Patrick Marleau spent the first 19 years of his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks. He arrived at 19 years old and left at 37.
Now, it sounds like he wants to be back.
The Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday traded the 39-year-old Marleau to the Carolina Hurricanes along with a conditional 2020 first-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick in 2020. But, this could easily be a salary dump as the former Sharks star wishes to be back in San Jose.
Marleau, who still had one year left on his contract with the Maple Leafs, put his Toronto home on the market earlier this month for more than $11 million, TSN reported. His wife and four sons were on their way back to California.
Family. That's exactly why the Canadian-born Marleau wants to be back on the West Coast.
"Everything is based on that -- family," Marleau said in an interview with NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger, which ran Monday. "I wanted to kind of be with them. Our one son, it's based on his schooling and what was best for him. It was at the point where my wife and kids were planning on coming back (to California) already. It kind of ties it all together. Hard to explain it all.
"Basically, for the kids schooling and stuff we thought we could get the help and support we needed here. With four boys it's a little bit easier here with family around for my wife."
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The Hurricanes could buy out the final year of Marleau's contract to help his hopes of being closer to his family in the Bay Area. That's out of his hands, however.
"We'll see what happens," Marleau said. "I'll leave that to my representatives and the Hurricanes to discuss."
Marleau played all 82 games for the Maple Leafs last season, but it was certainly a down year for the three-time All-Star. His 16 goals were the lowest since his rookie year, as were his 37 points -- outside of the strike-shortened 2012 season.
Despite turning 40, Marleau believes he still has plenty left in his tank.
[RELATED: Here's why Marleau reunion doesn't make sense for Sharks]
"I could see myself playing beyond this next year. I still feel really good and I still feel I can contribute," Marleau said. "Last year wasn't a very good year by my standards, so I'm looking forward to proving that wrong. That kind of gets the adrenaline going. You have to prove yourself year after year. I look forward to doing that this year."
If that will be at The Tank in San Jose, is yet to be determined.
