Why Ivar Stenberg's Preseason Hat Trick Has Sharks Fans Excited

This is an AI-assisted roundup of public discussion on X. It summarises what people are saying; claims are unverified and this is not news reporting. See our AI & Sources Disclaimer.

Last updated: September 26, 2026 (UTC)

Hockey fans on X are talking about Ivar Stenberg after a San Jose Sharks preseason game in which, according to posts from several NHL and sports media accounts, the teenager scored a hat trick in a 10-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Much of the conversation is less about the lopsided score and more about how Stenberg looked playing on a line with Michael Misa, and what that pairing might mean for the Sharks.

What started it

The conversation took off as clips from the game spread across X. According to a post from @PuckReportNHL, the Sharks beat the Ducks 10-0, with Stenberg among the scorers with a hat trick. That post, which has drawn more than 1,400 likes, adds a caveat: Anaheim dressed what it calls a “largely AHL squad,” though it notes the result was still 10-0.

Media accounts tracked Stenberg through the night. @NBCSSharks shared a clip of him doubling the lead, @Sportsnet later put him on “hatty watch,” and a follow-up @Sportsnet post marked the moment he completed the hat trick. @BarDown summed it up in an all-caps post declaring that “the future is bright in San Jose.”

The Stenberg and Misa connection

The post that has drawn the most attention among the notable accounts came from the league itself. @NHL shared a clip captioned “Ivar Stenberg to Michael Misa,” adding “The future is teal.” It has collected more than 1,800 likes. @Sportsnet also highlighted the pair, saying the two are “already having a blast” playing on the same line.

Fans picked up the theme quickly. The most-liked post in the discussion, with more than 3,000 likes, jokes about goalies watching one Sharks line leave the ice only to see Misa and Stenberg hop over the boards. Another widely shared post says Misa and Stenberg each had three points at that stage of the game, with the poster noting they had asked Misa the day before how he liked playing with Stenberg.

Several posts frame the duo as a future headache for opponents. One user writes that the pairing “will be a problem” and that they love it. Another says they meant to call Misa and Stenberg a “serious problem” down the line, but that it looks like they already are.

The hat trick and the numbers

Some of the discussion focuses on Stenberg’s individual night and his age. A post from @NHLPR, shared when he scored his first preseason goal, says Stenberg will be 19 years and 1 day old on Oct. 1 and is set to become the seventh-youngest player to make an NHL debut with the Sharks. According to that post, the record belongs to Patrick Marleau, who debuted at 18 years and 16 days.

The hat trick itself became a small moment of its own. One user posted that “a few hats stream onto the ice” after Stenberg’s third goal, and another wrote that hats were flying and suggested it might not be the only Sharks hat trick of the night. Other fans simply celebrated in capital letters, with one declaring “we are turning it all teal” and another noting, with obvious delight, that Stenberg plays for their team.

Fan reactions and the buzz question

Not every post is pure celebration. One user, posting when the score was 9-0, paired the news of the hat trick with a sarcastic line: “too bad there has been no buzz about him.” The post reads as a jab at how little attention the poster feels Stenberg has received so far, rather than a literal claim.

Other reactions lean emotional. One fan compares Stenberg’s arrival in San Jose to “finding that one missing puzzle piece,” writing that he will help shape the team. That view is one poster’s hope rather than a prediction backed by anything beyond the preseason game.

One post also brings a rival fan base into it. A user claims Toronto Maple Leafs fans are “waking up to the realization” that Stenberg is much better than McKenna, tagging the post with a buyer’s remorse joke. The post does not explain the comparison further, and it is a single user’s opinion.

What’s unverified and what remains open

Most of what is circulating is opinion and excitement built on one preseason game. A few points are worth separating out:

Player comparisons: The claim that Stenberg is “much better” than McKenna comes from one post and is a subjective take, not an established fact.
Predictions about the duo: Posts calling Stenberg and Misa a “problem” or “serious problem” for opponents reflect fan enthusiasm, not a measured outcome.
Quality of opposition: @PuckReportNHL describes Anaheim’s lineup as largely made up of AHL players, which is context for the 10-0 score.
Stats in real time: Point totals and scores in fan posts were shared mid-game, so figures like “3 pts so far” or “9-0” reflect the moment they were posted rather than final numbers.

The posts also leave the bigger questions unanswered. None of them can say whether the Stenberg and Misa connection will hold up once the regular season starts, or what role Stenberg will settle into with the Sharks over the longer term. For now, the discussion rests on highlight clips, a lopsided score and a debut milestone that, according to @NHLPR, would put him among the youngest players ever to suit up for San Jose.

Sources / posts referenced

@NHL on X: “Ivar Stenberg to Michael Misa! 🤩 The future is teal.”
@PuckReportNHL on X: “San Jose Sharks have defeated the Anaheim Ducks 10-0, with Ivan Stenberg among the scoring with a hat…”
@BarDown on X: “SHARKS 10 SPOT. STENBERG HATTY. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT IN SAN JOSE. 🤩 🎥: @NHL”
@Sportsnet on X: “IVAR STENBERG COMPLETES THE HAT TRICK 🧢🚨”
@NHLPR on X: “Ivar Stenberg scores his first goal in the preseason‼️ Stenberg (19 years, 1 day on Oct. 1) is set to…”
@Sportsnet on X: “Ivar Stenberg and Michael Misa are already having a blast playing on the same line together 👀”
@Sportsnet on X: “Ivar Stenberg is on hatty watch 🚨🚨”
@NBCSSharks on X: “Ivar Stenberg doubles the lead 🔥”