The Shark Tank

State of the Sharks TONIGHT

2010-06-29T14:50:00.000-04:00

Join the Worcester Sharks Booster Club as they host the 2010 State of the Sharks meeting TONIGHT at 7 p.m. in the Shark Tank.

Special guests will be Sharks CEO Mike Lehr, Sharks President Mike Mudd, and DCU Center GM Sandy Dunn. They will be there to discuss and answer questions about the previous season and to talk about the future of both the Sharks and DCU Center!

To get to the Shark Tank. Enter through the convention center (door 5) and up the elevator. Follow the signs to the Shark Tank!

Mike Mudd Named Team President

2010-06-29T14:32:00.000-04:00

WORCESTER – Worcester Sharks CEO Michael T. Lehr announced the promotion of Michael Mudd to President of the Worcester Sharks.

Entering his tenth season with the organization, Michael Mudd will oversee the overall day-to-day business operations of the franchise while managing the Corporate, Ticket, Marketing, Community Relations, Public Relations, Merchandise, and Broadcasting departments. He will also continue to serve as the liaison with the San Jose Sharks regarding hockey related matters.

A native of Amherst, NY, the former professional and collegiate goaltender, and graduate of St. Lawrence University, has served in various capacities within the organization, the most recent as Senior Vice President of Business and Hockey Administration. Mudd will serve as President effective immediately.

“I would like to thank Michael Lehr for his continued support throughout the years and Greg Jamison for the opportunity to work for such a tremendous organization,” said Mudd. “I look forward to lead the Sharks on a day-to-day basis as we prepare for our fifth season of hockey in Worcester.”

President and CEO of the Worcester Sharks for the past four seasons, Michael T. Lehr was promoted as the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E). Lehr will remain as the Chief Executive Officer for the Worcester Sharks.

* courtesy of the SJ Sharks

Schedule of Events for Mike Mudd

Mike Mudd will be calling into WTAG Tonight with Mike Messina tonight at 6:30 p.m. on Newstalk 580AM .

Mike Mudd will also be on hand for tonight's State of the Sharks meeting at the DCU Center at 7:30 p.m.

Finally, Mike Mudd will be throwing out the first pitch tomorrow night at the Worcester Tornadoes game.

Joslin & Zalewski Receive QO's

2010-06-29T14:27:00.000-04:00

The San Jose Sharks have tendered qualifying offers to three players prior to the upcoming July 1 deadline. Among the skaters who have received QO’s are Devin Setoguchi, Steven Zalewski and Derek Joslin.

By tendering the offers, the Sharks keep the players on their reserve list as restricted free agents. As restricted free agents, the Sharks have the right to match any contract offered to the players or they have the ability to accept compensation in the form of draft picks (depending on the contract’s financial terms). San Jose also has the ability to continue negotiating with the players and have exclusive rights to this until Thursday.

San Jose did not qualify Daniel Rahimi, Matt Jones or Michael Vernace. Thus, Rahimi, Jones and Vernace will become unrestricted free agents on July 1 unless something changes.

*courtesy of the SJ Sharks

Sharks Draft Ferriero & Six Others

2010-06-29T14:17:00.000-04:00

LOS ANGELES – The San Jose Sharks concluded the 2010 NHL Entry Draft Saturday with Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson and Director of Scouting Tim Burke making seven selections in Rounds Two through Seven.

After selecting right wing Charlie Coyle on Friday night in the first round (28th overall) on Day One of the draft, the Sharks made their next selection in the third round (88th overall) on Saturday morning, choosing right wing Max Gaede from Woodbury High School in Minnesota. He was ranked 104th by Central Scouting among all North American Skaters.

Gaede posted 36 points (19 goals, 17 assists) and 36 penalty minutes in 25 games. The six-foot-two, 187-pound native of Maryland, Minn. also played in 11 games with Sioux City in the USHL, collecting two points (one goal, one assist) and two penalty minutes. He has committed collegiately to Minnesota State-Mankato but will play next season with Sioux City.

San Jose held three picks in the fifth round and selected RW/C Cody Ferriero (127th) from Governor’s Academy (HS) in Mass., center Freddie Hamilton (129th) from Niagara of the Ontario Hockey League and defenseman Isaac MacLeod (136th) from Penticton.

Ferriero, a five-foot-eleven, 190-pound center/right wing has committed to attend Boston College. He is the brother of Sharks prospect Benn Ferriero. Cody Ferriero had 40 points (21 goals, 19 assists) and 112 penalty minutes in 27 games and was ranked 117th by Central Scouting among all North American skaters. He was a member of the 2008 Select 17 U.S. squad.

Hamilton, ranked 62nd by Central Scouting among North American skaters, is a six-foot-one, 187-pound center who played last season with Niagara in the Ontario Hockey League. He posted 55 points (25 goals, 30 assists) and 12 penalty minutes in 64 games.

MacLeod, a six-foot-four, 205-pound defenseman was ranked as the 133rd North American skater by Central Scouting. He has spent last season with Penticton of the BCHL, where he posted 23 points (all assists) and 51 penalty minutes in 56 games.

The Sharks acquired a sixth round selection (163rd overall) from the Calgary Flames in exchange for G Henrik Karlsson. With that selection, San Jose grabbed defenseman Konrad Abeltshauser from Halifax in the QMJHL.Abeltshauser, a six-foot-five, 190-pound native of Bad Tolz, Germany, posted 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) and 28 penalty minutes in 48 games.

The Sharks also added a seventh round selection (200th overall) from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for San Jose’s seventh round selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

With their first selection in the seventh round (188th overall), the Sharks tabbed defenseman Lee Moffie from the University of Michigan. The six-foot-one, 200-pound native of Wallingford, Conn. played in 25 games as a freshman with Michigan, notching 12 points (four goals, eight assists) and 27 penalty minutes.

