Thirty years ago, that three-dimensional image of a fierce (but not too fierce) hockey stick-chomping shark jutting out from a triangle helped the Sharks achieve success at the cash register before they experienced it on the ice. The Sharks had the NHL's worst record (17-58 and five ties) in 1991-92 but finished second behind the NBA champion Chicago Bulls in team merchandise sales and remained a top seller for several seasons.
San Jose's look became so popular that The Hockey News ranked the 1991-92 Sharks jersey first on its list of the Top 100 Jerseys of All Time in 2015 and described Smith's logo as "perfect."
"San Jose may not have popularized the use of a triangle as background, but the way the shark is springing out if fantastic," Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News wrote. "The teal blue is definitely bold, and San Jose owns that color."
That was high praise considering that many hockey aficionados initially weren't particularly fond of the jersey, Smith said.
"Traditional hockey people definitely didn't like it at the beginning," said Smith, president of Terry Smith Creations. "The people outside of hockey liked it and, over time, the hockey folks got on board. But it wasn't getting glowing reviews."
The jersey "broke a lot of rules," Smith said, the main offenses being the teal color scheme and the shark munching on a hockey stick.
"We were taking the tool of their trade, a la the stick, and we were breaking it in half," he said. "Fortunately, the team allowed me to do something different and were willing to take a chance."
Sharks players loved the look.