Thomas Joseph Preissing (born December 3, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Preissing played in 326 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche. Preissing was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, but grew up in Rosemount, Minnesota.\n', '

Preissing played four years as a forward on the varsity team at Rosemount High School before moving on to play two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL). It was with the Gamblers that then-head coach Mark Osiecki converted Tom to a defenseman, paving the way for his future hockey successes. Preissing played for Colorado College of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and was a top-ten finalist for the Hobey Baker Award; he also captained the Tigers in his senior year. He earned NCAA - West First All-American honors and holds the WCHA record for most goals by a defenseman in a season with 23 in 2002–03.\n', '

Preissing was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Jose Sharks on April 4, 2003. After a strong training camp with the Sharks, Preissing was a surprise inclusion on the opening night roster for the 2003–04 season. Tom played the full season with the Sharks where he had 2 goals and 17 assists in 69 games. He was praised for making the step directly from college to the NHL without stopping in the American Hockey League (AHL) and was named San Jose\'s rookie of the year in 2004. In the 2005–06 season, Preissing broke out, scoring 43 points in 74 games to have the second-highest-scoring season by a defenseman in Sharks history, behind only Sandis Ozoliņš. He also carried a +17 plus-minus rating, which ranked first among Sharks defensemen.\n', '

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