Editor's note: The Sharks have been in existence for 28 years and have worn a variety of jerseys in that span - teal, black and white. NBC Sports California ranked the five best sweaters since San Jose first took the ice in 1991. We start with the fifth-best Sharks jersey: The current black sweater.
The idea of a "blackout" uniform is something that has fired up fan bases all across sports for years. Football and basketball teams all across the country will unveil a special black uniform, often pairing it with a significant game in the season, and encourage fans to come head-to-toe in black as well.
Although the Sharks have always had black as part of their color scheme, the organization decided to unveil an updated motif on the eve of the 2018 season. Behold, the "Stealth" jersey.
Here is how the team describes the concept of Stealth:
In the still of darkness, Sharks strike fear in their prey. Always hunting, they move furtively in their environment. At any moment, Sharks will strike. Designed with the ability to make detection difficult, they emerge suddenly with incredible speed and technical precision. Waves of ferocity engulf the opponent before they even know what's happening. And in the blink of an eye, the opposition is defeated. This is the inspiration for Stealth. A clean, modern design influenced by our attacking style, history, and home in Silicon Valley.
The design was done in tandem with adidas, who took over the manufacturing of all NHL uniforms prior to the 2017-18 season. Adidas breaks down the technology within the uniform below:
At the forefront of innovation, design and craftsmanship, the adidas adizero Authentic jersey takes the hockey jersey silhouette to the next level by redefining fit, feel and lightweight construction. The Adidas adizero Authentic jersey is lighter, cooler and stronger, featuring adizero lightweight cresting and twill numbers, Adidas Climate® technology and Aeroknit detailing, the platinum NHL Shield and an interior fight strap.
The #StealthNights were announced before the season and covered every Thursday and Friday night home game as well as one Saturday game against the Philadelphia Flyers. In addition to the sweaters, themed game presentation and programming elements were added to further the “Stealth” experience.
The results on the ice were just above average, as the team won seven out of 13 "Stealth" games during the season.
[RELATED: Huge new Sharks mural in San Jose will absolutely make your jaw drop]
San Jose Sharks
Although the black provides an intimidation factor and undoubtedly is a sleek look, it's hard to slot an alternate combination much higher on the list. The design does a nice job of bringing together both past elements and a futuristic theme that makes it one of the more prominent across the NHL.
Check back each day this week as we continue to unveil our top-five San Jose Sharks uniforms of all-time.