997021005 W |- |79||April 11, 1998||1–1 OT|| align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1997–98) ||33–37–9 || 1997021018 T |- |80||April 15, 1998||3–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1997–98) ||33–37–10 || 1997021038 T |- |81||April 16, 1998||1–4 || align="left"| @ Colorado Avalanche (1997–98) ||33–38–10 || 1997021046 L |- |82||April 18, 1998||4–1 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (1997–98) ||34–38–10 || 1997021060 W |- |- | Legend: #cfc Win (2 points) 1px solid black W #fcc Loss (0 points) 1px solid black L #ffc Tie (1 point) 1px solid black T Playoffs background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 5px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 5px solid; 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs y background:#fff; border-top:#00677F 2px solid; border-bottom:#A2AAAD 2px solid; Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. (1) Dallas Stars – Stars win 4–2 Game Date Score Opponent Series Recap |- | 1 || April 22, 1998 || 1–4 || align="left"| @ Dallas Stars || Stars lead 1–0 || 1997030151 L |- | 2 || April 24, 1998 || 2–5 || align="left"| @ Dallas Stars || Stars lead 2–0 || 1997030152 L |- | 3 || April 26, 1998 || 4–1 || align="left"| Dallas Stars || Stars lead 2–1 || 1997030153 W |- | 4 || April 28, 1998 || 1–0 OT|| align="left"| Dallas Stars || Series tied 2–2 || 1997030154 W |- | 5 || April 30, 1998 || 2–3 || align="left"| @ Dallas Stars || Stars lead 3–2 || 1997030155 L |- | 6 || May 2, 1998 || 2–3 OT|| align="left"| Dallas Stars || Stars win 4–2 || 1997030156 L |- |- | Legend: #cfc Win 1px solid black W #fcc Loss 1px solid black L Player statistics Scoring Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Sharks only. = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Sharks only. No. Jersey number Player Pos Position Regular season Playoffs GP Games played G Goals A Assists Pts Points +/- Plus/minus PIM Penalties in minutes GP Games played G Goals A Assists Pts Points +/- Plus/minus PIM Penalties in minutes 39 Jeff Friesen LW 79 31 32 63 8 40 6 0 1 1 −1 2 11 Owen Nolan RW 75 14 27 41 −2 144 6 2 2 4 −1 26 15 John MacLean ice hockey RW 51 13 19 32 0 28 6 2 3 5 1 4 14 Patrick Marleau C 74 13 19 32 5 14 5 0 1 1 −1 0 2 Bill Houlder D 82 7 25 32 13 48 6 1 2 3 0 2 19 Marco Sturm LW 74 10 20 30 −2 40 2 0 0 0 −2 0 37 Stephane Matteau Stéphane Matteau LW 73 15 14 29 4 60 4 0 1 1 1 0 22 Murray Craven LW 67 12 17 29 4 25 6 1 1 2 −2 0 9 Bernie Nicholls C 60 6 22 28 −4 26 6 0 5 5 −2 8 21 Tony Granato RW 59 16 9 25 3 70 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 Marcus Ragnarsson D 79 5 20 25 −11 65 6 0 0 0 2 4 18 Mike Ricci ice hockey C 59 9 14 23 −4 30 6 1 3 4 0 6 23 Todd Gill D 64 8 13 21 −13 31 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 40 Mike Rathje D 81 3 12 15 −4 59 6 1 0 1 −3 6 20 Andrei Zyuzin D 56 6 7 13 8 66 6 1 0 1 −2 14 28 Shawn Burr LW 42 6 6 12 2 50 6 0 0 0 −1 8 33 Marty McSorley D 56 2 10 12 10 140 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 3 Doug Bodger D 28 4 6 10 0 32 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 8 Jarrod Skalde C 22 4 6 10 −2 14 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 17 Joe Murphy ice hockey RW 10 5 4 9 1 14 6 1 1 2 −1 20 43 Al Iafrate D 21 2 7 9 −1 28 6 1 0 1 −4 10 12 Ron Sutter C 57 2 7 9 −2 22 6 1 0 1 −1 14 26Lowry wore number 15 until MacLean was acquired. Dave Lowry LW 50 4 4 8 0 51 6 0 0 0 0 18 25 Viktor Kozlov C 18 5 2 7 −2 2 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 42 Shean Donovan RW 20 3 3 6 3 22 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 27 Alexander Korolyuk LW 19 2 3 