When you put on a San Jose Sharks jersey, \u201cyou\u2019re part of the family.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what Vincent Desharnais said in his exit interview last week.<\/p>\n
Desharnais credited his teammates for the way they all became tight this year, but also the Sharks staff, many of whom have have been in the organization for decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have all those guys that have been around and they take so much pride in being part of the Sharks, so much pride of every day putting on a shirt with a Sharks logo on it, it just brings a vibe, a mentality,\u201d Desharnais said, spotlighting vice president Rosemary Tebaldi and retiring equipment manager Mike Aldrich, to name two. \u201cEveryone is being treated equally. Whether you\u2019re old or young, you\u2019ve been [here] for 10 years or two games, you\u2019re part of the family, and everyone\u2019s going to treat you properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a 50-game stretch before he became a member of the San Jose Sharks, he played for three different teams. Now he\u2019s played 60 games as a Shark, and he said he\u2019s grateful for the people that quickly welcomed him to San Jose.<\/p>\n
Most of those games came this season for the 6-foot-7 defender, who stepped into key roles on the Sharks\u2019 penalty kill and as a mentor to Sam Dickinson.<\/p>\n
Pending UFA Desharnais spoke on his next contract, favorite memories, Macklin Celebrini, and more.<\/p>\n
On what the pending UFA wants in his next contract\u2026<\/p>\n
Definitely a few years would be nice. I\u2019ve been in this league for 200-plus games, and I think I\u2019ve proven this year that I have a role, and I can bring something to the table on a daily basis. Like I\u2019ve mentioned this season, I have an agent. I pay him a percentage of my contract for that reason for those years, so we\u2019ll see in the next month or so with Mike (Grier). I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll talk, we\u2019ll see what comes up. But at the end of the day it\u2019s a business, right? And I\u2019ve been on the back-end of that multiple times.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll see what happens, but obviously I like San Jose, and after the year I had, I really enjoyed my time here.<\/p>\n
On his best memory from the season\u2026<\/p>\n
I would have to say the one I scored. (laughs) There\u2019s only one, that\u2019s a pretty easy one. But I would say that that game was definitely a lot of fun. First game back in two months too, I was pretty hungry.<\/p>\n
But I would say the long road trips were just so much fun, whether it was Mar (Mario Ferraro) just doing something stupid on the plane, and that\u2019s what it was. There\u2019s so many guys, like you have Klingy (John Klingberg) who\u2019s an absolute clown, and you have some younger guys, Mack, Smitty (Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith) that they\u2019re always trying to make guys laugh.<\/p>\n
Towards the second half of the season, where you had Dickie (Sam Dickinson) that was starting to get more and more comfortable, he was jumping in there.<\/p>\n
On taking Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni under his wing\u2026<\/p>\n
It\u2019s something that I really enjoy doing. I\u2019ve done that in the past in the AHL a little bit. Obviously doing it in this league is a little bit different. But it\u2019s something I have in me, I think it takes a little bit of leadership. I want to see people around me do well.<\/p>\n
When you have skill sets like them, I told Dickie that, I don\u2019t know how many times at the start of the season, \u201cYour skill-set, I can\u2019t even compare myself to you.\u201d At 19, to be able to to be in this league and to play and have the role that he had this year is incredible. So if I could just help him, give him a little bit of maturity and a little bit of tips to help his game and to help him becoming the best pro that he can it\u2019s awesome.<\/p>\n
And Mis (Michael Misa) coming to me and trying to ask me to go for lunch and to go to just talk. I love that he felt safe enough, he felt that he could trust me and spend time with me. It\u2019s a role that I appreciate having, like a big brother role. I\u2019ve always been the little brother being picked on. So it\u2019s nice being able to pick on younger guys. (laughs)<\/p>\n
On watching Macklin Celebrini, compared to seeing Connor McDavid in Edmonton\u2026<\/p>\n
The first year I got called up in Edmonton, I think that\u2019s the year that Connor got 150 points or something, so that\u2019s tough to beat from there. But if one guy can do it, it could be Mack and for him, at 19 to get 115 points, and to beat Jumbo Joe\u2019s record, and to do it on a team that didn\u2019t even make playoffs. It\u2019s gonna be exciting to see next few years, because this team is going to be a playoff team, and the boat is turned around, and he\u2019s one of the main reasons why.<\/p>\n
On Mario Ferraro this season\u2026<\/p>\n
For him to play 82 this season with his body banged up\u2026We\u2019d always talk about it. We got to always try to push each other. And being together on the kill and going through ups and downs, and always talking to each other on the plane, trying to find solutions. He\u2019s another player that I really hope can come back here.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s one of the guys that he\u2019s a big part of this team, and he\u2019s one of the big reasons why this team is turning around. His work ethic and his love for the game \u2013 you can ask anyone on this team, there\u2019s not two Mario Ferraros. If for some reason, we don\u2019t play on the same team next season, I\u2019m definitely going to miss him for sure.<\/p>\n