For San Jose

Dear Sharks fans, 

First of all, I just want to say thank you. Not just for the way that you supported us this season, but also for the way that everyone had my back after the Olympics. 

It's not easy losing the way we did in Italy, and it’s not easy missing out on the playoffs after being so close, but all the love and support I felt from Sharks fans all over the world has meant so much to me the past few months. You guys are the best. Before we head into the offseason, I just wanted to say a few things about this group, and about San Jose. And about the whole Bay Area, really.

Actually, one of the things that helped a lot coming back from Italy was being able to switch gears and come back to the locker room with all the guys. This season didn’t go the way we wanted in the end, but we all feel really good about what we’re building here. And I feel like I'm starting to understand all the people who were always talking to me about the “good old days.” The Cup final team. The Shark Tank. What the building was like back then, what the city was like, all that.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you I remember that super well. I was nine years old! But my landlord last year played in that series. He’s a cool guy. Joe Thornton. Hockey Hall of Famer. Pretty sick. Not a bad guy to have let you live with him when you get into the NHL. It was incredibly kind of him to offer to have me for the year. It was an awesome experience living with the Thorntons. Joe calling my name on stage at the Sphere in Las Vegas during the draft in 2024 is an all-time moment for me. He’s such a legend in San Jose, and I still see his name on jerseys at every game. You can just tell how much he means to Sharks fans.

To see the legacy he’s left here … it’s hard not to be inspired by something like that. 

He and Marleau and Vlasic and those guys, they really are Sharks hockey to me.

My family and I moved down to the Bay Area when I was heading into grade seven in 2018. It was a lot to take in at the time. We were moving for my dad’s work. He had been hired as the director of sports medicine and performance with the Golden State Warriors. Which was the coolest thing in the world for me and my brothers. I remember on one of our trips just to go visit before we moved, we got to meet Kevin Durant at the facility. Which was like … man, to see somebody that tall? Kinda blew our minds. I think I went up to his knee. It wasn’t until I got a bit older that I was able to appreciate seeing these world class athletes up close and sort of understand what makes them so great. 

But the move down to the States was a big change for me. In Vancouver we had this great little setup in North Van. At the top of Keith Road. We’d just drive down the hill two minutes to the North Shore Winter Club for my games. I was a big Canucks fan, so we’d try to go a couple times a year. I remember seeing Sid and the Pens one night. That was a big highlight for me.

It was a bit lonely for sure. I missed my friends back home and the routine I had there. The hockey was different, too. It’s kind of hard to explain but just the way they played in the U.S. was a bit new to me. So it really did take some adjusting and a lot of support from my family. We leaned on each other because we were all we had for the most part. But being down here, I admired those guys on the Warriors a whole lot. They are such a huge deal here, and I think they’ve changed the Bay Area with their dynasty, but also with their style of play. When Steph and Klay were on fire during those playoff runs, there was really nothing like it. It was so electric. It's so much bigger than just a game. When a team gets on a run like that, you can really feel the energy change in the whole city. It lifts everybody up. I want that so bad here in San Jose.

It’s funny, I remember when I was playing with the Chicago Steel in January of 2023, the Warriors were playing the Bulls one weekend. So my dad came up with the team because he knew he’d get the chance to come see me play. They were playing on a Sunday and we had a Saturday game and I don’t know how it all ended up working out, but he got a suite at the rink and brought some of the guys to watch us play. I think Coach Kerr was there, Draymond, a few others. Even though it happened, I can’t even really picture them watching a USHL game. Still funny to me. But honestly that was so cool. Just to have their support and to know they cared enough to take time out of their lives to come watch hockey, it was really special.

Being a pro now and getting used to the grind of an 82 game season and everything that comes with it, the longevity of Steph, Draymond, all those guys — that’s what I think I take most from being able to get little peeks into their worlds. They’re disciplined with their routines, with their bodies and with their minds. And for them to have all the success they’ve had, and to continue to show up and be the players they are, that’s motivating to me.

That’s something I saw with Joe, too. He was so good for so long, and that’s a level of commitment that I want to have. But I know it starts with finding a way to win games, and I really think we’re on the right track.

There’s this game back in October that is honestly one of my favorites. And it’s one I’ve thought back to a few times throughout the season. We started the year off on a six-game losing streak. It was brutal. Just tough breaks. And so we went to New York. The Rangers. At the Garden. We were up 3–1 in the first. Then down 4–3 in the second. It was a rollercoaster game. It was not what you wanted when you’re trying to get your first win of the season in the last week of October. But we just stuck with it. Nobody quit. Nobody checked out. And we found a way in OT. Will with a beauty one-timer (decent pass, too).

That’s exactly the energy we have to build on next season. I give a lot of credit to our vets like Reavo and Toffoli. The impact they have on our group, it’s almost impossible to explain really. It’s not just who they are on the ice, or what they say to the media. It’s the energy, the attitude, the way they treat others. It lifts our whole room. They make us go. They’re just great guys to be around, and I feel like the whole community right now is just such good vibes. 

And if I can, before I get out of here, I just want to take a minute to shout out some of our young fans. Our Sharks Foundation does such an amazing job in the community, and right before Christmas, they hosted this event with Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara that was really special. They invited a bunch of their pediatric cancer patients to come and do an arts workshop with some of the boys. I couldn’t make it that day, and I was crushed. (I’m coming next time, guys!) But our whole room was talking about it the next day. Capri Suns and Crayola. Nothing better. A couple of the goalie masks that the kids designed were unreal. 

Then the other day I got to go to Bachrodt Elementary with Will and Zack to do a little reading circle with a class, and I feel like we crushed it. (You tell me.) One of the kids even made a little sign for Ned, and he spelled his name right and everything. It was so much fun, and after the Olympics, it was the perfect reminder of what we’re doing this for. Maybe it’s a cliche, but when you really feel a part of a community, it means a lot more to wear the sweater. And I love wearing this sweater. 

I’m excited to see where we can go.

We have a lot of work to do. We know that. But I just want to thank you all again for having my back the past few months. All the comments and the support, it means so much. 

I hope I can pay you back with some playoff nights next season. 

We want the Shark Tank back. We want it rocking. 

I know we can make some more Good Old Days. We gotta make it happen. Otherwise I'm gonna be hearing from Joe. 

Sincerely,

-Macklin

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Kaiser Permanente has served as the official team physicians for the San Jose Sharks since 2014, delivering trusted, high-performance care to support athlete health and longevity. This longstanding partnership is built on a shared commitment to expanding the reach of hockey and driving meaningful community impact across the greater San Jose region.