The San Jose Sharks logo stands as one of the most recognized marks in professional hockey. It features a shark biting through a hockey stick in front of a triangle, rendered in teal, black, orange, and white.
This logo arrived in 1991, ahead of the franchise’s first NHL season in 1991-92. The design captures the predatory nature of sharks and the team’s Pacific Coast home.
Since its debut, the Sharks have kept the same core concept. A small redraw before the 2007-08 season, plus new colors on the jerseys, is the biggest change the mark has seen. It has become a symbol fans genuinely love.
What Is the San Jose Sharks Logo?
The San Jose Sharks logo is a mascot emblem of a shark biting a hockey stick in half in front of a triangle. Terry Smith, a Bay Area artist, drew the original in 1991 before the team’s first season. A lightly redrawn version has been used since 2007-08.
| Symbol | A shark biting a hockey stick in two, in front of a triangle |
| Designer/agency | Terry Smith (Terry Smith Creations), original 1991 mark; the 2007 redraw is also credited to Smith in some reports |
| Current version since | 2007-08 season |
| Colors (hex) | Pacific teal #006D75, orange #EA7200, black #000000, white #FFFFFF (widely cited team color values) |
| Typeface | Custom wordmark lettering, no typeface name published; Oswald is a free look-alike for the condensed style |
| Previous major version | The 1991-2007 original, with a mostly black shark and a gray-trimmed triangle |
How Has the San Jose Sharks Logo Evolved Over Time?
The Sharks have kept the same biting-shark concept since 1991. The mark had slight modifications over the years, and the biggest redraw came before the 2007-08 season.
Original San Jose Sharks Logo (1991-2007)
Smith was asked to design the logo before the team had even been named, and his early shark concept used lime green, black, and white. The final mark showed a shark with a mostly black body biting a hockey stick, set against a triangle trimmed in teal, gray, and black.
The idea of breaking a stick came from the team’s founders, and Smith developed it. Traditional hockey fans disliked the teal and the broken stick at first, and the NHL reportedly had concerns about the stick too.
The first jerseys were teal and white with gray and black striping and were worn through 1997-98. A darker teal jersey then arrived in 1997-98, while the logo itself kept only slight modifications until 2007.
Old Sharks logo in short: the old San Jose Sharks logo is the 1991 shark with a mostly black body, gray trim, and an orange stick.
Redrawn San Jose Sharks Logo (2007-Present)
Before the 2007-08 season, the shark got a minor makeover that coincided with the NHL’s Reebok Edge jerseys. On the uniforms, orange replaced gray as the trim color, and the team’s colors are now listed as Pacific teal, black, orange, and white.
In the logo, the shark’s head and upper body now read as teal rather than black, and the lines are cleaner. The orange stick appears in every version.
Later additions: In 2015-16 the Sharks wore a 25th-anniversary jersey with the original logo, and it returned again on the 2020-21 Reverse Retro jersey. In 2016 the team added three secondary logos showing a shark without a stick. Those appear on merchandise, not on game uniforms.
What Do the Design Elements of the San Jose Sharks Logo Mean?
The shark biting a hockey stick communicates dominance and aggression, and the angular shapes reinforce it.
Smith has described the idea as taking the tool of the opponents’ trade and breaking it in half. It is pretty direct messaging, honestly.
The shark appears to burst out of the triangle, which Smith has said was meant to give the mark a three-dimensional look.
What Colors Does the San Jose Sharks Logo Use?
The Sharks’ color palette is Pacific teal, black, orange, and white.
- Pacific teal: #006D75, widely cited as the team’s teal. In 1991 this hue was a surprising choice for the NHL.
- Orange: #EA7200, widely cited. It was added to the jersey trim in 2007, though the stick in the logo is orange in every version.
- Black: #000000, the dominant color of the shark in the original and a strong contrast against the teal.
- White: #FFFFFF, used for the shark’s underside and the triangle.
Smith has said he pushed for red at one stage, arguing that a shark attack leaves red in the water. The team did not take that route, and teal became the signature color. I could not confirm any official Pantone, CMYK, or RGB values, so none are listed here. The psychology behind these colors suits a sports team: teal feels fresh, black brings intensity, and orange adds energy.
What Typography Style Is Used in the San Jose Sharks Logo?
The Sharks use custom lettering. No typeface name has been published, and the team’s 2020-21 simplified wordmark is described as an italic, modified sans-serif style.
An old SportsLogos forum post claimed the early lettering was Compacta stretched wide, but that is one user’s claim and is unconfirmed. If you need a similar free font, a heavy condensed sans like Oswald comes close.
The lettering elements are sharp and italic. Over the years, the typography has been cleaned up, but the italic, sharp-edged feel has stayed.
What Are the Hidden Meanings in the San Jose Sharks Logo?
The triangle sits behind the shark as a frame, and the shark seems to burst through it.
Some fans link the triangle to the Red Triangle, the stretch of Northern California coast known for great white sharks. No source I found confirms that this was the intention, so treat it as a fan theory.
The designers have not confirmed that the triangle represents the three Bay Area cities either.
