{"id":609147,"date":"2026-06-28T07:21:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T07:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/609147\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T07:21:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T07:21:12","slug":"jake-gustafson-on-his-favorite-sharks-fan-moment-blacking-out-when-grier-called","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/609147\/","title":{"rendered":"Jake Gustafson on His Favorite Sharks’ Fan Moment, Blacking Out When Grier Called"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jake Gustafson<\/a> is coming home.<\/p>\n

The San Jose Sharks drafted the Jr. Shark, the son of the SAP Center vice president Jon Gustafson, with the No. 174 pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true to play for my hometown\u2019s team,\u201d he said. \u201cI grew up cheering for them, rooting for them. It\u2019s just a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 6-foot-4 center played for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL this past season, putting up 13 goals and 25 points in 68 games played.<\/p>\n

Following in his father\u2019s footsteps, in the 2027-28 season he will play for Colorado College in the NCAA.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means so much to him,\u201d Jake said. \u201cHe\u2019s proud of me. This is a dream come true for both of us. I get to stay, I get to play in my hometown, play in front of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake Gustafson spoke about getting the call from GM Mike Grier, his favorite San Jose Sharks moment, how excited he was to see SAP Center getting filled up once again.<\/p>\n

On how he heard he\u2019d been drafted\u2026<\/p>\n

I was sitting outside, kind of like I am now, just waiting, watching, hoping every time the Sharks came by they were going to pick me. And thankfully, the time came around, Mike Grier gave me a call. He called my dad, actually, and then my dad handed me the phone. It was a pretty special moment.<\/p>\n

I was sitting here sweating bullets a little bit, and then my dad walks outside and he\u2019s like, \u201cI have someone on the phone for you.\u2019 And everything went black after that. It was just a wave of emotions, I can\u2019t even describe it.<\/p>\n

On what type of player he is\u2026<\/p>\n

Tall, lanky, good-skating, 200-foot forward, plays a hard style, right in front of the net, gets in the dirty areas.<\/p>\n

On his favorite moment as a San Jose Sharks fan\u2026<\/p>\n

Game Seven against Vegas. I was at that game when Joe Pavelski went down. I remember we were going to leave because school night, it was getting late. We decided to stay for the power play, and thankfully bang, bang, bang, bang, four quick goals, and then it was a brand-new ball game.<\/p>\n

On when he started playing hockey\u2026<\/p>\n

My brother started playing, and when he started, I just watched him. As I grew up, I started skating a little bit. Me and him are super competitive, so me and him would always go at it when we were little. I just fell in love with it through him and my dad.<\/p>\n

On what the last year has been like as a Sharks fan, seeing the excitement come back\u2026<\/p>\n

Unbelievable. Nothing else to say about it. It\u2019s great to see the team starting to take the steps again, and I\u2019m super happy to be a part of the organization.<\/p>\n

On seeing the Jr. Sharks program grow\u2026<\/p>\n

I think Scott Hannan took it over now, and he\u2019s done a really good job. He\u2019s pushing kids to stay because there\u2019s no reason to really leave home until they\u2019re 15, 16. He\u2019s pushing and developing kids, he\u2019s bringing stuff in, bringing in camps, getting them really good tournaments. They\u2019re doing a great job.<\/p>\n

From growing up in San Jose cheering for the @SanJoseSharks<\/a> to becoming one, it’s full circle for Jake Gustafson! \ud83e\udd88 #NHLDraft<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/TXlsSdWumt<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NHL (@NHL) June 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

On this photo of him in goalie gear, his dad\u2019s position\u2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019m pretty sure he tried to steer me away from goalie, but I\u2019d always see the pictures and everything of him, all his stuff. I was like, \u201cOh, I want to be a goalie, I want to be a goalie,\u2019 until I got hit in the head by my brother, he shot a puck at my head, and it didn\u2019t feel too good, and I was like, \u201cI want to be a player now, and I want to score goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch the full interview here<\/a><\/p>\n

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