Sharks defenseman, Toronto native Sam Dickinson to play first game in hometown originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
- Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
TORONTO — The Sharks can thank Max Mahoney for Sam Dickinson.
The 19-year-old Toronto native will play his first NHL game in his hometown on Thursday when the Sharks visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But if not for Dickinson’s childhood friend, the big defenseman might not even be playing hockey.
“You hear these stories, especially up here, ‘I was on the ice at two.’ Sam as a young kid — five, six — hockey didn’t stick with him. He didn’t like it,” Steve Dickinson, Sam’s father, told San Jose Hockey Now.