Sharks set date for return home
Will play Ducks on Feb. 13 and Feb. 15 at SAP Center
The San Jose Sharks finally know when they’ll be able to play at SAP Center again.
The Sharks announced Wednesday that while they will still play the Vegas Golden Knights at Gila River Arena on Monday and Wednesday of next week, they would return to San Jose in mid-February to face the Anaheim Ducks at their downtown arena. Per Santa Clara County directives, spectators will not be allowed to attend the Feb. 13 and 15 games against the Ducks, which will be the Sharks’ first inside SAP Center since March 2020. After those games are played, the Sharks would still have 24 of their final 40 games at home.
Santa Clara County health officials on Monday allowed for the possibility for collegiate and professional sports to resume in the county if certain stringent directives were closely followed, in-
cluding regular testing for athletes and staff members, face coverings being continuously used and proper distancing being maintained.
A statement from Sharks indicated they had consulted with the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association before they finalized their plans.
“While we are pleased to have received permission for the team to return to Santa Clara County,” the team said in the statement, “there are numerous health and safety issues — both from the County and League level — that need to be implemented to ensure the safety of the returning players and staff.”
The Sharks will head to Arizona after their game Thursday with the Colorado Avalanche, their last of a season-opening eightgame road trip. The Sharks will be considered the home team for their games with the Golden Knights.
The Sharks said a ‘very limited’ number of tickets would be available to the games for fans residing in Arizona.
After the two-game series with Vegas, the Sharks travel to Southern California for two games against the Ducks on Feb. 5-6, followed by two games with the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 9 and 11.
TWO TRADES NET DEFENSEMAN CHRISTIAN JAROS FROM SENATORS >> The San Jose Sharks made two trades Wednesday, resulting in the acquisition of defenseman Christian Jaros from the Ottawa Senators.
First, the Sharks sent defenseman Trevor Carrick to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Jack Kopacka, then dealt Kopacka and their own 2022 seventh-round draft pick to the Senators for Jaros.
Jaros, 24, has been with the Belleville Senators of the AHL and not yet played a game this season. It is unclear if he will join the Sharks’ roster or be assigned to the Barracuda. In another move Wednesday, the Sharks placed defenseman Jake Middleton on waivers.
Jaros, listed at 6-foot-3 and 222 pounds, split last season between Ottawa and Belleville. He played in 13 NHL games and had three assists and six penalty minutes. He played in 34 games with Belleville and had 15 points, a plus20 rating and 14 penalty minutes.
Jaros has played in 76 NHL games with 13 points and 33 penalty minutes. In the AHL, he has appeared in 79 games, scoring 31 points with a plus-10 rating and 57 penalty minutes.
“Christian is a big right-shot defenseman who plays a physical game,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. “He is a young player with 76 games of NHL experience so far and has the ability to grow his game.”
Internationally, Jaros has represented Slovakia in the 2015 and 2016 World Junior Championships, being named captain in 2016. He helped Slovakia win a Bronze medal in 2015, recording one assist across seven games. Jaros was drafted by Ottawa in 2015.