The San José Sharks opened up their season at SAP Center with a pregame block party to get fans involved with the excitement of the new season.
The festival was held outside the center with Barack Obama Blvd. to Arena Green West blocked off.
Teal lowriders from the United Lowrider Council of San José lined the street outside of the center while a teal carpet led into the venue where Sharks players walked and interacted with fans.
Carter Tethrow, a longtime fan of the Sharks, was there seeing his favorite players walk the teal carpet and socializing with other Sharks fans.
“I’ve been waiting for hockey season to come back around and this was a great opportunity to see some of my favorite players from a team I’ve loved since I was a kid,” Tethrow said.
Developing stars like center Macklin Celebrini and right wing Will Smith also participated in the teal carpet walk.
The two stars were featured as the bobbleheads in a giveaway for fans.
It was inspired by last season’s shenanigans where the two were having sleepovers during away games in their hotel rooms, according to a July 17, NHL article.
A street unveilment was held to reveal “Sharks Way” formerly known as St. Johns Street.
This comes months after the City of San José announced an agreement to extend the Sharks lease at the SAP Center keeping the team in San José through the 2050-51 season, according to the NHL website.
Chris Muñoz, a Sharks fan, was excited for hockey season to return, especially after the Sharks announced their extended lease in San José.
“I love Sharks hockey, so I was relieved to hear about the team extending their lease here at the SAP Center,” Muñoz said.
There were photo opportunities for fans throughout the event including a huge shark head where fans could line up while a professional photographer took photos.
The event also had $8 beers which some fans took advantage of before heading into the arena.
Adrian Curiel, a fan who traveled from Los Banos, was enjoying drinks with his friends and socializing before entering the arena.
“It’s not a bad price compared to how much beer is when you get into the arena, it’s a great way to pregame, too,” Curiel said.
A DJ played music for fans to listen to while they waited for the general admission doors to open.
Food trucks were available for fans to enjoy from local vendors such as Ivan’s Baked Potatoes.
There were activities for a lot of the younger fans and kids, which included mini drills with a hockey stick and wiffle ball so fans can practice their stick handling and dribbling.
“This festival has been a cool experience, I wanted to get here early to get my hands on the bobblehead giveaway and this was a great way to kill time before heading into the game,” Muñoz said.
Team gear was also available for purchase with a Sharks pro shop merch truck parked right outside the arena, which had the team’s new heritage jersey available for purchase.
Sharks representatives went around giving away posters which included a photo of the Sharks core players and the full 2025-26 season schedule located on the back.
“This was a really cool event, I’m glad I got to enjoy it. It really got the vibes up for the start of the season, hoping it’s a good one this year,” Curiel said.
