The SAP Center has gotten louder this season as the San Jose Sharks have returned to relevance in the Bay Area.
After an awful 0-4-2 record, the Sharks are 11-5-1 since. They currently sit two points out of a playoff spot as Thanksgiving approaches. Teams that are in a playoff spot on Thanksgiving make the playoffs 77.1% of the time since 05-06.
San Jose Sharks fans are in the midst of making the Shark Tank one of the hardest buildings to play in once again. According to The Athletic, the Sharks have the highest year-over-year attendance growth from 2024 to 2025.
SAP Center’s deafening volume is slowly returning. Makes me smile and brings me back— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) November 24, 2025
The San Jose Sharks have seen an average of 2,056 more fans in November 2025. The overall increase went from 13,506 in November 2024 to 15,562 in November 2025.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
Nobody comes close to the Sharks’ increase in terms of percentage. The SAP Center has seen an average annual growth rate of 15.2% over the last calendar year. The Columbus Blue Jackets have the second-highest percent increase at just 6.8%.
With superstar Macklin Celebrini leading the charge, San Jose Sharks fans see the vision of GM Mike Grier. Yaroslav Askarov has raved about the fans, citing multiple times that their energy gives the team a big boost.
“That’s perfect. That’s different [and] the boys are feeling that,” Askarov said. “I was smiling after goals, after the game, and that’s the best, that’s great emotions.”
Even head coach Ryan Warsofsky says he feels what the fans are bringing on a nightly basis.
“We build it. We build this program on this foundation of what winning looks like and what winning feels like, by putting the effort and the work ethic into it. I think everyone appreciates a team that works extremely hard and gives everything they have,” Warsofsky said.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
“Everyone can see that. Whether you’ve been a fan for 25 years or you’re at your first game at the Tank, most people can see what hard work looks like.”
This all comes at the base of the product on the ice. But the SAP Center will be upgrading as the team improves. Their seven-year project to upgrade the arena with the city will begin over the summer.
The hope is for the Sharks to get back into Stanley Cup contention as their building modernizes for the new-age fan. The franchise is truly creating a new identity for the young core that the on-ice product is being built around.
Read more news and stories about the San Jose Sharks on Sharks Hockey Digest! Bookmark the page and follow Sharks Hockey Digest on Twitter @SharksHKYDigest!
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.