What has been danced around all summer has finally happened – no, not all those Dany Heatley rumors, nor the fact that a roster player needs to be traded. It is Patrick Marleau being stripped of his captaincy, as well as Joe Thornton no longer being an alternate.

This move was discussed for quite some time this summer, beginning almost before the Sharks were eliminated in the playoffs. Fuel to the fire was added when Marleau revealed to David Pollak that he would give up the captaincy if it was for the betterment of the team, and apparently, it was. Thornton’s “A” being removed was also discussed, but not as much; and the fact that it is now gone has been overlooked in lieu of the captaincy, but it is still important.

Marleau and Thornton represent the Sharks as a whole – big, strong players that can dominate a game if they want to but can also take a few shifts off. They have reputations as playoff chokers (even though Joe is a little less than a PPG in the playoffs since coming here, and Patty is one of the best playoff performers this decade) and have taken the blame for all the Sharks’ recent failings.

How did they get the letters, then? Well, back in the 03-04 season, Nolan had just left, and there was no captain for the Sharks. There was a rotating captaincy established, with Mike Ricci, Vinny Damphousse, and Alyn McCauley being captains before Marleau got the “C.” Once he did, McCauley advised Wilson to leave it with Marleau, and the team went on to go to the Western Conference Final.

Thornton got the “A” as he was the captain in Boston when he was traded, and Marleau was already an established captain in San Jose, so he was given the “A” as a sort of compensation. That, and he was the best player on the Sharks. It simply makes sense.

I’m not going to lie; Patrick Marleau is one of my favorite players, and the face of the franchise to me. He was drafted in 1997 by the Sharks, was the second overall pick in the draft, and played with them ever since. He lives in San Jose, his wife grew up here, and he donates both time and money to the community. He’s one of the best players on the Sharks, and is constantly a two-way threat. His teammates stand up for him in the media and on the ice, and yet he no longer wears the C.

It is the end of a five year long era, one of playoff success and disappointments, and of regular season dominance. It was during Marleau’s tenure that the Sharks transformed from a team that could consistently get in as a lower seed to one that could win the division – and even the conference – consistently. One that could be tops in the league in points, special teams, home ice advantage (08-09), on the road (07-08), and even in accolades, with Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo winning the Hart and Rocket Richard trophies respectively in 05-06. The team transformed from a gritty team to one of high skill, with the drafting and development of Michalek, Pavelski, Clowe, Ehrhoff, and Murray.

There have been many names thrown out for potential captains – Boyle, Thornton, and Pavelski are the most common. But whatever happens, the San Jose Sharks enter a new era, one without Captain Marleau.