Fact Brief: Is San Jose home to the only rain cancellation in the NHL?

Yes.

On March 10, 1995, the San Jose Sharks were scheduled to play the Detroit Red Wings at the then-named San Jose Arena. The game was cancelled due to rain and flooding making for unsafe conditions. The game was rescheduled for April 5  and the Sharks lost 5-3. 

From March 9 to March 10 1995 San Jose received more than 3.5 inches of rain, causing the Guadalupe River to jump its banks and flood the entrances to the arena, the parking lot and an area that spanned past Highway 87, flooding Hotel De Anza and Henry’s Hi-Life, which reportedly filled with 4 feet of water. The flood ultimately cost the city $5.4 million in damages when adjusted for inflation. 

From 1997 through 2001, the Guadalupe River Flood Control Project Collaborative undertook the effort to improve the Guadalupe River’s flood control and natural habitat protection.

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Sources

• San Jose Inside San Jose Is Lucky No One Died in Inexcusable Response to Floods
• Extreme Weather Watch March, 1995
• San Jose Mercury News Let it Pour: Only NHL Game Ever Canceled by Rain Was here in 1995
• SF Gate 25 unforgettable Sharks moments
• Cooperative Conservation America Guadalupe River Project, San Jose, California