SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks say that the future is teal. But the present is a work in progress.
The Sharks this offseason took down some of the old banners that have hung from the rafters at SAP Center for years, ones that marked each of the team’s six Pacific Division titles, along with their one Western Conference title and President’s Trophy.
All of the years the Sharks won the division crown are now marked on one banner, and new Western Conference and President’s Trophy banners were raised.
The problem is those two banners both have 2015-16 displayed on them. While the Sharks won their first and only Western Conference title in 2015-16, they captured the President’s Trophy during the 2008-09 season for finishing atop the NHL’s regular season standings.
In 2015-16, the Sharks, in their first season under then-coach Pete DeBoer, finished 11th in the overall standings with 98 points and a record of 46-30-6. The Sharks then beat the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference playoffs to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final.
The Sharks then lost the Cup final in six games to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who earlier beat that year’s President’s Trophy winners, the Washington Capitals, in the second round.
In 2008-09, Todd McLellan’s first year as head coach, the Sharks finished first in the NHL standings with a record of 53-18-11 for 117 points, one point ahead of the Boston Bruins.
Not sure how long it’s been like this, but the Sharks replaced some of their division championship banners with one that lists all of them. The 19 and 12 banners are also on that end of the rink. pic.twitter.com/BKiM5WaraO
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) September 21, 2025
But in one of their most stinging playoff defeats, the Sharks lost to the Anaheim Ducks, who were seeded eighth in the West that year, in the first round in six games.
The Sharks’ team slogan is “The Future is Teal,” a reference to what they hope is a bright future with what has been rated as the top prospect pool in the NHL. They played their first preseason game on Sunday at SAP against the Vegas Golden Knights.
