Mario Ferraro reflects on his time with the San Jose Sharks, expressing gratitude for his journey since joining as a rookie in 2019-20. As an unrestricted free agent, he shares limited updates on contract discussions with the team.
Key points
Mario Ferraro joined the San Jose Sharks in 2019-20.
He has experienced seven years of playoff absences with the team.
This season marks the Sharks' best point total since 2018-19.
Ferraro is currently an unrestricted free agent.
He has limited updates on contract talks with GM Mike Grier.
The now-veteran defenseman joined the Sharks as a rookie in 2019-20, the start of the organizationās seven-years-and-counting streak out of the playoffs. Double-digit losses, last place finishes, lagging attendance, long-time teammates being traded, Ferraro has lived it all the last seven years.
It probably made this season, the San Jose Sharksā best point total since 2018-19, all the more special for Ferraro. Now an unrestricted free agent, Ferraro did not have much of an update regarding conversations with Mike Grier.
Grier speaking after Ferraro, however, stated that the Sharksā lifer will āprobably at least test free agency, then weāll go from there.ā
So was this exit interview the last that weāve seen of Ferraro with the San Jose Sharks?
What did Ferraro say of his time in teal? What did Ferraro enjoy about this season? Whatās he think of the teamās future? The 27-year-old discussed all that, and more, at his exit interview:
Ferraro, on what the team learned playing meaningful games late in the season:
Collectively as a team, we have a lot of guys in our room that have played in big games and have won Stanley Cups. And, we got a blend of guys that are younger [and] havenāt been in as many big games and meaningful games. Iām one of them. It was so much fun playing in those tighter hockey games. And, so we got some experience. We got some inexperience. And I think that it takes blending together and gaining some chemistry to kind of find a groove as a team.
You see in past Cup winners, a lot of the teams that win have been in the playoffs before and fell short a couple times before they actually took home the Cup. So, I think thatās kind of where we went. Even though we werenāt in the playoffs, just [being] in that race for the last month of the season, month and a half. We fell short this time, but weāre learning [by] playing in those games. How important, not just those games [are], but how important the points are at the beginning of the season.
Obviously, we donāt want to look back and be like, āoh, this loss here, this loss there.ā But there were some conversations after losses at the beginning of the season, [about how] we donāt want, in April, to be thinkingā¦ these points matter. āWeāre going to wish we had these points.ā
Q&A
What did Mario Ferraro say about his time with the San Jose Sharks?
Mario Ferraro expressed that he is 'forever grateful' for his journey with the Sharks since joining as a rookie.
How long has Mario Ferraro been with the San Jose Sharks?
Mario Ferraro joined the San Jose Sharks in the 2019-20 season, marking over seven years with the team.
What is the current status of Mario Ferraro's contract talks with the Sharks?
As an unrestricted free agent, Mario Ferraro mentioned he has limited updates on his contract discussions with general manager Mike Grier.
What has been the Sharks' performance during Ferraro's time with the team?
During Ferraro's tenure, the Sharks have experienced a streak of playoff absences, with the current season being their best point total since 2018-19.
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So, just a little maturity, and stuff like that. But, itās a growing process. Itās been a long haul here for my seven years. And, Iām just grateful for this good little run that we had. Weāve taken a big step forward. So, itās a big learning curve.
Ferraro, on what he wants in his next contract:
I just want to play. Iām playing in the NHL. I have the same mindset as when I came here on an entry-level [contract.] Iām just grateful to play in this league. And I just want to play for as long as I can in this league. Whatever happens, happens.
I donāt take any moment for granted or anything for granted in this league. You look at Mike [Aldrich] retiring this year. You look at [John Klingberg who] hit 700 games. Every year Iāve been here, for a long time, you see a lot of guys retire and miss the game so much.
I played with [Brent] Burns and one thing heās always told me is ānever give up a chance to get out there [and] get on the ice.ā You never know when itās going to end. So, Iām just so grateful to be playing in the National Hockey League. To have played here, for the Sharks, for the last seven years. So when I think about a next contract, I just want to play.
