PRESEASON GAME 1
San Jose Barracuda at Bakersfield Condors
Friday, Sept. 25 | 6:30 p.m. | Dignity Health Arena

LISTEN | WATCH

PRESEASON GAME 2
Bakersfield Condors at San Jose Barracuda
Saturday, Sept. 26 | 5 p.m. | Tech CU Arena

LISTEN | WATCH

BARRACUDA OPEN PRESEASON FRIDAY IN BAKERSFIELD

The San Jose Barracuda begin their 2026 preseason on Friday night (Oct. 25), traveling to Dignity Health Arena to face the Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers) at 6:30 p.m. The two-game exhibition schedule wraps up at Tech CU Arena on Saturday (5 p.m.). 

Friday marks San Jose’s first game action since last spring’s Calder Cup Playoffs. With the San Jose Sharks still in training camp and continuing to to trim their roster, the Barracuda lineup is made up primarily of rookies, AHL-contracted players and tryout players, including several who spent last season with the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder. 

A LOOK BACK AT 2025-26

The Barracuda are coming off their second 40-win season in franchise history, finishing 40-28-2-2 with 84 points and placing sixth in the Pacific Division, reaching the playoffs for the second consecutive season. 

Despite finishing with four more regulation wins than Bakersfield, San Jose ended two points behind the Condors in the standings because of Bakersfield’s success beyond regulation. The Condors finished 37-23-11-1 with 86 points, good for fifth in the Pacific.

Both teams saw their seasons end in the opening round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. San Jose drew third-seeded Henderson (Vegas Golden Knights), while fifth-seeded Bakersfield faced fourth-seeded Coachella Valley (Seattle Kraken) in a pair of best-of-three Pacific Division First Round series. 

The two clubs were also remarkably even against one another during the regular season. San Jose went 4-3-0-1 in the eight-game season series, while Bakersfield finished 4-2-2-0. The Barracuda closed the regular season against the Condors on April 18 at Tech CU Arena, earning a 4-3 overtime victory on Jarod Crespo’s first AHL goal. 

FAMILIAR FACES

The Barracuda’s broader 2026-27 group is expected to eventually include several returning players and top Sharks prospects as NHL camp progresses and additional assignments are made. NHL opening night rosters must be set by Monday, September 28 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Bakersfield is in a similar situation. With a number of players remaining at Edmonton Oilers training camp, the Condors opened their AHL camp with only 16 players. Their initial group included returning forwards Daniel D’Amato and Ethan Keppen, goaltenders Samuel Jonsson and Nathaniel Day, and several players attending on tryouts from ECHL clubs.

Friday's projected Lineups:

BARRACUDA

FORWARDS
93 Stínil – 88 Lockhart – 89 Murphy
83 Houle – 59 Huo – 62 Wetsch
90 Best – 76 Vincent – 91 Mitchell
64 Appelt – 87 Scardina – 82 Bax

DEFENSEMEN
53 Sinn – 79 Messineo
94 Proctor – 85 Boltmann
96 Bodnarchuk – 61 Sarsland

GOALTENDERS
34 Davis
29 Hasley

CONDORS

FORWARDS
50 Kopacka – 83 Hults – 51 Robertson
19 D’Amato – 28 Johannes – 86 Tassy
68 Pitlick – 65 Guzzo – 63 Keppen
41 Stonehouse – 77 Morgan – 84 Wallack
45 Suede – 87 Davies

DEFENSEMEN
79 Sjölund – 62 Bookman
89 Tychonick – 88 Matier
66 Gormley – 47 Prokop

GOALTENDERS
34 Jonsson
40 Day

THE MATCHUP

The organizations have been nearly dead even over the last five seasons. Entering Friday, San Jose and Bakersfield each own a 16-13-2-1 record against the other over that span.

Friday is one of the first five games on the AHL’s 2026 preseason schedule. The league’s 91st season officially begins Friday, Oct. 2, with the Barracuda opening their regular season at Tech CU Arena on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. against the San Diego Gulls.