With the 200th overall selection, San Jose added right wing Chris Crane from Green Bay of the USHL. Last season en route to helping Green Bay capture the Anderson Cup (USHL regular season championship) and the Clark Cup (playoff championship), he posted 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) and 107 penalty minutes in 52 games. He was ranked 181st among North American skaters by Central Scouting. He has committed to attending Ohio State University.

*courtesy of the SJ Sharks

Sharks Use 1st Pick To Draft Mass Native Coyle

2010-06-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

LOS ANGELES – With the 28th overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson and Director of Scouting Tim Burke selected right wing Charlie Coyle.

Coyle spent last season with South Shore in the Eastern Junior Hockey League, where he was named Rookie of the Year. He is scheduled to attend Boston University in the fall.

With South Shore, Coyle posted 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists) and 50 penalty minutes in 42 games.The six-foot-two, 202-pound native of Weymouth, MA was ranked 24th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

“He’s a smart, versatile player with size and strength and he can make plays,” said Burke. “He was the best player available to us and we’re happy to have him.”

Coyle, the cousin of former NHL players Tony Amonte and Bobby Sheehan, was selected to represent his country at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial as well as the 2009 Four Nations Cup where he scored the overtime winner against Switzerland wrapping up the tournament title for the U.S. with a 3-0 record.He received the 2010 John Carlton Award, given to an outstanding male student-athlete in an Eastern Massachusetts high school or junior hockey programThe

Sharks currently hold five selections on Day Two of the 2010 NHL Entry, which will resume tomorrow at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Currently the Sharks have picks in the third (88th overall), fifth (127th, 129th, 136th overall) and seventh round (188th overall).

*courtesy of the SJ Sharks

Sharks Re-Sign Wallin & Nichol

2010-06-29T14:11:00.000-04:00

SHARKS RE-SIGN CENTER SCOTT NICHOL

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the team has re-signed Group III un-restricted center Scott Nichol to a one-year contract In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Nichol, 35, established new career highs in points (19), assists (15) and games played (79) in 2009-10. He finished first in the NHL in faceoff percentage (60.6%) and 12th in the League in hits (226).

He made his Sharks debut Oct. 1 at Colorado. Prior to last season, Nichol had spent the last four seasons with the Nashville Predators. In 43 games during the 2008-09 season, Nichol posted 10 points (4-6=10) with 41 penalty minutes.

“We knew when we brought Scott in last season that he was ultra-competitive,” said Wilson. “Not only did he meet that expectation, but he also brought a very business-like mentality to the rink each night, stepping up as a leader and an important centerman for us.”

The five-foot-nine, 175-pound native of Edmonton, Alberta has played in 496 NHL games for San Jose, Nashville, Chicago, Calgary and Buffalo, collecting 111 points (48 goals, 63 assists), while accumulating 758 penalty minutes.

Nichol was originally drafted by Buffalo in the 1993 NHL Entry draft (11th round, 272nd overall).

SHARKS RE-SIGN DEFENSEMEN NICLAS WALLIN

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has re-signed Group III un-restricted free agent defenseman Niclas Wallin to a one-year contract. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Wallin, 35, is a 10-year NHL veteran and won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He posted seven assists and 49 penalty minutes in 70 games with San Jose and Carolina this season and finished 16th among all NHL defenseman with 175 hits. Wallin was acquired from Carolina, along with a fifth round pick in the 2010 NHL draft, on Feb. 7 in exchange for a second round pick in 2010 (from Buffalo).In 540 NHL games, he has collected 71 points (18 goals, 53 assists) and 414 penalty minutes.

“Niclas is a physical veteran presence and will help solidify our blueline,” stated Wilson. “We were proud of the way he battled through a tough injury during the playoffs and are looking forward to having him at full health.”

Wallin has added eight points (three goals five assists) and 34 penalty minutes in 75 Stanley Cup Playoff games and has appeared in two Stanley Cup Finals series. All three of his post-season goals are overtime game-winners. He also represented his native Sweden at the 2008 World Championships, where he picked up four points (two goals, two assists) and 33 penalty minutes in 7 games.

The six-foot-three, 220-pound native of Boden, Sweden was selected by Carolina in the fourth round (97th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

*courtesy of the SJ Sharks

Andrew Desjardins Re-Signed

2010-06-29T11:44:00.000-04:00

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed forward Andrew Desjardins to a one-year contract. His salary will be $80,000 in the American Hockey League and $500,000 in the National Hockey League.

Last year, Andrew played in all 80 Worcester regular season games posting 19 goals and 27 assists.

During the playoffs, Andrew had 4 points in 11 games while racking up 32 PIMS.

This will be Andrew's third season with the Sharks organization.

Marleau & Pavelski Back In Teal

2010-06-29T11:39:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has re-signed Group III un-restricted free agent forward Patrick Marleau and Group II restricted free agent forward Joe Pavelski to four-year contracts. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deals was not disclosed.

“We are very pleased that Patty and Joe have committed to this organization now and in the future,” said Wilson. “They expressed a strong belief in the direction this franchise is heading but also understand the challenges to keeping a talented group like ours together.
Pavelski

“Both players had a tremendous regular season, excelled on the ice for their respective countries at the Winter Olympics and elevated their game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have solidified their place in the game among the League’s top forwards and we are excited as an organization to have Joe and Patty back in San Jose to build on what we accomplished last season.”

Marleau, 30, recently completed his 12th NHL season, all of which have been played in San Jose. He ranks first on the all-time team’s list in nearly every offensive category, including games played (953), goals (320), assists (373), points (693), power play goals (97), game-winning goals (59) and shots (2,194).

Last season, Marleau set a career-high with 44 goals which tied for the second-most ever by a Sharks player in a single season (Nolan, 99-00). He finished fourth in the NHL in goals and 14th in the League in points (83). For the second consecutive season, Marleau was selected as the “Sharks Player of the Year” in a vote by the Bay Area media.

