This could be the start of a meaner, fiercer Shark nation.

The San Jose Sharks unveiled an updated logo today, to coincide with a league-wide uniform redesign that will debut in the 2007-2008 season, featuring a more angular, 3-D shark that players and fans said looked "meaner" and more modern.

The redesign process started two years ago when the Sharks looked to add secondary logos that would allow more merchandising and marketing opportunities for the franchise. But when the National Hockey League announced it would introduce a new style of uniforms, the Sharks and eight other NHL teams decided it was a good time to update their logos, says Malcolm Bordelon, executive vice president of business operations for Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Sharks.

The old Shark logo debuted in 1991 during the Shark's first season played at the Cow Palace. It was designed by San Francisco graphic artist Terry Smith who also has designed the original logo for the Sharks, plus those for The San Jose SaberCats arena football team and the San Jose Cyber Rays women's soccer team among others. Smith kept many of the traditional elements of the old logo in the redesign. The main Sharks logo still features half of a Shark emerging from a triangle and biting a hockey stick in half. But Smith dropped the gray accent color and added a stand-out burnt orange to the logo. The hockey stick, the Shark's eye and a border along the triangle are burnt orange. Smith also introduced more teal -- the Shark's main color -- into the logo. The Shark's head and highlights are now shaded in teal.

"When I first designed the logo I got a lot of phone calls," Smith says. "Teal was a color traditional hockey players weren't all that pleased with."

But he said in researching for the new design, players liked the teal and wanted to see more of it in the logo. In the original, only the border triangle is teal.

Sharks management wouldn't say how much they expected to gain in revenue from the new merchandise featuring the logo that already packs the Sharks store at HP Pavilion. They did say they it was important to make an "updated" logo, rather than a new logo, if they wanted to keep fan support.

One fan, Craig Morton, who bought new logo shirts and hats at the store Wednesday morning following the unveiling, said he was glad the logo looked a lot like the old logo.

"I think it's a nice compromise. The look is essentially the same, just updated," he says. "If they had strayed too far, it would have smacked of a cash grab."

The redesign committee included three Shark players: Kyle McLaren, Mike Grier and Patrick Marleau.

"I think it looks more realistic," McLaren says. "I liked the old Shark but I like them both. I think (the new logo) fits with the new NHL."

Eight new accent logos also were unveiled at a media event held today at HP Pavilion. They include a Shark fin, a half orange and half black San Jose Crest, and a logo that includes the full Shark including the tail.

The new logos and a video about the logo redesign can be viewed at the redesigned Sharks Web site, also debuted today.

Visit it at sjsharks.com.

The San Jose Grand Prix at Redback Raceway announced today that Sharks Captain Patrick Marleau has been named as the race’s Grand Marshal. The race will be held on July 29.

Marleau follows Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (2005) and the 2006 Air Force Outstanding Airman of the Year, Staff Sgt. Eric Pena from Travis Air Force Base (2006) as the third grand marshal in the history of the race.

Marleau holds nearly every major offensive franchise record for San Jose, including games played (717), goals (219), assists (272) points (491) and game-winning goals (41). He’s second in franchise power play goals (67) to Owen Nolan (75).

Last season, Marleau finished second on the team in scoring (78 points) goals (32) and assists (46) and was selected to his second NHL All-Star Game. He has scored at least 28 goals over the past four consecutive seasons and more than 30 in each of the past two seasons.

For more information on the San Jose Grand Prix at Redback Raceway, visit sanjosegrandprix.com.