Patrick Sharp (born December 27, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Dallas Stars. After his retirement as a player, Sharp worked as an analyst for NBC Sports and as a color commentary for Blackhawks broadcasts on NBC Sports Chicago. He joined the Flyers in 2023 as a special adviser to hockey operations. Sharp was also a member of the University of Vermont coaching staff in 2021.
Sharp played collegiate hockey at the University of Vermont before he was drafted by the Flyers in 2001. He began his NHL career with the Flyers organization, but was traded to the Blackhawks in 2005. He became a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He was later traded to the Stars in 2015, where he spent two seasons before returning to the Blackhawks in 2017. Sharp also represented the Canada at the 2014 Winter Games, where he won an Olympic gold medal.
Sharp began his Junior career at age 16 playing for the Kanata Valley Lasers of the CJHL with his older brother then the next year they both played in Thunder Bay, Ontario, playing for the Thunder Bay Kings program then for the former Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League (USHL). From there, he continued his hockey career in the college ranks with the University of Vermont, before the Philadelphia Flyers selected him in the third round, 95th overall, of the 2001 NHL entry draft.
After completing two years with Vermont, Sharp signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Flyers on May 21, 2002. He made his NHL debut in 2002–03, playing in three games with the Flyers but spending most of the season with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, recording 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 53 games.
In 2003–04, he split the season between the Flyers and Phantoms, recording seven points (five goals, two assists) in 41 games with the Flyers, and 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 35 games for the Phantoms.
Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Sharp spent the entire following season in the AHL with the Phantoms, registering 23 goals and 29 assists (52 points) in 75 regular-season games and eight goals and 13 assists (21 points) in 21 playoff games en route to a Calder Cup championship.
Midway through the 2005–06 season, on December 5, 2005, Sharp was traded by the Flyers (along with Éric Meloche) to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Matt Ellison and a third-round pick in the 2006 NHL entry draft. He finished the season with a combined 31 points between the two teams.
Sharp emerged with the Blackhawks in 2007–08, recording career-highs of 36 goals, 26 assists and 62 points in 80 games. He led the Blackhawks in power play goals (nine), shorthanded goals (seven) and game-winning goals (seven). Near the half-way mark for the season, on January 17, 2008, Sharp signed a new, four-year contract with the Blackhawks lasting through to the end of the 2011–12 season.
At the start of the 2008–09 season, on October 8, 2008, Sharp was named an alternate captain for the Blackhawks, along with Duncan Keith. Despite being limited by injuries, Sharp helped the Blackhawks form a highly offensive and young core led by second-year forwards Patrick Kane, captain Jonathan Toews and newly acquired veteran defenceman Brian Campbell. He finished the season with 44 points (26 goals, 18 assists) in 61 games as the Blackhawks qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2002. He added 11 points in the 2009 playoffs as the Blackhawks made a surprisingly deep playoff run by defeating the Calgary Flames in six games and Vancouver Canucks in six games in the first two round before they were eliminated in the Western Conference Final in five games by the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.
Sharp played all 82 games for the Blackhawks in the 2009–10 season with 25 goals and 41 assists for 66 points recorded.
On June 9, 2010, Sharp won the Stanley Cup with Chicago over the Philadelphia Flyers, his former team. He contributed 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points in all 22 games during Chicago's 2010 playoff run.
On January 30, 2011, Sharp was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game, earning one goal and two assists in the game. On March 20, in a 2–1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes, Sharp collided with Coyotes' defenseman Rostislav Klesla, resulting in him missing the next seven games. Sharp ended the 2010–11 campaign playing in 74 games with a team leading 34 goals along with 37 assists for 71 points recorded. He also had five points (three goals and two assists) in all seven playoff games in the Blackhawks first round exit in the 2011 playoffs to the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks.
On August 3, 2011, he signed a new five-year contract with Chicago worth $29.5 million, which came into effect for the 2012–13 season and carried an annual salary cap hit of $5.9 million. On September 12, Sharp underwent an emergency appendectomy after experiencing abdominal discomfort. Team physician Dr. Michael Terry anticipated that Sharp would have a full recovery in about three-to-four weeks. On November 25, in a 6–5 win against the Anaheim Ducks, Sharp scored his second career NHL hat-trick. Jonathan Toews, who himself had a career-high five-point game, recorded the primary assists on all three of Sharp's goals. Sharp would finish the season with 33 goals and 36 assists for 69 points in 74 games. His 33 goals led the Blackhawks in goals for the second consecutive season. He scored one goal in all six games during the Blackhawks' first round exit to the Phoenix Coyotes in six games in the 2012 playoffs.
During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Sharp remained in Chicago, while many of his teammates started playing for the European leagues or with the Rockford IceHogs, the American Hockey League affiliate to the Blackhawks until the end in January 2013. He spent time with his then nine-month-old daughter, and was involved in Gillette's "My City is My Gym" fitness program as a spokesperson. On March 6, 2013, in a 3–2 win over the Colorado Avalanche, Sharp sustained a separated shoulder as a result from a hit by Avalanche defenseman Ryan O'Byrne, resulting in Sharp missing the next 14 games. He ended the 48 game-shortened season, Sharp played 28 games, recording six goals and 14 assists for 20 points and a plus-minus rating of +8. After the Blackhawks won the Presidents' Trophy as the regular season champions, they would go on to win their second Stanley Cup in four seasons as they defeated the Minnesota Wild in five games, the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in round 2 (erasing a 3–1 series deficit in doing so) and the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in five games in the first three rounds before defeating the Boston Bruins in six games in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. During the 2013 playoffs, Sharp played in all 23 games and led the Blackhawks in goals (10) followed up with six assists and 16 points.
On December 27, 2013, his 32nd birthday, in a 7–2 win against the Colorado Avalanche, Sharp scored his third career NHL hat-trick. Four games after, in a 5–3 win against the New Jersey Devils on January 3, 2014, he scored his fourth NHL hat-trick. On January 7, 2014, he was named to the Canadian Olympic team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He would end the 2013–14 season with a team-leading 34 goals along with 44 assists for a career high and team-leading 78 points in all 82 games. Sharp and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks would go on another deep playoff run in the 2014 playoffs by defeating the St. Louis Blues in the first round in six games and the Minnesota Wild in six games in the second round before going up against the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Final for a second consecutive year and this time losing in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Kings. He ended the playoffs with five goals and assists for 10 points and played in all 19 games.