In addition, Marleau scored his 300th and 301st career NHL goals on Dec. 26 vs. Anaheim. He appeared in his 900th career game Dec. 1 vs. Ottawa and scored two goals. He became the fastest Shark to reach 30 goals in a season (47 games), surpassing Jonathan Cheechoo’s mark (50 games) from 2005-06. Marleau tied his career-high with a nine-game point streak from Oct. 17 - Nov. 4 and was named the NHL “Third Star of the Week” by recording nine points in four games from Oct. 19 - 25.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Marleau helped lead the Sharks to the Western Conference Final, posting 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 14 games. He scored the game-winning goals in Games Four (in overtime) and Five against the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. He also added five goals in four games against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Final.

His eight playoff goals ranked him in a tie for tenth in the postseason and his three power play goals were also tied for tenth. Since the start of the 2003-04 season, Marleau has scored the third-most playoff goals of any NHL player (34).

Marleau was selected to represent Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver where he captured the gold medal and recorded five points in seven games. He also represented Canada at the 1999, 2001, 2003 (gold medal) and 2005 (silver medal) IIHF Men’s World Ice Hockey Championships. He was named to Canada’s gold-medal winning 2004 World Cup of Hockey squad but did not play.

The six-foot-two, 220-pound native of Aneroid, Saskatchewan was originally selected by San Jose in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft (1st round, 2nd overall) one spot behind teammate Joe Thornton (Boston, 1st overall).

Pavelski, 25, posted 51 points in 2009-10, including tying his career-high in goals (25) while playing in only 67 games. He missed 15 games with a broken foot, suffered on Oct. 6 at Los Angeles. Finishing sixth on the team in scoring, his 25 goals ranked third on San Jose. Pavelski finished the regular season fourth in the NHL in faceoff percentage (58.1%).

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Pavelski led the team in goals (nine) and points (17) as well as plus/minus (+6), power-play goals (five) and game-winning goals (three) in 15 games. In the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Colorado Avalanche, he scored the game-tying goal with less than a minute left in Game Two, netted the game-winning goal in overtime in Game Three and the game-winning, series-clinching goal in Game Six. He added two goals against the Detroit Red Wings in Games One and Two of the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Overall, his 17 postseason points tied him for 12th in the NHL and his nine goals ranked tied-for-seventh.

Pavelski was selected to represent the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, posting three assists and a +2 plus/minus rating in six games en route to winning the silver medal.

The five-foot-eleven, 190-pound native of Plover, Wisconsin was selected by San Jose in the seventh round (205th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

*courtesy of the SJ Sharks

Blake Calls It Quits After 20 Seasons

2010-06-29T11:33:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks defenseman and team Captain Rob Blake today formally announced his retirement from the game of hockey, following 20 remarkable seasons in the National Hockey League.

A Norris Trophy winner in 1998 with Los Angeles (finalist in 2000 and 2002) and a Stanley Cup champion in 2001 with Colorado, Blake will be remembered as one of the finest offensive defenseman to ever play the game.

He finishes with 777 NHL points (240 goals, 537 assists) which places him 18th all-time among all NHL defensemen. His 240 goals rank tenth all-time and his 136 power play goals place him third all-time among blueliners. In 1,270 NHL games (20th all-time among defensemen) with Los Angeles, Colorado and San Jose, Blake fired 3,896 shots, the fourth-most attempts by any NHL rearguard.

Among active NHL defensemen at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season, only Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios had posted more career points than Blake and no active blueliner had scored more career goals.

Blake is one of only 24 players in hockey history to join the “Triple Gold Club”, winning a World Championship (Canada, 1994 and 1997), Olympic Gold Medal (Canada, 2002) and the Stanley Cup (Colorado, 2001). Blake became the 11th member on Feb. 24, 2002 with Team Canada’s Olympic Gold Medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

“I was very fortunate to play 20 years in the NHL,” said Blake. “I would like to thank Doug Wilson and the San Jose Sharks for allowing me this opportunity to say thank you to the teammates and organizations that have helped make this a very memorable journey. I also want to thank my family for all of their support throughout my career.”

Blake, 40, spent the past two seasons in San Jose and was named team Captain on Sept. 30, 2009. In 143 games with the Sharks, he posted 75 points (17 goals, 58 assists) along with 170 penalty minutes and was a plus-29. He picked up his 500th career assist as a member of the Sharks on Jan. 9, 2009 at Edmonton. On March 23, 2010, he became just the third defenseman in NHL history over the age of 40 to collect three assists or more in a single game (Tim Horton and Carl Brewer).

“What Rob Blake has accomplished over the course of his hockey career speaks for itself,” said Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson. “The standard that he helped bring into our dressing room will be felt by our organization and players for years to come.

“Rob is a prime example of what is great about the game of hockey – the best players never act like they are bigger than the game. He had the ability to lead in the dressing room not only because of his elite skill level but also because his blue-collar heartbeat allowed him to relate to and earn the respect of all of his teammates.

“Rob is not only a tremendous player but a tremendous person and we congratulate him, his wife Brandy and their family, on a remarkable career.”

In addition to his Stanley Cup win in 2001, Blake also appeared in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals with Los Angeles against the Montreal Canadiens. In 146 Stanley Cup Playoff games, he posted 73 points (26 goals, 47 assists), tied for 25th best all-time among defensemen. His 436 shots from the blueline rank fifth all-time in postseason play.

The Simcoe, Ontario native was originally selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round (70th overall) of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected for the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1991 and appeared in seven All-Star games (1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004).

Blake was recognized with the NHL’s highest honor for a defenseman in 1998, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy and was also a finalist for the award in 2000 and 2002. In addition, he was named NHL First Team All-Star in 1998 and NHL Second Team All-Star from 2000-2002.

Blake has also had an illustrious International career outside of the NHL. He has represented Team Canada in the Olympics three times (1998, 2002 and 2006) and appeared in five World Championships with Canada (1991, 1994, 1997, 1998 and 1999). Blake was selected for Team Canada for two World Cup of Hockey tournaments (1996, 2004) but did not play in 2004 due to injury.

