Friday, July 10, 2009

Traverse Heads Overseas

The DEG METRO STAR found a strengthening for its defensive. The learned defender Patrick Traverse changes for at least a season to Dusseldorf.

The 35 year oldTraverse was born on the 14th of March in Montreal. In his career, he played in 285 NHL games for the Ottawa Senators, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, the Boston Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens and the Dallas star.

Patrick played in 78 games for the Worcester Sharks this past season recording 9 goals and 33 assists. During the 2009 Calder Cup playoffs Patrick was tied for the lead on the team in scoring with 4 goals in 12 games.

The sporting leader Lance Nethery: "Patrick Traverse a veteran player, who will prevail in our league. He can help our very young and talented team and give important support".

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Claude Calls It A Career (Again)

SAN JOSE – Forward Claude Lemieux today formally announced his retirement from the game of hockey at the age of 44. One of the most successful NHL players in the history of the League, Lemieux won four Stanley Cups and is one of only eight players to win hockey’s greatest prize with three different teams (Montreal, 1986; New Jersey, 1995 and 2000; Colorado, 1996).

“I want to thank my former teammates from my entire career for all of their support,” said Lemieux. “I feel very fortunate that I was able to have a career like I had. There have been many great NHL players who did not get the opportunities to win that I had. I played for a long time but it went by so very fast.”

In 1,215 National Hockey League games with Montreal, New Jersey, Colorado, Phoenix, Dallas and San Jose, Lemieux posted 786 points (379 goals, 407 assists) and 1,777 penalty minutes, along with 58 game-winning goals.

However, it was the Stanley Cup Playoffs where Lemieux defined his legacy, becoming one of the most potent post-season performers in NHL history. His 234 playoff games are fifth all-time behind only Chris Chelios, Patrick Roy, Nicklas Lidstrom and Mark Messier. Lemieux’s 80 playoff goals are more than Jean Beliveau (79) and only two fewer than Maurice “The Rocket” Richard and his 19 post-season game-winning goals are tied-for-third all-time, trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull (24). In addition, he sits 24th in Stanley Cup Playoff points (158) and tied-for-37th in playoff assists (78).

In 2008, Lemieux made a remarkable comeback to the National Hockey League with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning San Jose Sharks. After being out of the game for five years, Lemieux decided he wanted to continue playing the game he loved. Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson afforded Lemieux the opportunity to play for the Sharks Asian League affiliate, the China Sharks and he later signed an AHL contract with the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League.

“I want to thank the Arizona Sun Dogs for letting me train with them, the China Sharks for the opportunity to play there and the Worcester Sharks organization for helping making this dream possible. I cannot say enough to thank Doug Wilson, my Sharks teammates and the entire San Jose organization for giving me the opportunity to bring this dream to fruition. In my heart, I will forever be a San Jose Shark.”

In 23 games with Worcester, Lemieux posted 11 points (three goals, eight assists), 24 penalty minutes and was a +2. He was signed by San Jose on Dec. 29 and played in his first game with San Jose on Jan. 20 vs. Vancouver.

“Claude had a tremendous career and his accomplishments speak for themselves,” said Wilson. “His love of the game was truly evident this year and completing a successful return to the NHL revealed his true passion for hockey. The players in our organization in San Jose and Worcester will reap the benefits of having him as a teammate for years to come.”

Lemieux became a naturalized U.S. citizen on June 26, 2009.

** per the San Jose Sharks

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Worcester Heads West


The Worcester Sharks announced their matrix for the 2009-2010 season. The Sharks will be hosting four new cities this upcoming season. (Adirondack, Abbotsford, Syracuse & Winnipeg) The AHL also announced that the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have moved into the Atlantic Division. The following is the matrix for the 2009-10 Worcester Sharks:

Atlantic Division:
Lowell Devils (5/5)
Providence Bruins (5/5)
Hartford Wolf Pack (4/4)
Manchester Monarchs (4/4)
Portland Pirates (4/4)
Springfield Falcons (4/4)
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (3/3)

East Division:
Adirondack Phantoms (1/1)
Albany River Rats (1/1)
Binghamton Senators (1/1)
Hershey Bears (1/1)
Norfolk Admirals (1/1)
Syracuse Crunch (1/1)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (1/1)

