Gilroy In Talks With Sharks To Operate Sports Facility

GILROY, CA — Gilroy has a shot at having a big-time ice hockey outfit in town.

The Santa Clara city has entered into an exclusive agreement with Sharks Sports & Entertainment to fully assess the potential of having the ice hockey franchise operate a new indoor recreational facility the local government is considering building in Gilroy.

While project details are still under discussion and preliminary, the facility would likely be located off Monterey Road and involve a variety of sporting programs and events relative to ice hockey. Neither the San Jose Sharks nor the San Jose Barracuda teams would re-locate to Gilroy as part of this project.

The city believes having the proposed facility operated by a national brand with a proven track record of operating recreational ice facilities represents an economic boon for the area in part by positioning Gilroy as a destination location for enhanced travel and tourism.

As of Tuesday morning, the Sharks — which confirmed being in the talks — are in the midst of a do-or-die playoff situation that will be decided if the tank advances to the Stanley Cup within the next few days.