SAN JOSE -- Doug Wilson was nearing the end of his playing career as an NHL defenseman when he joined the expansion San Jose Sharks for the 1991-92 season after 14 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks.
San Jose, which was awarded an NHL franchise on May 9, 1990, played its first two seasons near San Francisco at the aging Cow Palace while its new arena was under construction.
"We didn't have great teams, but we had great people, we had great character," Wilson, San Jose's general manager since 2003, said at the Sharks 25th Anniversary Celebration at SAP Center on Tuesday.