San Jose opened its home schedule with a teal-carpet show that had as much chrome as hockey gear, rolling into SAP Center in vintage rides before Thursday’s matchup with the Florida Panthers.
Sharks make a memorable home-opening entrance
- Players arrived outside the arena in classic cars, with some perched atop convertibles while others rode inside customized hot rods as fans gathered along the teal carpet.
- Roommates Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith shared a ride for the club’s first game of the season.
- Veteran forwards Alexander Wennberg and Tyler Toffoli supplied the biggest moment of the arrivals when their vehicle stopped and its hydraulic suspension began bouncing.
- Wennberg and Toffoli held on as the car rose and dipped to the crowd’s reaction before stepping out for the walk into the building.
- After leaving their cars, Sharks players spent time signing autographs and posing for photos with fans before heading inside for the Panthers game.
It was a fittingly loud, distinctly San Jose start to opening week: teal everywhere, a packed fan line and a pregame procession that made sure the Sharks’ home opener began well before the opening faceoff.
