Sharks icon Marleau set to retire next week
SAN JOSE >> Patrick Marleau, the NHL's all-time leader in games played, will make an announcement next week regarding the future of his hockey career, the Sharks said Friday.
Indications are Marleau, 42, will officially announce his retirement from playing.
Marleau's announcement will take place Tuesday at SAP Center and be attended by both Jonathan Becher, president of Sharks Sports & Entertainment, and Sharks interim general manager Joe Will. It was not immediately clear if Marleau would join the Sharks in some other capacity.
Marleau played a record 1,779 regular-season games over a 23year NHL career. His marks of 566 goals and 1,197 points now rank 23rd and 50th, respectively, in NHL history.
Marleau, who was drafted second overall by the Sharks in 1997, is the franchise leader in several individual statistical categories, including games played (1,607), goals (522), and points (1,111).
Marleau also helped Team Canada win gold at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, burnishing a resume that is all but certain to one day include his plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and likely a spot in the rafters of the Shark Tank for his No. 12 jersey number.
Marleau, widely known as “Mr. Shark,” played 19 seasons