*courtesy of the SJ Sharks

Charlotte Checkers added to Eastern Conference

2010-06-29T11:24:00.000-04:00

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced that the league will operate with an all-time high of 30 active teams in 2010-11, which will also mark the AHL’s historic 75th season. All 30 National Hockey League teams will have their own primary affiliate playing in the AHL next fall. The league’s Board of Governors has approved the following division alignment for 2010-11 (NHL affiliates in parentheses):
EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC DIVISION
Bridgeport Sound Tigers(NYI)
Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)
Manchester Monarchs (LA)
Portland Pirates (BUF)
Providence Bruins (BOS)
Springfield Falcons (CBJ)
Worcester Sharks (SJ)

EAST DIVISION
Adirondack Phantoms (PHI)
Albany Devils (NJ)
Binghamton Senators (OTT)
Charlotte Checkers (CAR)
Hershey Bears (WSH)
Norfolk Admirals (TB)
Syracuse Crunch (ANA)
Wilkese-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)

The format for the 2011 Calder Cup Playoffs will be determined by the Board of Governors at its Annual Meeting in Hilton Head Island, S.C., July 5-8. The complete playing schedule for the 2010-11 regular season, which begins Oct. 8, will be announced later this summer. In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 85 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the ninth year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2009-10.

*courtesy of the AHL

Hershey Wins 11th Calder Cup

2010-06-29T11:18:00.000-04:00

HERSHEY, Pa. … The Hershey Bears completed the most successful season in American Hockey League by capturing the 2010 Calder Cup championship with a 4-0 win over the Texas Stars at Giant Center in Hershey on Monday night.

The Bears, the top development team of the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals, become the first team to repeat as Calder Cup champions since 1991, winning the title for the third time in the last five years and extending their own league record with their 11th overall championship.

Hershey defeated the Stars four games to two, becoming the first team in AHL history to win the Calder Cup after losing the first two games of the Finals series on home ice. The Bears also set a record with eight overtime victories during the 2010 postseason, and finished with a 16-5 playoff mark after winning a league-record 60 games in the regular season (60-17-0-3). Under first-year head coach Mark French, the Bears eliminated the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (4-1), Albany River Rats (4-0) and Manchester Monarchs (4-2) before defeating Texas in the Finals. The Bears’ 2010 playoff roster featured 11 players who appeared in the NHL with the parent Capitals this season.

Bears forward Chris Bourque won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs, finishing with a league-leading 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 21 games. The 24-year-old Boston native and son of Hockey Hall of Famer Ray Bourque turned pro in 2005 and has played five seasons in Hershey, making four Finals appearances and winning three Calder Cups.

The Bears, who clinched the Cup on home ice for the first time since 1980, came out with a bang, outshooting Texas 17-4 in the opening period and outscoring them 2-0. Rookie defenseman John Carlson buried the rebound of an Alexandre Giroux shot on the power play at 12:29, and Carlson’s defensive partner Karl Alzner sent a blast home from the left circle just 1:54 later to make it 2-0.

Defenseman Patrick McNeill provided his insurance for Hershey, scoring once apiece in the second and third periods, as the Bears received all four of their goals on the night from rearguards. Giroux, who totaled 110 goals over the past two regular-seasons, finished with two assists in the championship-clincher.

Hershey goaltender Michal Neuvirth was sensational in net, finishing with 22 saves – 10 in the third period alone – for his first shutout of the 2010 postseason. The 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs MVP, Neuvirth wrapped up these playoffs at 14-4 (2.07, .920) in 18 appearances.

Attendance at Giant Center for Monday’s game was a franchise record 11,002 fans. All six games in the series were played before standing-room-only crowds in Hershey and Cedar Park.

Hershey’s victory brings the curtain down on the AHL’s 74th season. In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 85 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and this season marked the ninth consecutive year in which more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America.

*courtesy of the AHL (Picture/Story)

Doherty, Sateri, Wingels, Hutton & Viedensky signed..

2010-06-29T11:16:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE - San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the team has signed defenseman Taylor Doherty, center Marek Viedensky, goaltender Harri Sateri, center Tommy Wingels and unrestricted free agent goaltender Carter Hutton. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Doherty, 19, recently completed his third season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. The six-foot-seven, 220 lb. defenseman served as an alternate captain with Kingston and posted 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists) placing him first among all Kingston blueliners in each category. He finished third amongst all OHL defensemen in goals and was 15th in points. His 114 penalty minutes were second on the team

The native of Cambridge, Ontario was selected by San Jose in the second round (57th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Viedensky, 19, split the season between Prince George and Saskatoon in the Western Hockey League. With 59 points (20 goals, 39 assists) in 61 games, he finished tied-for-fourth on Saskatoon in points, fifth in goals and T-third in assists. He also posted 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in 10 playoff games with the Blades and was named the team’s Playoff MVP.

Viedensky also represented Slovakia and the U-20 World Junior Championships, finishing with six points (one goal, five assists) in six games.

The Handlova, Slovakia native was selected by San Jose in the seventh round (189th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Sateri, 20, played in 49 games with Tappara in the Finnish Elite League posting a 2.73 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. He also helped Tappara advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Sateri was selected by San Jose in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Hutton finished his senior year at UMass-Lowell in 2010, playing in 27 games and posting a 2.04 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage, along with a 13-12-2 record and four shutouts. He finished fourth among all NCAA goaltenders in goals-against average (led Hockey East) and his save percentage was third in the nation among goaltenders who played at least 33% of their team’s minutes. He won the Bauer Goaltending Champion Award for the best combined goalie stats in the Conference, as well as being named to the Hockey East Second Team All-Stars.

The six-foot-one, 200-pound native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Hutton completed his four-year career with the River Hawks with a 34-41-10 record, 2.33 GAA and .913 save percentage, including 10 shutouts in 85 collegiate games. He is the school’s all-time leader in GAA (2.33), shutouts (10) and tied for the all-time lead in save percentage (.913).

