Marleau joins Sharks' front office in player development, advisory role

Patrick Marleau is back with the San Jose Sharks.

The team announced his hiring as a player development coach and hockey operations advisor Friday. It's the first front-office role for the 43-year-old after he retired in 2022.

"I'm extremely excited to be officially back as part of the Sharks organization," Marleau said. "I'm looking forward to working with our players on the ice to help them reach their full potential and sharing the knowledge I have garnered from playing 23 years in the National Hockey League. I'm also eager to work with (general manager Mike Grier) and his staff, and continuing to learn about the game and business side of hockey."

Marleau is the Sharks' franchise leader in games played (1,607), goals (522), and points (1,111). He set the NHL's all-time regular-season games played mark April 19, 2021, surpassing Gordie Howe's record of 1,767 contests.

San Jose retired Marleau's No. 12 on Feb. 25, making him the first player in the team's history to receive the honor.

"It's rare that you get the opportunity to add someone to your organization that brings a level of talent and character like Patrick Marleau," Grier said. "As one of the top players of his generation, Patty possesses an unlimited wealth of institutional knowledge about the game."

"Perhaps more importantly, he was a cornerstone piece in the Sharks becoming one of the NHL's most dominant franchises over the last two decades and knows what it takes to win and succeed in the NHL," Grier continued. "We are extremely happy to bring Patty back into the Sharks family as we continue building a team that our fans can be proud of."

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