Western Conference:
Abbotsford Heat (2/2)
Manitoba Moose (2/2)


2009-2010 Divison Alignment

Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Hartford Wolf Pack
Lowell Devils
Manchester Monarchs
Portland Pirates
Providence Bruins
Springfield Falcons
Worcester Sharks

East Division
Adirondack Phantoms
Albany River Rats
Binghamton Senators
Hershey Bears
Norfolk Admirals
Syracuse Crunch
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Chops On The Block

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The Iowa Chops American Hockey League franchise has been involuntarily suspended for the 2009-10 season by the league’s Board of Governors, effective July 6, 2009.
“The Iowa franchise has unfortunately been unable to remedy certain violations of the provisions of the league’s Constitution and By-Laws,” said American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews. There will be no further statement from the league at this time.
**per the AHL website

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Former W-Shark Makes Olympic Team

SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski was invited by USA Hockey to participate in the Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp from August 17-19 at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, Illinois.

"Obviously it was a goal of mine to be invited and it would be a great honor to play on the Olympic Team," said Pavelski in an interview with SJSHARKS.com on Tuesday. "It was an exciting call to get, but there is still a lot of work to do.”

Pavelski was a member of the 2006-07 Worcester Sharks playing in 16 games before being called up to San Jose. In those 16 games he registered 8 goals and 18 assists.

* photo courtesy of the AHL

Worcester Sharks AHL Free Agents

The following players AHL contracts have expired and are now free agents:

Patrick Traverse
P.J. Fenton
Matt Fornataro
Dan DaSilva
Michael Wilson
Andrew Desjardin
Kyle Jones

Westgarth Heading to the Island


Today the New York Islanders agreed to terms with defenseman Brett Westgarth. The contract is one-year and is a two-way contract.

Westgarth played the last three seasons in the AHL. Last year, the 6’2, 215 pound defenseman played for the Worcester Sharks, AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, scoring nine points (2 goals and 7 assists) while totaling 137 penalty minutes. Westgarth, a native of Amhertsburg, ON, is a Princeton University graduate who skated for the Tigers from 2002-2007 where he compiled four goals and 20 assists for 24 points.

*per the New York Islanders

Armstrong Feels the Heat


CALGARY - The Calgary Flames have signed minor-league forward Riley Armstrong.

Saskatoon native Armstrong spent the last five seasons playing in the San Jose Sharks minor-league system and has appeared in two NHL games. The 25-year-old had 25 goals, 17 assists and 101 penalty minutes in 71 games for Worcester last season.

Riley will most likely end up in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Flames moved their top minor league affiliate to British Columbia after spending two season in Quad Cities this past off season.

*part courtesy of tsn.ca

San Jose Sharks Announce Free Agents

The following players on the San Jose reserve list can potentially become Group III unrestricted free agents on July 1, 2009:

Rob Blake (San Jose)
Brian Boucher (San Jose)

Brenden Buckley (Worcester)
Tom Cavanagh (San Jose/Worcester)
Mike Grier (San Jose)
Kent Huskins (San Jose/Anaheim)
Cory Larose (Worcester)
Claude Lemieux (San Jose/Worcester)
Kyle McLaren (Worcester)
Travis Moen (San Jose/Anaheim)
Jeremy Roenick (San Jose)
Alexei Semenov (San Jose)
Ryan Vesce (San Jose/Worcester)
Brett Westgarth (Worcester)


*** per Worcester Sharks Website

Sharks Send Out Qualifying Offers

Thomas Plihal

SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has extended qualifying offers to the following Group II restricted free agents:

Ryane Clowe (San Jose)
Thomas Greiss (San Jose/Worcester)
Torrey Mitchell (San Jose/Worcester)
Brad Staubitz (San Jose/Worcester)


The following Group II restricted free agents were not issued qualifying offers and thus become unrestricted free agents:

Riley Armstrong (San Jose/Worcester)
Taylor Dakers (Worcester)
T.J. Fox (Worcester)
Marcel Goc (San Jose)

Lukas Kaspar (San Jose/Worcester)
Mike Morris (Worcester)
Tomas Plihal (San Jose)
Ashton Rome (Worcester/Phoenix/Toronto Marlies)


** per Worcester Sharks Website