The Sharks already were well-represented at NHL All-Star Weekend in San Jose, with Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson all participating.
Then Toronto's Auston Matthews decided the Skills Competition on Friday night needed a little extra Sharks-flavor.
As he took the ice for the shooting accuracy challenge, Matthews ditched his own jersey for that of his current Maple Leafs teammate, Patrick Marleau.
A little tribute to a @SanJoseSharks legend. #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/x0lEVer3Q2
— NHL (@NHL) January 26, 2019
Marleau, of course, played the first 19 years of his career with the Sharks before joining the Maple Leafs as a free agent prior to the start of last season. He ranks first in San Jose franchise history in games played (1493), goals (508) and points (1,082).
When Matthews revealed Marleau's jersey, the SAP Center crowd roared with approval and greeted him with a standing ovation.
BAH GAWD THAT’S MARLEAU’S MUSIC! #NHLAllStar #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/2mPMB8PUfh
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 26, 2019
After Matthews finished his round in the shooting accuracy challenge, he posed for a photo with the three current Sharks All-Stars.
Our guys just had to take a group photo with "Patrick Marleau" 📸#NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/4YjxQyvkdf
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 26, 2019
[RELATED:Â Born in Bay Area, Matthews returns as All-Star Game captain]
Good on you, Matthews. Very cool.