Hutton was recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers in late March after he signed an amateur tryout agreement with Adirondack of the American Hockey League. He appeared in four games with Adirondack, posting a 1-2-1 record and a 2.71 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.

Wingels, 22, spent the last three seasons with Miami University (Ohio) amassing 99 points (43-56=99) in 127 games played. He helped Miami to consecutive Frozen Four appearances in the last two seasons, including the championship game in 2008-09.

This season, Wingels was named captain and finished second on the team in goals (17), fourth in points (17-26=43) and second in game-winning goals (5). His 43 points were tied for 33rd among all NCAA scorers. Following the season, he was named to the 2009-10 CCHA All-Conference Second Team and named CCHA’s “Best Defensive Forward”.

“Tommy’s mix of hockey sense and skill allow him to make an impact in all phases of the game,” said Wilson. “Miami head coach Enrico Blasi has built an extremely strong program at Miami and Tommy was a leader for them during his three years there. We’re excited for him to begin his development at the professional level.”

The 6-foot, 195-pound native of Evanston, IL was selected by San Jose in the sixth round (177th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

*courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

Traverse Heads Overseas

2009-07-10T16:22:00.000-04:00

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".

Claude Calls It A Career (Again)

2009-07-08T09:35:00.000-04:00

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

Worcester Heads West

2009-07-07T15:26:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-07T13:58:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-07T13:54:00.000-04:00

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

Former W-Shark Makes Olympic Team

2009-07-02T16:51:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-02T16:40:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-02T15:25:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-02T15:17:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-02T14:51:00.001-04:00

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

2009-07-02T14:44:00.000-04:00

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

Schedule to be Released Tuesday

2007-08-04T12:34:00.000-04:00

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League will be releasing its 2007-08 regular-season schedule on Tuesday, August 7, at 11:00 a.m. ET.

The schedule will be available for viewing and download on the official Web site of the American Hockey League, theahl.com.T

he 2007-08 season will be the AHL's 72nd year of operation, and will feature an all-time high of 29 teams.In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams.

More than 83 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the sixth year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2006-07.

Sharks Sign Semenov

2007-07-29T13:26:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has signed defenseman Alexei Semenov to a one-year contract. Per club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Semenov, 26, started the 2006-07 season playing for Ufa Salavat Yulayev in Russia where he posted three points (one goal, two assists) and 32 penalty minutes in 23 games. He then appeared in 23 games for the Florida Panthers, registering five assists and 28 penalty minutes.
He also played in four games for Rochester (AHL).

The four-year veteran has played in 142 NHL games, posting five goals, 16 assists and 156 penalty minutes for Edmonton and Florida.

In addition to his NHL totals, Semenov has posted nine goals and 14 assists and 125 penalty minutes in 122 AHL games with Hamilton and Rochester and 30 goals and 80 assists and 269 penalty minutes in 159 Ontario Hockey League games with Sudbury.

The six-foot-six, 235-pound native of Murmansk, Russia was originally selected by Edmonton in the second round (36th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

Semenov played in the 2003-04 NHL YoungStars game representing Edmonton.

*Courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

SJ Sharks Unveiled New Logo

2007-07-29T13:08:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The new look of Sharks Territory was unveiled at a 10 a.m. press conference by Sharks President and CEO Greg Jamison, Executive Vice President of Business Operations Malcolm Bordelon, defenseman Kyle McLaren and logo designer Terry Smith.

The re-branding included the unveiling of the updated Sharks logos, the re-launch of www.sjsharks.com and the re-opening of the Sharks Store.Click to watch the San Jose Sharks Official Logo Launch video (300K 700K ).

The new San Jose Sharks Primary Crest, joined by eight supporting marks, is both a re-imagination and a tribute to the original triangle logo used since the team’s inception in 1991.

The updated crest incorporates more Pacific Teal, the primary color of the Sharks, and emphasizes speed, strength and determination.

Smith, the designer of the original Sharks logo, created the new marks over an 18-month period in conjunction with Sharks players and front office.

Click here to view the Sharks Primary Crest and the eight supporting marks in the photo gallery.

“We put a lot of research into this and feel the fans will thoroughly appreciate the updated logo and new marks,” said Jamison. “The players were heavily involved in the process and they are extremely happy with the outcome.”

The new San Jose Sharks Primary Crest is both a re-imagination and a tribute to the original triangle logo used since the team's inception in 1991.The debut of the re-designed, more intimidating logo coincides with the launch of the new Rbk EDGE Uniform System, which the NHL has made the League standard beginning in the 2007-08 season. The Sharks new sweater will be unveiled in September.

The team also re-launched www.sjsharks.com this morning, featuring a cutting-edge video look at the new Sharks logo. The site, featuring the new look of Sharks Territory, has been modernized and upgraded to the new NHL Network.

The new-look, fan-friendly design will be seen on each of the League’s 30 team sites before the beginning of training camp in September. Fans can utilize the site to get the latest, most up-to-date information regarding Sharks hockey, view the latest in Sharks merchandise, take advantage of a number of special offers – including the Orchard Supply Hardware Free T-Shirt promotion – and much more.

“Our Website is an integral part of our organization from both an information standpoint and as a marketing tool,” said Bordelon. “The consistency the new NHL Network has established gives fans a much easier time navigating each team’s site.”

*Courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

Sharks Sign 07 First Round Draft Pick

2007-07-29T13:01:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has signed center Logan Couture, the team’s first round (ninth overall) selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, to an NHL contract. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Couture has spent the last two seasons with the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League. This past season, the Guelph, Ontario native ranked second on the team in points (78) and goals (26) and first in assists (52) in 54 games.

