Teal Town Zone - CHOMP TO THE CUP!

Welcome to HP Pavilion at San Jose, home of your San Jose Sharks. This facility is one of the finest in North America. To help make your visit to a Sharks game more memorable, I have supplied the following list ranging from parking, concession stands, to ultimate fan experiences.

GETTING TO THE TANK
DRIVING DIRECTIONS (Courtesy of HPPavilion@SanJose.com)

SOUTH BOUND I-280 (from Penninsula)
Exit at Bird Avenue. Turn left onto Bird Avenue and continue as it becomes Autumn Street

NORTH BOUND I-280 (from San Jose)
Exit onto Route 87 (Guadalupe Pkwy) northbound. Exit either at Santa Clara Street or Julian Street

SOUTH BOUND Highway 87 (from Downtown)
Exit at Julian Street

NORTH BOUND Highway 87 (from San Jose)
Exit either at Santa Clara Street or Julian Street

SOUTH BOUND Route 101 (from Marin, San Francisco)
Exit onto Route 87 (Guadalupe Parkway) then exit at Julian Street.

NORTH BOUND Route 101 (from San Jose, Gilroy)
Exit onto Interstate 280 northbound. Then exit onto Route 87 (Guadalupe Pkwy) northbound. Exit either at Santa Clara Street or Julian Street.

SOUTH BOUND 680 (from Concord, Sacramento)
Southbound 680 becomes Interstate 280 northbound. Then exit onto Route 87 (Guadalupe Pkwy) northbound. Exit either Santa Clara Street or Julian Street

SOUTH BOUND 880 (from Oakland, Fremont)
Exit at Coleman Avenue. Turn left onto Coleman Avenue (crossing over the freeway). Proceed on Coleman Avenue to Julian Street or Market Street.

NORTH BOUND 17 (from Santa Cruz)
Exit onto Interstate 280 southbound and exit at Bird Avenue. Turn left onto Bird Avenue and continue as it becomes Autumn Street.

Regardless of which route you take, once exiting from the freeway, follow the signs directing you to available parking.
Parking is $13 and lots with over 6,000 spots are available around the arena site, if you can't get into the main lot.
PUCKGUY'S SUGGESTION>> To get the closest spot, get there early about 60-90 minutes before game time.

RIDING THE "CHEECHOO" TRAIN

A perfect way to go to Sharks games is by way of CalTrain or Amtrak. The San Jose Capitol station is literally across the street from the Shark Tank. For CalTrain users, trains 99 and 199 will depart from the station at 10:30pm or 15 minutes after a Sharks home game. Please note: CalTrain currently does NOT offer weekend service. Go to www.CalTrain.com for more information. For Amtrak users, your best bet is to use the service on day games, due to the last train leaving San Jose at approximately 7:35pm. Amtrak's Capitol Corridor can take you from Gilroy to Sacramento. Go to www.amtrak.com for more information.
PUCKGUY'S SUGGESTION>> Take CalTrain for weeknight games. For a nice relaxing trip for a weekend day game, take Amtrak's Capitol Corridor.

SANTA CLARA VTA BUS & LIGHT RAIL

At this time, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has discountinued the free Sharks shuttle to and from HP Pavilion at San Jose. There are routes that can take you to the light rail stations in downtown. Once you get to the light rail station, this can be used to go almost anywhere in Santa Clara County. For more, visit www.vta.org.

PROHIBITED ITEMS
The following is not allowed to be brought into HP Pavilion for Sharks games:

Video & Audio Recorders (Point and Shoot Cameras, Digital Cameras allowed)
Laser Pens
Cans, Bottles, Thermos-like containers
Note: Due to recent events, only small purses and baby bags are allowed inside. Metal detectors may also be the norm prior to entering the arena.
PUCKGUY'S SUGGESTION>> Use your head, if you don't need it, don't bring it! Also, get there early to prevent delays while bag searching. Get to the arena at least one hour before the game to prevent major delays.

FAN ITEMS
BANNERS

Banners and signs are allowed inside at HP Pavilion as long as it does not obstruct the view of fans, does not contain language that might be deemed offensive or vulgar to anyone, and does not damage the walls, railings, or paint in the Pavilion.

NOISEMAKERS

Horns, whistles, air horns, cymballs, or bugles are not perimitted inside the Shark Tank. Unless the team uses it as a give away item, ThunderStix or Cow Bells are not permitted inside.

THROWING ITEMS

For the safety of you and others, guests of HP Pavilion are not allowed to throw anything in any part of the building. Fans refusing to follow this rule, will be ejected from the Shark Tank and potentially be subject to arrest.
PUCKGUY'S SUGGESTION>> Of course, the one exception of this rule is when a player scores three goals in a game. When there is a "hat trick", the traditional throwing of the hat onto the ice is allowed. Make sure you have a hat that you are willing to part, because you're not getting it back! Hats are donated to special youth organizations in the San Jose area.

PICTURE TIME!

Want to get a picture of your favorite player? Warmups are the best time to do so. Warmups take place approximately 20-30 minutes prior to game time. If you are really nice to the ticket holders up in the first few rows, you can get some awesome shots! If you are getting action shots, use a regular camera (not a disposable) with 400 or 800 speed film. Make sure you have the camera set to a sports or athletic setting. If you're getting basic shots, then a disposable camera will do with 200 or 400 speed.
PUCKGUY'S SUGGESTION>> Want a pic with you and your favorite player? Most players park their cars at a gate on the corner or Autumn and West St. John streets. There is usually a gathering of fans out there for autographs. You might be able to also get an picture. Best bet is to get it after a win. Also, don't be mad if they drive off in a hurry. Most of the time they either have a 7am practice the next day or on a plane to complete back to back game nights. NOTE: NOT ALL PLAYERS EXIT THIS WAY, so don't complain to me if you didn't see a player go by. Thanks!

FAN ITEMS
There are five men's and women's restroom facilities on the main concourse level. All contain an exuberant amount of toilets. Both men's and women's are near each other. Also, play-by-play of the game can be heard live inside the restrooms.
PUCKGUY'S SUGGESTION>> Try avoiding the restrooms during the intermissions. If you are near a restroom, take a chance and go during a TV timeout.

FOOD & REFRESHMENTS
Some of the best arena food is found at the Shark Tank. From the basic Grillworks to Tied House to Subway to Round Table Pizza, the HP Pavilion can fit your craving of food. TV screens are also around the food area, so you won't miss one moment of the game. If you don't want to eat inside, come early and eat at one of the suggested resturants and bars found nearby. You can find a list here, or click on "Shark Tank" to get you there.
PUCKGUY'S SUGGESTION>> Try the Philly Cheesesteak at Grillworks or go with a personal size pizza from Round Table.

SOUVENIRS & MERCHANDISE
Need that special gift for a friend? Need a Sharks jersey? Do you need to show off your Team Teal Pride? If so, there are souvenir stands all around the main concourse. They have everything to t-shirts, pucks, SJ Sharkie dolls, and program vendors sit there once the game gets underway. The Sharks store is located downstairs at the Santa Clara Street entrance. The store is open throughout the game, and has TV screens so you can watch if the game is on. The store is open to the public Monday-Saturday 11am-5pm.
PUCKGUY'S SUGGESTION>> Programs are always collector's items. They are $4 and also come with a lineup card with rosters from both teams. Also, a player is usually on the front, which makes it a great autograph item! If you need something for friends, best suggestion is a puck. Call ahead to see if the Sharks store is open on days where there is an event going on. Sometimes, the store closes early or doesn't open at all to the public if an event is scheduled that day.