
Owners tend not to speak to the media too often in the NHL, so when they do, you can count on them providing some good content.
That was certainly the case with San Jose Sharks owner Hasso Plattner, who answered questions ahead of Thursday night’s 2025-26 home opener.
The longtime owner had lots of interesting things to say, though one that sticks out was the details he shared about the decision to trade Tomas Hertl, who was one of the more beloved players on the team at the time.
Hertl was, of course, dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights in a last-minute shocker ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. Nobody had the star center on their trade bait boards, and Plattner revealed that Hertl himself was the one who initiated the move.
Sharks reporter Sheng Peng shared his comments in an article for San Jose Hockey Now.
“And when Tomas came and said, Hasso, please let me go. I played 10 years for the San Jose Sharks. I did everything possible. I got three knee injuries. If I get one more, I’m done. I have only so many years. Let me go to a team where I have a chance to win this goddamn Cup. And I said, Tomas, we’ll let you go…which I regret, because I really liked him and we always had fun together and joked. He always had a smile on his face. He was a good guy,” Plattner said.
Hasso Plattner speaks!
The billionaire is just like you: Upset Dickinson isn’t in line-up (though he respects coach’s decision).
Also: “I hope we don’t have to go for McKenna”
“He was not the most…team-friendly player”
Must-read for #SJSharks fans: https://t.co/Ba0UPX3NQ7
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 10, 2025
The 31-year-old Hertl just began the fourth season of the eight-year, $65.1 million extension he originally signed with the Sharks back in 2022.
Plattner wanted Hertl to stay for the turnaround
While it’s revisionist history to look back on it now, if it were up to Hasso Plattner, Tomas Hertl would still be a San Jose Shark as they look to turn the corner on their rebuild.
Here was what he had to add on the decision to extend Hertl in the first place.
“We still had the hope, or Wilson still had the hope he could turn it around with Couture and Hertl,” Plattner said.
Hertl is now thriving as a major piece of the core in Vegas, while Logan Couture retired in April because of serious hip injuries that had kept him sidelined for years prior.
While it would have been nice for these two to still be around as the Sharks are on the upswing, San Jose will be just fine with the young group they’ve got.
