San Jose Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson was a guest on the NHL Hour with Gary Bettman and E.J. Hradek on Thursday (April 7, 2011) talking about how San Jose has evolved as a hockey market, and more. An excerpt from the partial transcript of the interview:

(On the development of grassroots hockey in San Jose)...
Wilson: It is very important. Our ownership deserves a lot of credit for that, building other rinks, managing other rinks and creating the pipeline for boys and girls, men and women to play adult hockey and have the facilities to play. Plus building roller hockey facilities, Kevin Compton* has been really involved in that area. What you want to do is give them the opportunity to play the game, love the game, to support our team. They have taken a long term plan on the both the business side and the hockey side. We have got owners that are committed in many, many ways beyond the game on the ice at HP Pavilion.

Read more:
http://www.sharkspage.com/?p=4711


San Jose Sharks
HP PAVILION AT SAN JOSE
525 West Santa Clara St.
San Jose, Calif. 95113
Phone 408-287-7070
Fax 408-999-5797
http://sharks.nhl.com/index.html
twitter.com/sanjosesharks
facebook.com/sanjosesharks

* SAN JOSE SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES OWNERSHIP GROUP
(http://sharks.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=46600)
Kevin Compton, Hasso Plattner, Stratton Sclavos, Gary Valenzuela, Gordon Russell, Rudy Staedler, Floyd Kvamme, Greg Jamison, Harvey Armstrong, Tom McEnery, George Gund III