In five post season games, he lead the 67’s in points with eight (one goal, seven assists) in five games.In 2005-06, Couture led all Ottawa rookies in goals (25), assists (39) and points (64). His 64 points were third best overall on the team and third most for any OHL rookie. In six post season games, he led the 67’s in points with seven (three goals, four assists) in six games.

“We’ve followed Logan’s career and he comes from a great program,” said Wilson of the six-foot-one, 195-pount Couture. “Brian Kilrea and his staff always do a great job developing players. We worked hard to acquire Logan in the draft and we truly look forward to his progression as a player. He is a fine young man and we are happy to have him as part of our organization.”

*Courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

Sharks Resign Valette & Plihal

2007-07-29T12:51:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has re-signed Group II restricted free agents left wing Thomas Plihal and left wing Craig Valette to one-year contracts. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

In 2006-07, Plihal, 24, registered 15 points (6-9=15) and 28 penalty minutes with the Worcester Sharks, the top development AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks. Additionally, he made his NHL debut with the Sharks on Jan. 26 at Edmonton. In three games with San Jose, Plihal posted 10 shots on goal.

In 2005-06, Plihal set a career high with 30 points (11-19=30) in 74 games with Cleveland (AHL), including eight points (7-1=8) in his last seven games.

In 234 career AHL games with Worcester and Cleveland, the Frydlant, Czech Republic native has scored 89 points (38-51=89) and 123 penalty minutes.

The six-foot-one, 190-pound left wing was selected by San Jose in the fifth round (140th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

In 2006-07, Valette, 24, was named one of three alternate captains for the Worcester Sharks. In 55 games, Valette registered career highs for goals (15), assists (11) and points (26) and scored the first short handed goal in Worcester history.In 2005-06, Valette registered 11 points (5-6=11) and 95 penalty minutes in 69 games for the Cleveland Barons (AHL).

In 259 career AHL games, Valette has posted 32 goals, 33 assists, 65 points and 343 penalty minutes.

The six-foot, 200-pound center from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was originally signed by San Jose as a free agent on April 4, 2003.

* Courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

Worcester Signs Walsh to AHL Deal

2007-07-20T18:45:00.000-04:00

WORCESTER - Worcester Sharks General Manager Wayne Thomas announced today that the club has signed defenseman Tom Walsh to an American Hockey League contract. Per club policy, terms of the deal were undisclosed.

The 23-year-old Walsh skated in 29 regular season games for Worcester and recorded one goal and eight assists for nine points. The 6-foot, 200-pound Arlington, MA native was stellar during the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs tallying four points in just six games against the Manchester Monarchs during the first round.In addition to his 29 games with Worcester, Walsh played in 43 games for the Fresno Falcons and registered nine points (2+7=9).

The Harvard graduate played four seasons with the Crimson and recorded 40 points (9+31=40) in 125 games played.

*Courtesy of the Worcester Sharks

Sharks Sign Brad Norton

2007-07-18T18:13:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) The San Jose Sharks on Wednesday signed defenseman-left wing Brad Norton to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Norton, 32, appeared in five games for the Detroit Red Wings last season, registering one assist and 20 penalty minutes. The 6-6, 235-pounder spent the majority of the season playing for Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League, where he had one goal and four assists in 43 games.

Norton was selected in the ninth round - 215th overall - of the 1993 draft. He has three goals and eight assists in 124 career games for the Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators and Red Wings.

Sharks Sign Evans

2007-07-18T17:31:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has signed defenseman Brennan Evans to a one-year contract. Per club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Evans, 25, appeared in 75 games registering 16 points (two goals,14 assists) and 170 penalty minutes with the Worcester Sharks, the top development AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks.Entering his fifth season as a professional, Evans has logged 260 career AHL regular season games, totaling six goals, 36 assists and 512 penalty minutes for Lowell, Binghamton and Worcester.

He also played two games for the Calgary Flames in the 2003-04 Stanley Cup Playoffs.The six-foot-four, 210-pound native of Camrose, Alberta was originally signed as a free agent by the Calgary Flames in 2003.

*Courtesy of the Worcester Sharks

Sharks Sign Offensive Trio

2007-07-18T17:25:00.000-04:00

San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has re-signed Group II restricted free agents left wing Riley Armstrong, right wing Tom Cavanagh and right wing Mike Iggulden to a one-year contracts. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

In 2006-07, Armstrong, 22, finished eighth on the Worcester Sharks, the top development AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, with 36 points (19-17=36), all of which were career highs.
In 2005-06, Armstrong registered nine points (4-5=9) and 67 penalty minutes in 64 games for the Cleveland Barons (AHL).

In 2004-05, Armstrong, who was the youngest player on the Barons roster at the time, registered 19 points (8-11=19) in 70 games. Additionally, he registered an assist in his professional debut on Oct. 15, 2004 at Grand Rapids.

The five-foot-eleven, 185-pound left wing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was originally signed by San Jose as a free agent on Sept. 15, 2004.

In 2006-07, Cavanagh, 25, finished fourth on the Worcester Sharks, the top development AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, with 44 points (12-32=44), all of which were career highs.
In 2005-06, the Warwick, Rhode Island native registered 21 points (10-11=21) in 62 games while playing for Cleveland (AHL). He missed the first 16 games of the season due to off-season surgery.

In 2004-05, Cavanagh registered 29 points (10-19=29) while playing in his senior season with Harvard University. Additionally, he led the team in goals, assists and points and was second in game-winning goals. In addition to being a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award, Cavanagh was also named ECAC Defensive Forward of the Year and Second Team All-ECAC.
The six-foot, 200-pound right wing was selected by San Jose in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (sixth round, 182nd overall).

In 2006-07, Iggulden, 22, finished third on the Worcester Sharks, the top development AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, with 57 points (30-27=57). Additionally, the St. Catherines, Ontario native scored the shootout game-winning goal in Worcester’s first franchise win on Oct. 6, 2006.

In 2005-06, Iggulden tied the Cleveland Barons (AHL) record for power play goals by a rookie with 11. In addition, he registered 48 points (22-26=48) in 77 games.

