Jeff Odgers

Jeff Odgers is another one of my favorite players. While he was here, he was the heart and soul of the team. In my opinion, he was the best captain that the Sharks have ever had.




CAPTAIN
Name: Jeff Odgers
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 195 lbs
Born: 5/31/69 in Spy Hill, Saskatchewan
Drafted: Not drafted
Sweater Number: 36

Jeff Odgers has certainly left his mark upon the San Jose Sharks organization.

The third captain in Sharks history behind Doug Wilson and Bob Errey, Jeff started off playing four seasons of junior hockey at Brandon(WHL) with 92 goals and 89 assists for 181 points and 838 PIM in 272 career junior games. He then went on to play his first professional season with the Kansas City Blades of the IHL, where he led the team with 318 penalty minutes.

On September 3, 1991, Jeff signed as a free agent with the Sharks, and began his second season with the Blades, the Sharks' minor league affiliate. He was called up from the minors on October 28th; he scored his first NHL goal on November 9th against the Islanders. As a rookie, Jeff finished second on the team in penalty minutes with 217.

In the 1992-93 season, Jeff led the team in penalty minutes with 253, and had seven points in a two game span: 2 goals, 1 assist on April 4th against Calgary and 1 goal, 3 assists on April 6th against Edmonton.

At the start of the 1994-95 season, Jeff was elected as captain by his teammates. He was one of only three Sharks to play in all 48 games that year, and led the team in penalty minutes once again with 117. That season, he became the Sharks' all time leader in games played and penalty minutes.

In 1995-96, Jeff became the first player in Sharks history to reach 1,000 penalty minutes. In his first 45 games, he only had one assist, but in his final 33 games, he recorded 15 of his 16 total points. On June 21, 1996, Jeff was traded with a 1996 fifth round draft pick to Boston for Al Iafrate.

Odgers was the Sharks' 1995 and 1996 nominee for the King Clancy Memorial trophy (leadership qualities on and off the ice and noteworthy contribution in the community) and was a 1996 nominee for the Masterton Trophy (perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey).

After being sent down to the minors by the Bruins, Jeff signed with the Colorado Avalanche. Jeff continues to be a strong presence on the ice, and has earned his spot among the Avs.

Odgers left the Sharks as the franchise's all time games played leader (334) and penalty minute leader (1,001). He scored 82 points (48 goals, 34 assists) in his five seasons with San Jose after signing as a free agent in 1991 just prior to the Sharks inaugural NHL season.

"Jeff Odgers is a special person," said Lombardi. "He has overcome the odds to earn a place in the National Hockey League and was a valuable member of this organization since day one."

Career Stats
Year Team GP G A P PIM +/- Playoff year GP G A P PIM +/-
1991-92 SJ 61 7 4 11 217 -21 1991-92 - - - - - -
1992-93 SJ 66 12 15 27 253 -26 1992-93 - - - - - -
1993-94 SJ 81 13 8 21 222 -13 1993-94 11 0 0 0 11 -2
1994-95 SJ 48 4 3 7 117 -8 1994-95 11 1 1 2 23 even
1995-96 SJ 78 12 4 16 192 -4 1995-96 - - - - - -
1996-97 BOS 80 7 8 15 197 -15 1996-97 - - - - - -
1997-98 BOS/COL 69 5 8 13 213 5 1997-98 6 0 0 0 25 -1
1998-99 COL 36 2 1 3 121 -3 1998-99 - - - - - -
Totals ALL 519 62 51 113 1534 -85 --- 28 1 1 2 59 -3