Regrets? Dany Heatley only has one, and that was the public airing of his summer saga.

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Dany Heatley #15 of the San Jose Sharks congratulates goaltender teammate Evgeni Nabokov #20 after the Sharks defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in their NHL game at the Honda Center on November 21, 2009 in Anaheim, California. The Sharks defeated the Ducks 3-2.

Photograph by : Getty Images

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"The first couple of days, the first week in San Jose, I knew I made the right choice. It's a great organization, I have great teammates, it's been a lot of fun," said Heatley, another of the elite NHLers whose preferred destination was not Edmonton.

Heatley had rebuffed the Oilers proposed trade with Ottawa in the off-season, holding out until the Senators sent him to San Jose. He is now the wing man on the top line of the league's top team.

"Dany worked himself into a position where he had the luxury of requesting a no-trade clause. When he needed it, he invoked it," said Sharks head coach Todd McLellan.

"It's unfortunate the way it came down. I don't think anybody wanted names out in the public but I don't think that's Dany Heatley's fault. He's been a very good Shark, a very good teammate, very coachable.

The Sharks, along with their reviled leading man, were front and centre Friday in a showdown with the Oilers at Rexall.

"Dany has come in and done what he's done everywhere he's been. He's scored goals and made big plays. He's a guy you want on your team," said linemate Patrick Marleau. The two have been playing with centre Joe Thornton and the terrific trio in teal arrived in Edmonton with a whopping total of 89 points.

"He wants to score every night," Marleau continued. "He has that confidence to do that so I wasn't too worried about him coming in and struggling."

The Oilers were willing to move Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid to reel in Heatley-- and all three of Edmonton's players had to wait in limbo until the dust had finally settled. A few months later, at the team's Halloween party, Penner slipped into a Santa Claus suit that had a No Trade namebar on the back(he was the No Trade Clause) and Cogliano went as Heatley.

"That's pretty creative," said Heatley, who had gotten wind of the costume choices after All Hallow's Eve.

"The guys are obviously having fun in the room ... I thought that was pretty good."

As for his good fortune, landing on a line with Thornton and now being able to utilize Marleau's speed, Heatley said it made for an easier adjustment.

"He's on a team where he doesn't need to be the main guy every night. That's a huge factor for him," the other Dan on the Sharks roster, defenceman Dan Boyle.

"But the guy knows how to score goals. Bottom line."