I do remember when the Sharks has their first few seasons, they set up at the Cow Palace just south of San Francisco. Many of the NHL players thought it was great because it had the vibe of many old school NHL facilities. It wasn't tiny, but it was very much old school. I've been there once for a college basketball game.
It was also where the Warriors played during the 1975 NBA Finals. In Oakland they had little faith that the Warriors would make it and booked the arena for the Ice Follies.