The San Jose Sharks almost had their own curse of the black cat moment Friday night when one somehow got on to the ice prior to their Game 1 matchup with Nashville. However, San Jose quickly shrugged off the bad omen and took the series opener 5-2.

The cat appeared from the player bench area during warmups and ran along the boards before ducking into another open door. SAP Center staff eventually retrieved the critter the next day and named it, “Joe PAW-velski.”

Still no word on how the cat ended up on the ice in the first place, but the Sharks organization is taking steps to insure the animal finds its rightful home or a new one. The team said it plans to take the cat to a local shelter for a full medical examination and check for a microchip to see if the animal belongs to someone.

Should the chip scan come back clean, Sharks COO John Tortora said efforts will be made to ensure “Joe” finds a happy home.

“The amount of interest generated by ‘Joe’s’ appearance and those wishing to adopt him has been overwhelming. We want to make sure the cat is safe and healthy and returned to its rightful owner, in the event it has a microchip. If he is indeed a stray, our goal is to find the best home for him with the support of our local animal shelters. If families are interested in adopting ‘Joe’ but unsuccessful, we strongly encourage you to consider adopting another animal in need of a good home from one of our terrific local animal shelters.”

The cat is insanely cute, so I doubt he will have trouble finding a home anytime soon.

About Ben Sieck

Ben is a recent graduate of Butler University where he served as Managing Editor and Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Butler Collegian. He currently resides in Indianapolis.