After entering this season with almost no expectations, the San Jose Sharks have made a remarkable rise to playoff contention. Despite being largely projected as the NHL’s worst team, they have battled and scraped their way to a spot right in the heart of the Western Conference playoff race.
In doing so, they’ve given Bay Area sports fans something they haven’t had much of in recent years: a Cinderella team to root for. It’s a new angle for sports in the region, and one that might not last much longer if the Sharks’ plans work out the way they want them to.
Bay Area Hasn’t Seen Many Underdogs Recently
Recent Bay Area sports have mostly been defined by championship-or-bust mentalities. The Bay Area’s two most prominent teams, the Golden State Warriors and San Francisco 49ers, have focused mostly on title contention over the last decade or so, with the Warriors succeeding. They’ve both had some great seasons, but largely kept to expectations in the process.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants are stuck between a rebuild and contention, kept down at least in part by playing in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers, and have won just one playoff round since winning the World Series in 2014. Furthermore, none of the Bay Area’s college teams are significant players in any major sports right now. Like the Giants, they theoretically could go on Cinderella runs, but haven’t done so.
This setup gives the Sharks a unique spot in Bay Area sports fandom, and they’re filling it for the first time this season. They’ve created a buzz around hockey by defying expectations, and the region is noticing. Attendance at home games is on the rise after a period of decline, and local media outlets are giving the team increased coverage.
Amidst a ton of teams with either heavy championship aspirations or no championship aspirations at all, the Sharks admittedly fall into the latter category. But thanks to some exciting wins and a helping of star power from Macklin Celebrini, they’re the most notable member of that group to turn into playoff contenders. Rooting for an unexpectedly good team is fun and offers a unique kind of thrill, and no one is taking it for granted.
Sharks Fans Should Embrace Their Current Existence
The Bay Area loves a Cinderella story, but they only come around so often. The three best recent examples are the 2025 Golden State Valkyries, 2021 Giants and 2007 Warriors. They are some of the only recent exceptions to the rule, and fans seemed to be aware of this.
In all three cases, fan support rose not only because the teams were good but because they represented an underdog mindset that was easy to root for. Wins became more fun because they were surprising rather than expected, while losses were easier to take because they didn’t attach themselves to failure the way they might for a team that’s supposed to win. All of that applies to the Sharks right now as well.
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None of this is to say that the Sharks should be satisfied with their current standing. They should absolutely be frustrated by crushing losses like the one against the Edmonton Oilers earlier this week. In the midst of a playoff race, games like that are crucial for positioning, and the loss is infuriating. But the Sharks should also appreciate how long it’s been since they were good enough to be in such a position this late in the season, where such a loss can even be described as infuriating in the first place.
The Sharks are succeeding thanks to a wide range of factors, including luck, working as a team and a group of young players performing beyond their years. All of those are a pretty good recipe for the types of teams Bay Area fans and sports fans in general like to root for.
But this current trend won’t last forever. Within the next couple of seasons, the Sharks should transform into a team that expects deep playoff runs like the Warriors and 49ers, assuming everything goes according to plan. In the meantime, San Jose — as both a fanbase and an organization — should embrace their current state while they still can.