In 2004-05, Iggulden played in six games with Rochester (AHL), where he scored one goal, after finishing his senior season at Cornell. In that same year, Iggulden also established a collegiate career high with 10 goals and 18 points.

The six-foot-three, 215-pound right wing was originally signed by San Jose as a free agent on Jan. 16, 2006.

*Courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

AHL Announces All*Star Date

2007-07-17T12:45:00.000-04:00

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced today that the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic will take place on Sunday, January 27 and Monday, January 28 at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, N.Y.“

Binghamton has a rich tradition in the American Hockey League history and a tremendously loyal fan base,” said Andrews. “While the Broome County Arena is not our largest venue, it will provide a terrific setting for our fans, our guests and our All-Stars to celebrate and showcase AHL excellence.”

“We are extremely honored and pleased to be hosting the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic,” said Tom Mitchell, executive vice president of the Binghamton Senators. “The whole community is excited about the tremendous exposure and distinction that this premier event will bring to Binghamton and Broome County.”

The 2008 AHL All-Star Classic was awarded to Binghamton in February. In 2007-08, the city of Binghamton and the Broome County Arena will be commemorating their 35th season hosting professional hockey, including 26 as members of the American Hockey League. The Senators, top development team of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, have called Binghamton home since 2002. This event will mark the city’s first AHL All-Star Classic.

The 2008 AHL All-Star Classic will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League, competing in the AHL All-Star Skills Competition and the AHL All-Star Game.

Of the 427 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 92 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Pavol Demitra, Rick DiPietro, Patrik Elias, Miikka Kiprusoff, Chris Kunitz, Kari Lehtonen, Ryan Miller, Martin St. Louis, Eric Staal and Steve Sullivan, as well as current Ottawa Senators Jason Spezza, Ray Emery, Anton Volchenkov and Joe Corvo.

*Courtesy of the AHL

Stafford Signs With Wings

2007-07-17T12:37:00.000-04:00

The Detroit Red Wings, parent club of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, announced on Monday the signings of eight players to contracts, including left wing Matt Ellis, who led the Griffins with 26 goals during the 2006-07 season.

“These players are valuable acquisitions for the Red Wings organization,” said Detroit assistant general manager Jim Nill. “In addition to greatly upgrading our team’s depth, we expect them to vie for a spot on the Red Wings' roster during training camp.”

Joining the Wings for the first time are forwards Carl Corazzini, Mark Cullen, Randall Gelech and Mark Hartigan; defensemen Brad Ference and Garrett Stafford; and goaltender Adam Berkhoel.

Stafford spent the last four seasons with San Jose's AHL affiliates, recording 40 goals and 110 assists for 150 points in 298 games. Last year, he had 41 points (11g, 30a) in 77 contests for Worcester.

Stafford was a Second Team AHL All-Star and an All-Rookie Team selection in 2003-04, when he compiled 12 goals and 34 assists for 46 points in 73 games for Cleveland.

*Courtesy of the Detroit Red Wings

Olson Injured In Accident

2007-07-17T12:32:00.000-04:00

VANCOUVER ISLAND - Nick Teichert is fighting for his life in the intensive care unit of Victoria General Hospital after being critically injured in a plane crash Saturday, east of Port McNeill.
Friends are hoping his first plane ride will not be his last.

"He's in rough shape," family friend Barb Bonnell said in an interview. "He's on life support and they don't know if he's going to make it."

The 22-year-old works for Western Forest Products. He was on his way to the Merritt Mountain Music Festival with hockey player Glenn Olson, 23, and pilot Mike Xylinas, 34, when the four-seater Cessna 172 went down in rough terrain. Xylinas was killed instantly.
Olson, a National Hockey League prospect, is seriously injured with broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

On Sunday, Olson was able to give some information to investigators, said coroner Rose Stanton. After leaving Port McNeill at 10:27 a.m., the trio were sightseeing over the Nimpkish Valley when the plane went down in rough terrain.

"We have some idea of how the crash occurred and we're continuing with our investigation," said Stanton.

A post-mortem and routine toxicology studies will be conducted on Xylinas.
Transportation Safety Board investigator Bill Yearwood said the plane went down with high force and is badly damaged. "The way the aircraft went into the trees is similar to what one would find when an aircraft is out of control."

Friends have described Xylinas as an experienced, "amazing" pilot. Yearwood said he was not aware of any accidents or reportable incidents on his flight record.

*Courtesy of the Vancouver Sun

Ballou Wins AHL Award

2007-07-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today the 2006-07 recipients of the James H. Ellery Memorial Awards, presented annually by the league in recognition of outstanding media coverage of the AHL in three categories

.This year’s winners are Worcester Sharks beat writer Bill Ballou (in the newspaper category); Toronto Marlies play-by-play broadcaster John Bartlett (radio); and sports director Mark Giangreco of WLS-TV (ABC 7) in Chicago (television).

On the AHL beat in Worcester since 1994, Bill Ballou is the authoritative source for American Hockey League information in the area. His extensive coverage in the Telegram & Gazette includes recaps and notes columns for every Worcester Sharks game, and his weekly AHL column is a must-read for fans, broadcasters and fellow writers alike. A lifelong hockey enthusiast himself, Ballou has also contributed AHL material to The Hockey News and to San Jose’s Sharks Magazine. He is now a two-time winner of the Ellery Award, having also received the honor in 1997-98.

The radio play-by-play voice of the Toronto Marlies, John Bartlett continued to promote the American Hockey League in Canada’s largest city in 2006-07. He negotiated an agreement to have Marlies games broadcast on AM640 Toronto Radio (also the radio home of the Toronto Maple Leafs), and was also instrumental in organizing the radio broadcast of the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic. Bartlett also contributes greatly to the Marlies’ community relations efforts, writes a popular column for the team’s Web site and makes regular appearances on Leafs TV that help educate the growing AHL fan base in Toronto.