5 −5 6 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 7 Rich Brennan D 11 1 2 3 −4 2 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 27 Bryan Marchment D 12 0 3 3 2 43 6 0 0 0 1 10 17 Steve Guolla C 7 1 1 2 −2 0 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 62 Andrei Nazarov LW 40 1 1 2 −4 112 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 29 Mike Vernon ice hockey G 62 0 2 2 24 6 0 0 0 -98 0 24 Barry Potomski LW 9 0 1 1 1 30 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 34 Niklas Andersson LW 5 0 0 0 −1 2 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 32 Kelly Hrudey G 28 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 -98 0 30 Jason Muzzatti G 1 0 0 0 0 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 5 Ken Sutton D 8 0 0 0 −4 15 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — 16 Dody Wood C 8 0 0 0 −3 40 -1 — -1 — -1 — -1 — -99 — -1 — Goaltending = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Sharks only. No. Jersey number Player Regular season Playoffs GP Games played W Wins L Losses T Ties SA Shots against GA Goals against GAA Goals against average SV% Save percentage SO Shutouts TOI Time on Ice GP Games played W Wins L Losses SA Shots against GA Goals against GAA Goals against average SV% Save percentage SO Shutouts TOI Time on Ice 29 Mike Vernon 62 30 22 8 1401 146 2.46 .896 5 3564 6 2 4 138 14 2.41 .899 1 348 32 Kelly Hrudey 28 4 16 2 600 62 2.73 .897 1 1360 1 0 0 6 1 3.00 .833 0 20 30 Jason Muzzatti 1 0 0 0 13 2 4.49 .846 0 27 — — — — — — — — — Awards and records Awards TypeAward/honorRecipientRef League(in-season) NHL Rookie of the Month Marco Sturm (November)NHL Rookies of the Month https://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/rookiemonthly.html Hockey-Reference.com July 9, 2023 Team Sharks Player of the Year Mike Vernon2014–15 San Jose Sharks Media Guide, p.255–58 Sharks Rookie of the Year Patrick Marleau Marco Sturm Andrei Zyuzin Milestones MilestonePlayerDateRef First game Patrick Marleau October 1, 19971997-98 NHL Debuts https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1998_debut.html Hockey-Reference.com October 8, 2024 Alexander Korolyuk October 4, 1997 Marco Sturm Andrei Zyuzin October 7, 1997 1,000th game played Murray Craven March 30, 1998Cooper Tony Sharks Take a Shot Where It Hurts / Injury to Hrudey leads to Blues' rout https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Sharks-Take-a-Shot-Where-It-Hurts-Injury-to-3010928.php SFGATE July 9, 2023 March 31, 1998 Left wing Murray Craven, out the past five games with a neck injury, returned to play the 1,000th game of his NHL career. Draft picks San Jose's picks at the 1997 NHL entry draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.1997 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1997e.html www.hockeydb.com July 9, 2023 Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team 1 2 Patrick Marleau Center Seattle Thunderbirds 1 23 Scott Hannan Defense Kelowna Rockets 4 82 Adam Colagiacomo Right wing Oshawa Generals 5 107 Adam Spylo Right wing Erie Otters 7 163 Joe Dusbabek Right wing Notre Dame 8 192 Cam Severson Left wing Prince Albert Raiders 9 219 Mark Smith Center Lethbridge Hurricanes See also 1997–98 NHL season Notes References San Jose Sharks 1997-98 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0000441998.html www.hockeydb.com July 8, 2023 1997-98 San Jose Sharks Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/SJS/1998.html Hockey-Reference.com July 8, 2023 S Category:San Jose Sharks seasons San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks Category:1990s in San Jose, California