By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

SAN JOSE–The 2015-16 National Hockey League season just got under way, and the NHL team for the Bay Area, the San José Sharks are celebrating their 25th Anniversary. Hard to believe, this reporter covered the Sharks even since when they were building their current home SAP Arena in San José, and while they where playing their very first games of their history at the Cow Palace in Daly City. I remember when I was working for Telemundo 48 in San José, reporting from the construction site where the SAP Arena where it is today, and also covering their first game at the Cow Palace, and also their first game at their new arena in San José 25 years ago. A lot has happened during the past 25 years.

History tells us that the San José Sharks were the first NHL franchise in Bay Area history since the California Golden Seals, which -by the way- moved from Oakland to Cleveland in 1976. One of Sports Radio Service’s own, Mr. Len Shapiro has followed the hockey scene in the Bay Area longer than anybody I have known. Len was the assistant Public Relations man for the California Seals, and then the Public Relations man for the last two years in Oakland. Len covered the team 1967-1973 for KPEN radio in Los Altos.

The California Seals were part of the “Second Six”when they joined the NHL in 1967. They played through the end of the 1975 season and the last game was on April 4, 1975 as they beat the Kings. The next team in the Bay Area was the San Francisco Shamrocks and they played at the Cow Palace from 1977 to 1978. They won the PHL title in their first season 1977-78. Wayne “Moon”Rivers was the coach. The next segment of hockey history was the NHL exhibition games played at the Cow Palace and Oakland Arena from 1984 to 1992. The key game was played in 1988 when Wayne Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles. “We had the Kings scheduled to play the Red Wings and we sold out the game in 90 minutes”said Shapiro, today one of the great historians of hockey in Northern California, who continues “The NHL noticed and so did former Seals owner George Gund, who owned at this point the Minnesota North Stars, so when San José got it’s act together and built an arena, the National Hockey League then awarded San José a team”

Like Len says “today 25 years later hockey has a strong hold in Northern California”. It was because of people like Len Shapiro with their knowledge of the game of hockey, his passion and perseverance in promotion of the game of hockey that now the Bay Area enjoys an NHL franchise like the San José Sharks and thousands of fans crowd the SAP arena during their games. In my book he is truly a Pioneer in hockey for Northern California and Len deserves the recognition.

The San José Sharks are celebrating their 25th year in the Bay Area with numerous promotions. The team also extended their commitment to broadcasting all their games on KFOX 98.5FM radio with Dan Rusanowsky at the mic member of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame. While multiple Emmy Award winner Randy Hahn provides all the action on Comcast Sportsnet California.

Congratulations Sharks on your 25th Anniversary and the best of luck trying to bring home their first Stanley Cup.

(Thanks to Len Shapiro, who was there from the very beginning of professional hockey in the Bay Area for his collaboration)

Amaury Pi Gonzalez and Len Shapiro are both talk show hosts for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

photo credit news.sportslogos.net Sharks 25th anniversary logo

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On Sunday, October 18, 2015 9:39 AM, “scrmeagles@comcast.net” wrote:

San José Sharks 25th Anniversary and his

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That’s Amaury News and Commentaryhttps://soundcloud.com/sports-radio-service/ncaa-podcast-with-michelle-richardson-sun-oct-18-2015

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