John Klingberg joins the San Jose Sharks in the healthiest form of himself in multiple years.
Being out with an injury, especially one as significant as the one Klingberg has dealt with in his hips, can take a major mental toll. At the end of the day, an NHL player is doing a job to provide for themselves and their family.
While it is an enjoyable job to play the game they love, sometimes the grind of a season or career can cause the love of the game to fade. For Klingberg, the support he got from multiple organizations, including the short period now with the Sharks, has helped him keep that joy.
“That’s a good question, because there’s been a lot of days and a lot of times where I didn’t enjoy it at all. You just remember how fun it was when you were growing up. How many friends you have that are still your best friends to this day,” Klingberg exclusively told SHD. “Knowing what kind of player you can be out there, and striving to become the best version of your professional hockey self. That’s still something that drives me, because I know what I can do. I just hope that I can get back to that and feel like my body also allows me to be the best version of myself.”
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
Klingberg played in 11 regular-season games for the Edmonton Oilers in 2024-25. He also played in 19 postseason games during the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
During his recovery, Klingberg relied heavily upon his teammates, agent, and family to get him through some of the hardest times of his life.
“Mostly my agent. My rehab guy in Toronto was really good, too. Family, my wife, and family friends,” Klingberg explained. “It’s something that comes [from] within you. The drive [to] want to become better every day. Knowing what kind of player you can be.”
What play in hockey does Klingberg get the most joy from other than scoring?
Scoring a goal in the NHL will always show up on the highlight reel. But for San Jose Sharks d-man John Klingberg, there is a play that gives him the most joy: a clean breakout.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
“What it comes down to is going back for a puck, and you have a forechecker, and you just know that you’re going to be able to control wherever you want to go,” Klingberg said. “Knowing he’s coming, but I know exactly what to do before he tries to hit me. I think that’s what starts within my game, is always breaking out the puck clean.”
The 33-year-old understands that his game is meant to be played in the offensive zone. Klingberg is a brilliant puck-moving defenseman and fits the Sharks’ need, but his understanding of what makes him successful in all areas is something the young team can learn from.
“A lot of my game is obviously in the o-zone, being active, distributing the puck, walking the line, and shooting, getting it through. A lot of that,” Klingberg said. “But [a clean breakout is] one part of the game that just happens a few times a game. As a D, you’re going back for pucks every shift. When that’s on point in my game, that’s when I play my best.”
The Sharks defenseman has appeared in one preseason game so far. He scored a power-play goal, but missed a couple of days of practice due to an upper-body injury. Luckily, the injury wasn’t related to his hips.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
Klingberg will play in his second San Jose Sharks preseason game on Wednesday. He will be paired on defense with Nick Leddy.
“I think the big thing will be continuing to build that chemistry,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Breaking out pucks. I think they both have a really good natural ability to do that. Hopefully that leads us to playing more offense.”
Read more news and stories about the San Jose Sharks on Sharks Hockey Digest! Bookmark the page and follow Sharks Hockey Digest on Twitter @SharksHKYDigest!
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.