San Jose finally ready to host NHL All-Star Game

Friday, Jan. 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

"It feels darn good," Mayor Susan Hammer said. "We were all disappointed when it was canceled, but that's all behind us now. We've got the All-Star Game."

San Jose, home of the NHL's Sharks, was slated to play host to the annual event in 1995. Hotels were booked solid and hockey-mad locals snatched up T-shirts and hats with the All-Star logo.

Then came the lockout. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman postponed the 1994-95 season, saying he wanted significant movement toward a contract agreement between players and owners.

The labor dispute stretched 103 days into the season, and the All-Star Game was shelved. Because Boston was already preparing for the 1996 game, San Jose had to wait an extra year.

This Saturday, the wait is over.

"We're delighted to be coming to San Jose," Bettman said earlier this week. "Better late than never."

Gary Cooper, president of the Sharks' fan club, the Hammerheads Booster Club, said the game should bring some much-deserved attention to both the city and his favorite teal-clad team.

"San Jose has been in the shadow of San Francisco and Oakland for so long," he said. "This is San Jose's turn."

The Sharks are San Jose's only professional sports franchise, which could explain their fans' enthusiasm despite a losing record. This season, the Sharks share their home, the San Jose Arena, with the NBA's Golden State Warriors while the Oakland Coliseum arena is being renovated.

"This is a chance for our fans and our city to see the best players in the world," Sharks president Greg Jamison said. "It's an opportunity for the rest of the hockey world to see San Jose and the best fans in the world."