We're only one game into the new NHL season
and there's a boatload to cover. I'm going to try something new this season and
do a weekly column on just a hodge-podge of topics. Nothing in particular, just
observations of all things Sharks and the NHL. We'll see how it goes. Think of
it as a bullet list of water cooler topics, but cooler.
- Let's start
with the elephant in the room. Evander Kane. The league came down hard on him
today by levying a 21-game suspension. He won't be paid during that span, which
means he just gave up more than 25% of his 2021-22 salary. Kane earned the
suspension by apparently trying to pass a bogus COVID vaccination card. It's
not clear if he tried submitting it to the league in order to meet their
vaccination requirements, or if he was popped somewhere else. The league has
been tight lipped on the entire matter.
- The Sharks are simply in a
lose-lose situation when it comes to Kane. They have essentially lost their top
producing forward from last season, and get nothing in return. It's not clear
if they don't have to pay him, or if the portion of his salary gets "donated"
to the NHL. Most salaries are placed into a fund that is used by the league,
which is extremely unfair to the team. They weren't responsible for Kane's
behavior, but they still have to pick up the tab. The league gets to be judge,
jury and tax collector in this case.
- Keeping on the lose-lose theme,
the Sharks front office is caught between a rock and a hard place right now. If
they hang on to Kane, they'll have to face the ire of a fan base that's had it
with Kane. When it comes to public health, Kane cheated, and the cautious
confines of the Bay Area all want Kane's head on a pike because he tried
passing a bogus COVID vaccination card. If they dump him, they'll get nothing
in return and he'll likely end up playing for some other NHL team. Every team
in the NHL knows the Sharks have zero leverage here, and nobody will take on
his public relations nightmare if there is a multi-million dollar contract
attached to it. If San Jose were to release Kane, he'd probably just hide out
and collect on his salary until the smoke clears.
- Speaking of
vaccination cards, I spent a couple of hours on Saturday trying to get my CLEAR
online vaccination certification setup so that I could attend the game later
that night. The instructions sent by the team didn't address how to setup the
process for a minor. Talk about a non-intuitive process. After tearing my hair
out, I finally figured if out, but not after spending way too much time to do
so. To top things off, when I entered SAP Center, nobody even bothered to check
my credential. It was the most appropriate end to the entire ordeal.
- As for the game, and more importantly the in-game
experience, the first things fans may have noticed, that there were no
wristbands taped to their seats as they entered the venue. That's because the
Sharks have moved to a new system which employs an led light system bolted on
to the season itself. It guarantees that every light will be in the same
uniform location for the pre-game light show, but it also means the Sharks
don't have to pay for those wristbands, which walk out the door after every
giveaway. What was odd about the light show itself was that it clearly
showcased which seats were empty. When the lights dimmed, less than half the
arena was filled, so it looked as if there were plenty of unsold seats. Sharks
President Jonathan Becher quickly tweeted that the game was a sellout when
others started commenting on the empty seats.
- Did a large number of
fans think the game started at 7:30 (it started at 7:00pm)? The venue was
filled with empty seats until the middle of the 2nd period. I was in the
building so I can't comment on if the queues to get into the building were
bogged down or not. It was strange regardless. Big blocks of seats were wide
open for that opening 20 minutes.
- I was walking the concourse before
the game just to get a feel for new things the Sharks may be employing in the
venue. One thing that caught my attention was a bunch of pucks that the team
was selling at one of the merchandise stands. They were all involved in goals
scored in games last season. They were all wrapped with white tape, with the
goal scorer and game written on the puck. I suppose buying a piece of Sharks
history is something some fans would be interested in, but I'd rather see those
end up at the Sharks Foundation booth, where proceeds go to a worthy
benefactor.
- I was talking to my Sharks account contact, who is one
of many new faces in the organization. I asked if the Sharks had a resource
purge in the ticket department because of the pandemic, and his response was
actually better than I had expected. Apparently, because of the pandemic, lots
of new job opportunities started to open up for those account reps who used to
manage the needs of season ticket holders. So rather than getting canned, most
moved on to bigger and better roles with other sports or ticketing
organizations. It was great to hear that some of these folks were able to turn
some of the darkness of the pandemic into bigger and better career
opportunities.
- As for the game, how many Jets players went head
first into the boards after missing checks on rookie William Eklund? I think I
counted three players flying past the rookie forward and plowing into the
boards. At least two of those may have injured themselves.
- Speaking
of rookies, Jonathan Dahlen just missed out on joining the rookie coming out
party on Saturday night. Eklund and Jasper Weatherby made the score sheet with
their first NHL points (Weatherby notched a goal and an assist), but Dahlen
missed out...by inches. Connor Hellebuyck made a crazy diving save in the 3rd
period on a Dahlen shot that looked destined for twine. At least for one night,
it was validation that the Sharks made the right decision in keeping the trio
of rookies on the opening night roster. Defenseman Santeri Hattaka was a
scratch, but he may get his chance to join the younglings club sooner than
later.
