San Jose Barracuda

The Sharks are the big ticket, but Bay Area hockey has a second team that many Palo Alto families find easier on the budget. The San Jose Barracuda play in the American Hockey League, one step below the NHL. They serve as the Sharks' main development team. Players move between the two clubs all season, so the skater you watch at Tech CU Arena in November may be playing at SAP Center by spring.

This guide covers the team: the 2026 to 2027 season as of November 2, the best home dates, getting there, tickets, family tips and history. For the parent club, see our San Jose Sharks guide.

Where the season stands

The Barracuda play a 72-game regular season, with 36 games at Tech CU Arena and 36 on the road around the AHL's Pacific Division and beyond. The season opened at home on Saturday, October 3, with an Opening Night loss to the San Diego Gulls. October was bumpy, with losses to Tucson, Calgary and Abbotsford mixed with an overtime comeback against San Diego. A 3 to 2 overtime win over the Bakersfield Condors on November 1, the team's Military Appreciation game, left the Barracuda at 4 wins and 6 losses entering November, according to the team's schedule.

The record matters less in the AHL than in the NHL. The league's job is to develop players and young Sharks prospects often spend a season or two here. If you follow the Sharks' rebuild, a Barracuda game is where you see the next wave first.

Home dates to circle

Promotions and times can change. The team's tickets page lists the next five home games with links to buy.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By car

Tech CU Arena is at 1500 S. 10th St. in San Jose, about 20 miles from downtown Palo Alto by US 101 and Interstate 280. The team's parking page says more than 2,100 spaces are within walking distance:

• About 600 on-site spaces surround the Sharks Ice building, with entry from 10th Street or Alma Avenue. Standard parking is $15.
• About 1,500 spaces are in the San Jose State garage across 10th Street at Alma Avenue, at a $10 event rate paid at kiosks or through the Parkmobile app.
• Prepaid parking near the east entrance is sold through SpotHero.
• Lots open two hours before the start time.

ADA parking is on both the west and east sides, with drop-off areas at both entrances.

By transit

There is no Caltrain station next to the arena. From Palo Alto the usual route is Caltrain to San Jose Diridon, then a VTA bus or a short rideshare. Check VTA's trip planner for the current route. Our Palo Alto to San Jose guide covers Caltrain and VTA. Excite Ballpark, home of the San Jose Giants, is just down Alma Avenue, so the same route works for summer baseball.

Barracuda or Sharks?

Both teams play in San Jose under the same ownership, so it is fair to ask which game to pick. The table sums up the differences for a Palo Alto family.

Many fans do both: a Sharks game for a birthday treat and a few Barracuda games over the winter. Before or after a Barracuda game, the restaurants of Willow Glen are a short drive west.

Tickets and cheaper seats

Barracuda tickets cost far less than Sharks tickets. The arena is also small enough that there are few bad seats. Prices vary by game and section, so check the current rate when you buy. Ticketmaster is the arena's official ticketing partner. The team's FAQ says only tickets from the Barracuda, Tech CU Arena or Ticketmaster are fully verified. Reselling on site is against a San Jose city ordinance.

• The Holiday Plan bundles five games and includes a commemorative puck set for every two seats.
• Partial plans called the Steel Battery cover the biggest games without a full-season commitment.
• Group tickets suit youth hockey teams and birthday parties. Our youth sports guide lists local hockey programs.

You can find Barracuda tickets on Ticketmaster or start from the team's site.

Tips for families

A Barracuda game may be the best first hockey game for a young child. The building is smaller and less overwhelming than SAP Center. Parking is close. Weekend games often start at 6 p.m. or in the afternoon. Some practical points from the team's FAQ:

• Children 2 and older need their own ticket.
• Throwing anything onto the ice gets you ejected. The one exception in the team's policy is hats after a hat trick. The Teddy Bear Toss is a planned event of its own.
• Bring a warm layer. Rink air is cold.
• Guests can text the team's Text Assist line during a game with a seat location for help.

The Cuda Classroom games on school-day mornings come with workbooks for students. If your kids want to skate after watching, our ice skating guide lists public sessions near Palo Alto.

Watching from home

Barracuda games stream on AHLTV through FloHockey, linked from the team's site. You will rarely find an AHL game on a bar TV, so the arena is the place to watch with a crowd. For the Sharks on a big screen near Palo Alto, The Pro at 541 Ramona Street posts a TV schedule and The Patio at 412 Emerson Street has 21 flat-screen TVs.

A short team history

The Barracuda arrived in 2015, when the Sharks moved their AHL affiliate from Worcester, Massachusetts, to San Jose. That was part of a league-wide shift that brought several AHL teams to California so West Coast NHL clubs could keep prospects close. For their first seasons the Barracuda shared SAP Center with the Sharks.

The team later moved to Tech CU Arena, the rink inside the Sharks Ice complex near San Jose State. The smaller building suits AHL crowds and puts fans much closer to the action. The team's mascot is Frenzy. This season's January 2 game doubles as Frenzy's birthday celebration. Today the Barracuda use the #TheNextWave tag, a nod to the young Sharks prospects who pass through on the way to the NHL.

Frequently asked questions