Ferraro, on the San Jose Sharksā fan base throughout the rebuild:
It was awesome this year. It was an incredible experience. Iām so grateful for the fans here. Sharks fans have been unbelievable over the years that Iāve been here. I said this before, but I think that it says a lot about a fan base, how much they respect their team, and how much they show up, when they show up in the hard times.
Obviously, this year was a good year. It was a packed house, and weāre grateful for that, but Iām extremely grateful for the ones who were sticking with me when it wasnāt too pretty for six, seven years. The last few years. Thatās when it hits home, for sure, and you realize how great this fan base is. So, thank you Sharks fans for everything, especially this year. And keep it coming, because thereās a lot of good years ahead for this group.
Ferraro, on what seven years in San Jose has meant to him:
I remember sitting on the beach at the cottage up north in Toronto. I was talking to my cousin, Anthony. I was like, āAll I want to do is play in the NHL. I just want to play one game, one game in the NHL. If I play one game, Iām so forever grateful. Thatās it.ā
And then that year, signing an entry-level contract, coming into camp, I had no idea if I would make the team. I remember Pete DeBoer calling me in, saying exactly the role that I should play this year and I should give myself a chance to make [the roster]. And I did that, and he gave me an opportunity.
And I played my first game, and then after that, it was āOkay, now I want to play two games.ā And then āthree games.ā After that, halfway through the season, āOkay, I gotta stay here. I gotta stay up all year.ā Then the next year, itās like, āOkay, now I gotta make the team again,ā because I still didnāt feel as solidified.
Every year, I go in with the mentality that I havenāt made the team, because I always think back to that moment when Iām sitting on the beach, I want to play my first gameāand now Iām here. I played over 400 games, played seven years here, and itās just itās crazy how time flies by. Iām so grateful for the Sharks organization for giving me this opportunity. Because as much as I have other goals now, my dream was to play one game. The Sharks gave me that opportunity.
So, I have a lot of people to thank, the list goes on. Doug Wilson and his team drafting me and giving me an opportunity here. The coaches Iāve had along the way: Pete DeBoer, Bob Boughner, David Quinn, and obviously [Ryan Warsofsky] right now. Iāve had a lot of assistant coaches, great assistant coaches that Iāve built great relationships with. And Mike Grier for giving me another four years to extend my stay here.
So, I have so many people to thank. Iām missing a million people in this organization. It goes on and on. Iāve built so many great relationships, but weāre running out of time in this interview. And Iāll see them today, and Iāll give them my personal thanks. Whatever happens, I donāt know.
I hope Iām back, but itās been an extraordinary time here, and Iām so grateful for everybody. Itās an extremely classy place here. Iāve been living my dream for seven years, so Iām so grateful.
Ferraro, on his thoughts of Sam Dickinson in his 19/20-year-old season:
To be honest, I donāt know what itās like. I came [into the NHL] after two years of college. Heās a lot younger than I was when I came in. And I canāt imagine- he came in as I would have gone [to] my first year at UMass. So, in terms of what heās done, I think heās done a great job. Coming into this league as a defenseman is not easy.
He also came into this year, which was the first year, like we talked about, in a long time, where weāre in tight games, meaningful gamesā¦ He experienced NHL hockey, one goal games, tight tied games in the third period, pushing for a playoff spot: and I thought he did a great job overall throughout the year.
You can see his confidence is growing. I do think he has a big ceiling. I think thereās a lot more that he has. His best is far from here. I think the biggest thing about him is his personality. Heās willing to learn. He listens. Had him as a as a partner a couple times, but even off the ice, you can see that when you give them your two cents, or your advice, or you tell him something thatās maybe some constructive criticism, whatever it is- heās listening. And he tries to do it. And you could see that he does. When the coaches tell him things, heās listening in video.
And I think another thing too about him, sorry Iām kind of going on but I love the kid. Heās a great kid. Off the ice, heās a great personality, but I like he has a short memory. And what I mean by that is, on the ice, things happen. He forgets them quick. And thatās so important in this league. That was one of my Achilles heels early on, and it still is. I make a mistake, and sometimes one bad shift can lead to another, and then another, and another one after that. And next thing you know, you play two or three bad games in a row.
Heās got a short memory. So, thatās important, because mistakes are going to happen to anyone in this league. The Sharks should be excited about him.
