SAN JOSE -– The Sharks and the city of San Jose are expected to announce an extension to the lease at SAP Center as well as upgrades to the building in a press conference on Friday afternoon, according to an NHL source.
The Sharks’ current lease runs through 2017-18.
Sharks owner Hasso Plattner hinted at a lease extension in his open letter on April 23, saying: “We are trying to finalize with the City of San Jose a new arena deal keeping the Sharks at home."
Sharks C.O.O. John Tortora later clarified Plattner’s statement on April 27.
“…the Sharks and the City of San Jose are close to finalizing a new extension to our management agreement that will enable the Sharks to remain at SAP Center – the only place the Sharks have ever wanted to call home,” Tortora said. “The clear and consistent directive from Hasso has been to keep the Sharks at SAP Center for the long-term.”
SAP Center, which opened in 1993, will be tied for the fourth-oldest NHL venue at the start of the 2015-16 season (not including Madison Square Garden in New York, which recently completed a major, multi-year renovation). Anaheim’s Honda Center also opened in 1993.
The only other buildings older than the Sharks' facility are Rexall Place in Edmonton (1974), Joe Louis Arena in Detroit (1979) and the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary (1983). Construction is already underway on new homes for the Oilers and Red Wings, while the Flames are seeking a new building.
