Patrick Marleau is back where he always wanted to be.
The Sharks icon signed a contract to return to his first franchise on Oct. 8, and the reunion has been nothing but magical in the three games since.
In his first game back with the team, Marleau scored two goals to help the Sharks beat Chicago for their first win of the season.
But then things got really emotional when Marleau played in front of Sharks fans for the first time on Sunday against Calgary. During a video tribute in the first period, Marleau could be seen wiping away tears. It was one of those moments that gave everyone chills.
"When you're not in a training camp, don't have a team and you're seeing everybody's playing, you're anxious, you're excited to get back out there and play," Marleau told NBC Sports California analyst Scott Hannan during an exclusive interview earlier this week. "For me to be able to put on the Sharks jersey again ... as silly as it sounds, to go out of the Shark head, to slip the jersey on and go out the Shark head, I don't think there's anything better than that. To do it in front of the fans here that are so passionate, it's truly amazing."
Marleau and Hannan jumped into the 40-year-old's Mercedes SUV and drove from his home to SAP Center in San Jose before Wednesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Along the way, they spoke about the feeling of returning to the Sharks.
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Just like Marleau, Hannan started his career with San Jose and then returned at the end of career for one last stint.
"To play in a place for so long, and then to be able to to come back and hopefully finish it here where it all started would be ideal for myself and for my family," Marleau said. "This is where we're going to live when I'm done and retired. This is where the family is. Where our heart is. Where our home is. It's great that I was able to come back here and play here once again."
[RELATED: How Marleau has filled a void]
The full ride-along interview between Marleau and Hannan can be seen during Sharks Pregame Live at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday. Marleau and the Sharks go for their fourth straight win as they host the Buffalo Sabres, the best team in the Eastern Conference.
