Relive the greatest moments in San Jose Sharks history with behind-the-scenes stories from the ice, locker room, and press box. For over three decades, Dan Rusanowsky has been the radio voice of the Sharks, offering a unique perspective on the team's evolution. If These Walls Could Talk takes you inside the Sharks' world, sharing untold anecdotes and personal insights from legendary players, coaches, and key figures. Discover: The inside scoop on Sharks legends like Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton - Unforgettable stories from the team's biggest playoff runs - The unique personalities that shaped the Sharks' identity For Sharks fans and hockey lovers alike, this is a must-read celebration of teal pride and the unforgettable moments that have defined the franchise. Foreword by Joe Pavelski. Ross McKeon has written about the San Jose Sharks since the franchise joined the NHL in 1991. During McKeon's career, he has covered the Sharks beat for the San Francisco Examiner, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Yahoo Sports! , in addition to contributing to NBC Sports Bay Area, The SportsXchange, Sports Illustrated, The Hockey News, The Sporting News , and Sharks Magazine . Dan Rusanowsky has been the radio play-by-play announcer for the San Jose Sharks since the team's inaugural season in 1991–92. He was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2013.  Joe Pavelski was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 2003 and is their current team captain. If These Walls Could Talk: San Jose Sharks By Dan Rusanowsky, Ross McKeon Triumph Books LLC Copyright © 2018 Dan Rusanowsky and Ross McKeon All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-62937-525-0 Contents Foreword by Joe Pavelski, Introduction, 1. The Players, 2. Long Road Trips, 3. Dean and Doug, 4. Coach's Chalkboard, 5. The Parade, 6. Jumbo Trade, 7. The Characters, 8. The Owners, 9. The Playoffs, 10. The Tough Guys, 11. The Bruce Black Story, CHAPTER 1 The Players Patrick Marleau Joined by general manager Dean Lombardi and chief scout Ray Payne, Tim Burke shook the hand of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, strode decisively to the podium, and confidently announced, "San Jose is proud to select ... from the Seattle Thunderbirds ... Patrick Marleau." A roar went up in Pittsburgh's old Igloo, which hosted the 1997 NHL Entry Draft on a warm early summer day. Down below, a few rows from the arena floor, the 17-year-old Marleau hugged his mother and shook his father's hand as the commentator told a national viewing audience, "Patrick Marleau will know the way to San Jose as he's taken second overall by the Sharks." In spite of all the hype and expectations typically heaped upon that high a draft pick, no one — and I mean no one — could have anticipated the things Marleau would accomplish over two decades in San Jose. The question was often asked, particularly early in his career, who really is Patrick Marleau? Fans and the media saw him as a quiet individual searching for consistency on the ice, and one who would typically deflect attention — a common trait among hockey players. To at least start to understand Marleau, it's best to trace his roots. Marleau grew up with two older siblings — a sister, Denise, and a brother, Richard — on a 1,600-acre wheat, grain, and cattle farm in Aneroid, Saskatchewan. Three hours from the nearest airport in Regina, and more than 40 miles away from the closest recognizable city of Swift Current, Aneroid is described as a special service area in the rural municipality of Auvergne No. 76 in the southwestern portion of the province. Population has hovered right around 50 people for the last several decades, down significantly since Aneroid's heyday when it boasted 450 residents during the 1940s and '50s. How did the town get its name, the one a commentator completely butchered before putting the mic in front of the shy Marleau during a televised predraft interview? One version suggests the first survey party lost its aneroid barometer on the present town site, and voila! Marleau was born miles away in Swift Current and attended school and played midget hockey there, but he will always tell you he is from Aneroid. Not long after Marleau was chosen by the Sharks, a large and distinctive sign was erected at the town's entrance that said "Home of Patrick Marleau." It replaced a similar sign that celebrated the village's 75 birthday, which had been more than a decade earlier. On the family farm itself, not far from the modest home and two adjacent barns, is the old fence that took the brunt of Marleau's daily barrage of practice slap shots. A goal stands nearby, but the tattered net was left hanging from the crossbar, in no shape to hold any more of Marleau's rockets. Work all day on the farm, carve out time for hockey. That was the life Marleau knew. And loved. Is it really any surprise then that he'd arrive at his first pro training camp months after getting drafted and barely utter a peep? Even his dad