Here's The Real Reason The San Jose Sharks Never Even Stood A Chance...

MercuryNews- The HSSV, which oversaw the adoption process, confirmed that the 3-month-old kitten, along with a companion kitten, had been adopted on Friday.  She has been under the care and supervision of the HSSV staff and volunteers since May 1.

“We are pleased to know that ‘Jo’ has found a good, loving home,” John Tortora, the Sharks’ Chief Operating Officer, said.  “I want to personally thank the staff and volunteers at the Humane Society Silicon Valley for the time and attention they have dedicated to ‘Jo’ and the other animals in their care.  I also want to thank our fans who immediately expressed concern for the well-being of the cat.  I would like to encourage all fans who were interested in adopting ‘Jo’ to now consider adopting one of the other many animals at HSSV in need of a home.”

​“Jo” became a social media sensation on April 29 when she appeared on the ice during warm-ups of the Sharks first playoff game of Round 2 against the Nashville Predators at SAP Center.  Since that time, video of the kitten has been shared by the media, both nationally and internationally, as the Sharks continued through their second round series. 



​Look, there's a lot of reasons that the San Jose Sharks came up short in the Stanley Cup Finals. A large majority of them are related to their inability to match Pittsburgh's firepower. The fact is that the Penguins were faster, deeper, and - until the final two games -blessed with far superior goaltending.  Their stars simply shined brighter and their supporting cast provided an admirable enough effort to preemptively write a speech if the NHL decided to give out Emmy Awards. That said, even if the ice hadn't been tilted more than a physically abused pinball machine, the Sharks had already tempted fate. They let their 4-legged good luck charm walk out the door and into the arms of a loving family - that is 3 weeks from ignoring it's existence - and they let their chances of raising the most coveted trophy in all of professional sports leave with it. 

If there is anything I know about the Stanley Cup Playoffs it's that the participants are supposed to grasp tightly to any and all superstitions that could potentially sway the outcome of games that are often decided by the wayward bounce of a puck. If there was something that needed to be kept close to the vest at all times it was Joe Paw-velski, the black cat whose presence ironically coincided with Sharks postseason victories. If my youth hockey team worshipped 'Mr. Smiley' - a stuffed smiley face with arms and legs - then San Jose damn sure should have realized the edge that a devious black cat that was apparently on their side provided them. Even if the feline itself wasn't responsible for putting pucks in the net, the team's failure to rally around an inconsequential animal proves that they weren't dedicated enough to winning a championship. If it's not broken you don't fix it, and if it's not causing you misfortune during the Stanley Cup Playoffs then you damn sure don't let it get adopted. Especially when you're a franchise whose championship curse could have magically been lifted by the coincidental arrival of an oft-mythical creature.