He's back where he belongs.
The nickname "Mr. Shark" possessed by Patrick Marleau is part of what adds to the emotions behind the veteran's return to San Jose.
Marleau woke up and looked at his phone that was filled with text messages the other morning. His agent called him and told him to wait for a follow-up call and that he needed to stay close to his phone. Ten minutes later, he was a Shark again.
"Obviously the emotions just went everywhere and just thinking about putting that jersey back on just gets me emotional," Marleau told NBC Sports California's Jamie Baker. "I just couldn't be happier."
The three-time NHL All-Star is not only happy to be back where it all started when he was the second overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft, but he's looking forward to contributing to the team as well.
"I just want to get off to good start," Marleau added.
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Baker said it beautifully. This isn't a comeback by any means for the 40-year-old, but a welcome back.
So what are Marleau's goals for this upcoming season after knowing he could walk away right at this moment as one of the Sharks' best of all time?
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"Just to get my game going in the right direction again I think," he said. "I can still skate, I can still play so I just need to take advantage of the opportunities I'm given. I'm playing with a great bunch of players as well is going to help out. The coaching staff here understands my game and they've always put me in the position to succeed so it's up to me to put in the work and take advantage of that opportunity."
Marleau said obviously the overall goal is to win and that hasn't changed across his 21-year career.