How Does the San Jose Sharks Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
Among NHL logos, the Sharks sit in the more aggressive, mascot-heavy category.
Compare it to the Detroit Red Wings logo or Montreal Canadiens logo, which use simpler, more traditional marks.
The Sharks went bold instead.
Pacific Division rivals offer interesting comparisons. The Los Angeles Kings logo has bounced between simple and complex over the years. The Vegas Golden Knights logo uses a more heraldic approach.
What makes the Sharks stand out? That teal. The biting action also creates more movement than most static NHL marks.
Among animal-based logos, teams like the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators take similar aggressive approaches. The Sharks arrived earlier, in 1991.
What Cultural Impact Has the San Jose Sharks Logo Had?
The Sharks changed how expansion teams approach branding.
Before 1991, most new teams played it safe. The Sharks went with an unusual color and a dynamic mascot, and hockey traditionalists pushed back. Even so, the 1991-92 jersey was later ranked the best of all time by The Hockey News.
Smith, who was not known for sports logos before this job, went on to do work for the NBA, NFL, MLS and other leagues.
The team plays at SAP Center, known by fans as the Shark Tank, which the franchise moved into in 1993. The shark logo is a familiar sight across the Bay Area.
How Does the San Jose Sharks Logo Fit Into the Overall Brand Identity?
The logo anchors everything else the Sharks do visually.
Marketing materials pull colors and shapes directly from the primary mark. The brand guidelines of any team work the same way: one core symbol, repeated everywhere.
The AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, uses a teal-based identity as well.
How Should the San Jose Sharks Logo Be Used?
This is general advice, not team rules. The Sharks logo is a trademark of the team and the NHL, so commercial use needs a license.
Editorial and personal use, such as articles or fan art, is a different matter, but selling merchandise with the logo is not okay without permission. Don’t stretch, recolor, or redraw the mark, and use vector graphics from a legitimate source when you need clean files, since high-resolution DPI copies of random fan uploads vary a lot.
FAQ on The San Jose Sharks Logo
What Does the San Jose Sharks Logo Represent?
The logo represents the team’s aggression and its Pacific Coast home. The shark biting a hockey stick in two shows the team breaking its opponents’ tool of the trade.
Who Designed the Original San Jose Sharks Logo?
Terry Smith, a Northern California artist and Stanford alumnus who runs Terry Smith Creations, designed it. He was asked to do it before the team’s first season in 1991-92.
What Colors Are Used in the San Jose Sharks Logo?
The colors are Pacific teal, black, orange, and white. Widely cited values are teal #006D75 and orange #EA7200.
What Is the Old San Jose Sharks Logo?
The old logo is the 1991 original, used until 2007. It showed a mostly black shark with gray trim biting an orange stick in front of a triangle.
Has the San Jose Sharks Logo Changed Over Time?
Only slightly. The logo had small modifications until a minor redraw before the 2007-08 season, when orange also replaced gray on the jerseys.
What Is the Shark Biting in the Logo?
The shark is biting a hockey stick and breaking it in half. The team’s founders came up with the broken stick idea, and Smith developed it.
Why Did the San Jose Sharks Choose Teal?
The team has not given one definitive reason. Smith’s first concept was lime green, black, and white, and he has said he pushed for red. Teal became the signature color and was unusual in the NHL in 1991.
What Font Does the San Jose Sharks Logo Use?
The wordmark uses custom lettering with no published typeface name. A heavy condensed sans-serif like Oswald is a close free look-alike.
What Does the Triangle in the Sharks Logo Mean?
No official meaning has been confirmed. Some fans link it to the Red Triangle, a stretch of coast known for great white sharks, but that is a fan theory.
Can I Use the San Jose Sharks Logo for My Business?
No, not without a license. The logo is a trademark of the team and the NHL, and commercial use requires permission.
Conclusion
The San Jose Sharks logo remains one of the most recognizable marks in professional hockey. That shark biting a hockey stick changed how expansion franchises approach team identity.
From its 1991 debut to today, the design has aged well. Teal became their signature, and the aggressive shark gave fans something to rally behind at SAP Center and beyond.
Whether on jerseys, fan merchandise, or arena branding, this hockey emblem delivers.
Sources
- Sports Illustrated, Ex-Stanford basketball star is the man behind the iconic San Jose Sharks logo – https://www.si.com/college/stanford/olympic-sports/ex-stanford-basketball-star-is-the-man-behind-the-iconic-san-jose-sharks-logo
- NBC Sports Bay Area, Sharks logo creator shares how iconic emblem almost looked very different – https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/bayarea/sharks/sharks-logo-creator-shares-how-iconic-emblem-almost-looked-very-different
- SportsLogos.net, San Jose Sharks introduce three new logos – https://news.sportslogos.net/2016/08/10/san-jose-sharks-introduce-three-new-logos/hockey/
- Wikipedia, San Jose Sharks – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose_Sharks
- Team Color Codes, San Jose Sharks Color Codes – https://teamcolorcodes.com/san-jose-sharks-color-codes/
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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