The Sharks on Saturday are hosting the Kings in the ‘15 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. For several months, Sharks COO JOHN TORTORA has spent countless hours preparing for the event, on top of his responsibilities overseeing business operations for the team, SAP Center and three Sharks Ice recreational facilities throughout the Bay Area for Sharks Sports & Entertainment. However, this weekend Tortora will finally get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Tortora: “My most important responsibility is making sure 70,000 of our great fans and sponsors have a wonderful time. It's a great platform for our game and our brand. Our staff has put in endless hours of great work in preparing for this game -- not just this week, but over the past year.” Here, Tortora tells the THE DAILY how he plans to tailor his weekend around events for the big outdoor game at the “Field of Jeans.”
WIN ONE FOR THE ZIPPER: This Friday will be unique. In connection with the stadium game, SAP is hosting a technology summit at Levi's Stadium in the afternoon. After the summit I will watch both the Sharks and the Kings conduct their stadium game practices, followed by skating sessions with their families. Friday evening, we are treating about 25 of our alumni to dinner. I usually sleep in no later than 6:00am on weekends and I generally don't sleep for more than six hours. The morning is the best part of the day. I often visit various coffee spots in Willow Glen. I also start the day by watching “NHL TONIGHT” on the NHL Network. It's a fantastic summary of the prior evening's NHL action. This Saturday, I plan on attending the team's morning skate at Sharks Ice, which is a usual ritual for me on game days. Later in the day, we are hosting a pre-game Fan Fest and various parties at Levi's Stadium. On Sunday, we are treating our alumni to golf at the CordeValle golf course in San Martin. Later in the day, we will be picking up our son at the airport as he returns home from Quebec City.
JE ME SOUVIENS: My junior-high son is a travel-hockey player for the Junior Sharks. He will be missing the stadium game because his team will be competing in the 10-day International Quebec Pee Wee Tournament. Over 150 teams from around the world compete in the tournament and play in Le Colisee, the former home of the Nordiques. The tournament is more of a cultural experience, as each player billets with a French-Canadian family during the tourney. My wife and I had some time to explore old Quebec and its great restaurants. We also toured the Ice Hotel about 15 minutes north of Quebec City. It is an actual hotel made out of ice, including a bar, slide, chapel and dance hall. The rooms were made entirely of ice. With temperatures below freezing, the vacancy rate was a bit high. With snow and ice in abundance in Quebec, the players also get to play a lot of outside hockey in backyard rinks or local ponds. Almost every resident has immediate access to an outdoor ice surface. One of the highlights of the pee wee tournament for the players is pin trading. We are talking about 5x7 sized pins that each team creates of their own team for their players to trade with the players of other teams. The pins are so large that each player needs his own unique pin bag to carry his collection. With 150 teams from all over the world, the pins are culturally unique, colorful and heavy.
PARALLEL PARKING: I like to go to the movies with my wife and I like to watch our two children in their activities. Our high school daughter is a cheerleader and is learning how to play lacrosse. I also am beginning to teach our daughter how to drive in parking lots. She is a little frustrated because I haven't let her accelerate yet. When I am not working on weekends I always make room for running, church, and eating. I do not cook, but I enjoy eating. My favorite local restaurant is Hult's in Los Gatos. I like running on the Los Gatos Creek Trail near our home. It is surprising to many that I walk our dog. This is surprising because I was afraid of dogs when I was younger. My wife, DEBBIE, and I enjoy watching Sunday TV together. It started with “DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES” and continues with “MADAM SECRETARY,” “THE GOOD WIFE,” and “REVENGE.” Our favorite weekend getaway is exploring the entire state of California. Since we are relative newcomers, we spend a lot of time touring the great diversity of this state. As far as nightlife, I enjoy going to concerts at the SAP Center and Sharks home games. I usually sit in the stands and just enjoy meeting and talking with our fans.
