During his illustrious career, Patrick Marleau never stayed away from the San Jose Sharks. The former captain, now retired, has rejoined the team, but this time on the staff.
The 43-year-old spent 21 seasons, divided into three stints, with the Californian club. He played his final season with the Sharks in 2020-2021, and his number 12 jersey was hoisted aloft the SAP Center this past February.
Marleau will take on new responsibilities in San Jose. He has been hired as a player development coach and will also serve as hockey operations advisor to General Manager Mike Grier.
“I am very happy to be back in the Sharks organization. “I look forward to working with players on the rink to help them reach their full potential and to share the knowledge I’ve gained over my 23 years in the National Hockey League,” said the native Saskatchewan Hockey League players on Friday in a statement.
Grier was full of praise for the former teammate. Marleau is the player who has played the most regular season games in Bettman Circuit history with 1,779 games.
“It’s rare to have the opportunity to add someone to an organization with the talent and personality Patrick Marleau has. As one of the best players of his generation, Patty has an unlimited institutional knowledge base about the game,” noted the GM.
After also briefly playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marleau recorded 566 goals and 631 assists for 1,197 points.