The Sharks parted ways with one of their franchise legends on Friday.
Sharks and hockey fans alike were left stunned after San Jose traded two-time All-Star center Tomáš Hertl and two third-round draft picks to the Las Vegas Golden Knights for 2023 first-round draft pick David Edstrom and a 2025 first-round draft pick prior to the NHL's March 8 trade deadline.
The Sharks selected Hertl in the first round (17th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and played 11 seasons for Team Teal. The 30-year-old took to X, formerly known as Twitter, Friday night to post a goodbye message to Sharks fans and the organization.
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"When I arrived in San Jose in 2013, I was a 19-year-old boy who didn't know anyone in America, didn't speak a word of English, and had no idea where my career would take me," Hertl wrote. "San Jose didn't just accept me -- it opened its arms wide and treated me like one of its own. This is where I call home. It's the place I made friends, built my career, married my wife, bought a house and became a father to my two boys.
"I will always be grateful to the people of San Jose and especially the unbelievable Sharks fans for your support and encouragement over these last 11 years. We had a lot of good times together and some truly great runs. The memories will stay with me forever. My deepest thanks to Hasso Plattner and Doug Wilson for bringing me into the NHL and to my teammates, my coaches, and the entire Sharks organization for helping me become the player, the professional, and the person I am today.
"San Jose will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you."
San Jose Sharks
Hertl finished his Sharks career with the seventh-most games played (712), fifth-most goals scored (218), seventh-most assists (266) and sixth-most points (484) in franchise history.
Now he joins the Pacific Division-rival Golden Knights while he continues to recover from left knee surgery and likely won't play much, if at all, before the end of the 2023-24 regular season.