"I Have A Lot To Give As A Player": Sharks' Cody Ceci Speaks For The First Time After Trade

Newly acquired defenseman Cody Ceci enters the San Jose Sharks roster as a veteran presence, but the former Edmonton Oilers d-man wants to prove he's more than that.

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The Sharks and Oilers announced the trade of Ceci and Ty Emberson at 8 p.m. PST. Unfortunately for Ceci and his family, he is on the east coast near Ottawa and found out at 10:30 p.m. EST.

"I just found out late last night. I think it was around 10:30. We were cleaning up dinner at the cottage, and then I just saw I had a missed call from Jeff Jackson, so I gave him a callback, and he broke the news to me," Ceci said.

His initial reaction was shock, but he knew of the trade rumors surrounding him.

"It was initially just a little shocked. I mean, you always see the rumors floating around," Ceci explained. "But waking up today, [I am] excited to be part of the Sharks organization."

Related: Analyzing How The Sharks Helped The Oilers By Acquiring Cody Ceci

Ceci had an up-and-down season with the Oilers in 23-24. He scored clutch goals in the postseason, but his play was inconsistent. He scored a goal in game seven against the Vancouver Canucks and made a terrific stretch pass in game seven of the Stanley Cup Final.

At first glance, the Sharks are getting a 30-year-old defenseman who just played in the Stanley Cup Final. Ceci feels he's more than just an experienced defenseman.

"The young talent coming into this organization excites everyone. Just to see what they're capable of at this level," Ceci said about what excites him about the Sharks. "We had some good runs in Edmonton. We had a lot of fun there and a good group of guys, [but] now I'll be looked at more as a veteran presence on this team, but I still feel I have a lot to give as a player, too."

Ceci has played 786 career NHL games with the Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He has something that NHL GMs like despite the lack of offensive production.

The summer has been more challenging for Ceci, as he's dealt with many trade rumors.

"It's always a little unsettling. You see all the rumors pop up on your phone, and you try to ignore them as much as you can just to stay focused on your training," Ceci said. "At the same time, we all have families, and you're always curious where you're going to end up playing the season. It is always in the back of your mind, but [you] try and ignore it as best as possible."

Ceci says he played with Tyler Toffoli with the Ottawa 67s in juniors. He also said that Mario Ferraro and Matt Benning contacted the d-man after his acquisition.

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