If there’s any team that exemplifies the never-give-up hockey mindset, it’s the San Jose Sharks. Since the team’s inception in 1991, the Sharks have seen a series of ups and downs, going from the absolute bottom of the barrel to the very top of their game.

Nobody tries harder than San Jose — even with the challenges of being an NHL team in California that isn’t the Gretzky-era LA Kings. Everyone remembers the fate of the California Golden Seals, after all. They’re long gone, and plenty of people expected the Sharks to follow suit. But San Jose had other plans.

From the bottom to the top

Sharks fans will never forget the team’s ‘92-’93 run — however hard they might try. San Jose lost 71 games that season, a record in the NHL that still stands to this day. You’d be forgiven if you saw their abysmal performance and thought that the San Jose Sharks weren’t long for the world.

But then, something truly miraculous happened. San Jose exploded into the 1993-94 season, determined to prove to the NHL that the team had what it takes to succeed. The Sharks made the playoffs that year for the first time with an improvement of 58 points over the previous season — another record that still stands to this day. Even more surprising was that San Jose outperformed the Detroit Red Wings, the number-one seeded team who were in their prime at the time.

Building and building

San Jose was knocked out of the running that year after losing to Toronto in the semifinals, but the stage had been set. Those who had dismissed the Sharks after their disastrous ’92-’93 season were now paying attention, and San Jose was ready. The team would enter a serious building phase in the coming years, putting up strong performances in the regular season that showed off its contender status, even if they found playoff success difficult.

The mid-2000s were especially solid years for the Sharks, particularly with the addition of the Bruins’ Joe Thornton in 2005. In his first season with the team, Thornton led the league in points and was subsequently named league MVP. With Thornton leading the charge, San Jose would win half a dozen division titles through 2011.

Just a matter of time

The Sharks have been stepping up their game every season. In 2016 they finally got within striking distance of the Stanley Cup, though they ultimately lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. But if there’s one thing Sharks fans have learned it’s that this team never gives up. Every setback is just a lesson to be learned and an opportunity to come back even stronger the next season. It’s only a matter of time before San Jose takes home Lord Stanley’s cup.