SAN JOSE – It’s fair to say that tight end George Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers are welcome back at SAP Center to watch a San Jose Sharks game anytime.
A handful of 49ers players, including Kittle, quarterback Brock Purdy and fullback Kyle Juszczyk, made their presence felt Tuesday night as the Sharks hosted the Calgary Flames.
Kittle and his teammates were in the Sharks’ dressing room before the game to read the starting lineup. Then, just like a few 49ers players did during the 2019 playoffs, they opened the door to the team’s locker room right before the start of the game, as the Sharks skated onto the ice to Metallica’s “Seek and Destroy.”
The 49ers got what they came for, too, as the Sharks, behind a four-point night from Macklin Celebrini, beat the Flames 6-3 for their third straight win.
“Those guys were in there before the game, and they’re in there now having … a couple Cokes,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “But you can tell by the passion that they have, the swagger, that’s why they’ve won. You can see it by the players that are here, and the energy that they bring.”
The game also delivered on the physicality, with the two teams combining for 48 hits, much to the delight of the 14,261 in attendance.
Tuesday night at the Tank with the @49ers! 🏈#BayAreaUnite pic.twitter.com/iUFlBuH6JX
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) December 17, 2025
Celebrini got things going right away with a no-look pass to defenseman John Klingberg for a one-timer that gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead 62 seconds into the game.
Maybe the pump-up speech from the excitable Kittle, who is also a Predators fan since he lives in the Nashville area in the offseason, had the desired effect.
“It was nice having the 49ers in the room giving us the read before the game,” said Sharks winger Tyler Toffoli, who scored his 300th career NHL goal in the third period.
“I’m assuming you guys saw who got us going, and (Kittle’s) known for it, so he did a great job and got us going, obviously, with that start.”
The 49ers improved to 10-4 this season with a 37-24 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Going into this week, they are in third place in the NFC West, as they, with three games left, try to lock down a fourth playoff appearance in five years.
San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle (85) takes a photo of the San Jose Sharks mascot SJ Sharkie along with his 49ers teammates during the Sharks game against the Calgary Flames in the second period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
The Sharks would also love to make the playoffs and end their six-year postseason drought, but they have a long way to go. They enter Wednesday in the second and final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with 37 points, five points back of the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks, but still have 48 games to go.
The Sharks, most of them, anyway, would love to see the 49ers make another run at an NFC title and play in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
“It’s great for this area,” Warsofsky said of seeing a fellow Bay Area team rally around the Sharks. “It’s great for the community to see the two organizations and we’re building. We want to look at what they do, the culture that they’ve set, and the standard they set. And we want to continue to build that.”
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) scores a goal against Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) scores a goal against Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Barclay Goodrow (23) celebrates his goal with San Jose Sharks’ Zack Ostapchuk (63) against the Calgary Flames in the first period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) takes a shot against the Calgary Flames in the first period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) blocks a shot against Calgary Flames’ Blake Coleman (20) in the second period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) can’t get the puck into the net against Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) in the first period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. San Jose Sharks’ Barclay Goodrow (23) would score on the ricochet. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Zack Ostapchuk (63) can’t get a shot past Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) in the second period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Ryan Reaves (75) is held by two referees following a scuffle against the Calgary Flames in the second period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) breaks away on his way to scoring an empty net goal against the Calgary Flames in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Barclay Goodrow (23) controls the puck against Calgary Flames’ MacKenzie Weegar (52) in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) controls the puck against the Calgary Flames in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Ryan Reaves (75) fights for the puck against Calgary Flames’ Rasmus Andersson (4) in the first period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Sharks’ Collin Graf (51) takes a shot against Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) in the first period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) scores a goal against Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)