Mark Giangreco is the sports director and the primary sports anchor at WLS-TV (ABC 7) in Chicago. A passionate hockey fan, Giangreco includes coverage of the AHL and the Chicago Wolves during the station’s top-rated 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, gathering game highlights and dispatching crews to report on Wolves practices and media days in an effort to stay on top of the latest happenings around the team and the league. He is also a regular guest speaker at the Wolves’ annual Future Media Day, discussing his career in sports journalism and answering questions from attending students.

The James H. Ellery Memorial Awards, which were first presented in 1964, honor the late Mr. Ellery, who served the American Hockey League for 17 years as league secretary and publicity director.

*Courtesy of the AHL

AHL SIGNS NEW CBA

2007-07-08T02:30:00.000-04:00

The American Hockey League and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association today announced the ratification of a new three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The new CBA, which is effective through August 31, 2010, has been ratified by both the AHL’s Board of Governors and an overwhelming majority of AHL players. The existing agreement had been set to expire on August 31, 2007.

The CBA has been modified to include significant enhancements to the health and welfare plan currently offered to AHL players and their families, and includes a major restructuring of the revenue-sharing formula in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The parties also agreed to a modification of the AHL roster regulation which specifies the number of “development players” on the 19-man playing roster. The modification allows AHL teams to qualify one skater with 320 or fewer games of pro experience as a “development player,” essentially creating another veteran lineup spot.

The restructuring of revenue sharing in the Calder Cup Playoffs will provide more flexibility to AHL clubs in marketing the early rounds of the postseason, while creating a more equitable sharing between the league and its players in the success of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Under the new formula the league will pay a fixed amount into the players’ pool for first-round games, and an additional 32.5 percent of ticket revenues for all subsequent rounds.

“The American Hockey League has enjoyed a very positive relationship with our players and with the PHPA for many years,” said David Andrews, AHL President and CEO. “This new Collective Bargaining Agreement allows us to continue that relationship and enhance our competitive product, which is another positive step for our league, our players and our fans.”

“Having the ability to extend this agreement and continue to operate under stable labor/management relations was an opportunity that could not be overlooked,” said Larry Landon, Executive Director of the PHPA. “As we celebrate our 40th year of existence, enhancing and protecting player benefits remains our top priority within the Association, whereas the new playoff pool funding revision enhances the partnership between both organizations and serves to further grow the sport.”

*Courtesy of the AHL

SHARKS SIGN VETERAN DEFENSEMAN

2007-07-08T02:19:00.000-04:00

WORCESTER - Worcester Sharks General Manager Wayne Thomas announced today that the club has re-signed veteran defenseman Patrick Traverse to a two-year American Hockey League contract. Per club policy, financial terms of the deal will not be disclosed.

“We are very excited to have Patrick Traverse sign with us,” said Thomas. “He adds stability and leadership to the Worcester Sharks lineup and adds significant depth to the San Jose Sharks organization.”

Traverse, an 11-year AHL veteran, completed the 2006-07 season with Worcester after being acquired on December 15, 2006 from the Montreal Canadiens organization in exchange for defenseman Mathieu Biron. The 6’4”, 207-pound defenseman finished the 2006-07 regular season having played in all 80 games and six playoff games. Traverse finished with 27 points (6+21=27) between the two teams.

“The hardest part about being a professional athlete is the travel and being away from family,” said Traverse. “The Sharks Organization has been fantastic to me and my family and it was a priority to sign here. It’s a great opportunity to stay home and play and my two young boys will be able to go to school here and stay near their friends. “I’m very excited,” he said.

The Montreal native and current Grafton, MA resident has appeared in 279 NHL games and recorded 65 points (14+51=65) and 113 penalty minutes. Traverse has also played six NHL playoff games, but has not registered a point.

“Patrick Traverse is a player we wanted to have back in the mix without question,” said Michael T. Lehr, President and CEO of the Worcester Sharks. “Patrick and his family are year round residents of Grafton and we are excited that he will be able to live at home and become an active member of the Worcester community while providing a strong, veteran presence on the blueline for the Worcester Sharks.

“This is a great day to be a Worcester Sharks fan.”

Traverse has also skated in 501 AHL games and registered 181 points (53+128=181). In 47 playoff games, the steady defenseman recorded 17 points in 47 games (4+13=17).

*Courtesy of the Worcester Sharks

STEVENSON SWIMS TO THE "C" OF RED

2007-07-08T02:15:00.000-04:00

Calgary, AB - Calgary Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter announced today the signing of forward Grant Stevenson to a one year contract. As per club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“I think it’s a good depth move for our organization," said Sutter in an afternoon press conference. "I like that he has some NHL experience, that he plays two positions and it was a number that worked for us."Stevenson, a 5’11”, 170 lbs right centreman has played 47 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks during the 2005-06 season where he registered 10 goals, 12 assists for 22 points and 14 penalty minutes. "Quite honestly he’s a player with experience," added Sutter. "We look at how young our farm team is and the ability to move players up and down, and it just gives us another tool."

A native of Spruce Grove, Alberta, Stevenson played his first NHL game in Calgary against the Flames on November 23, 2005 and record his first NHL goal on the same night.

*Courtesy of the Calgary Flames

BOLTS STRIKE:MATHIEU MOVES ON

2007-07-08T02:10:00.000-04:00

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed free agent left wing Mathieu Darche to an one-year contract, Darche, a 6-1, 220-pound Montreal native, skated in 76 games with Worcester of the AHL and two games with the San Jose Sharks in 2006-07. The 30-year-old tallied 35 goals, 45 assists and 80 points with Worcester, leading the team in all three categories while finishing tied for sixth in goals and seventh in points in the AHL.

In 436 AHL games with Syracuse, Milwaukee, Hershey and Worcester, Darche has recorded 162 goals and 342 points. He led Milwaukee in goals (28) in 2003-04 as he helped the Admirals capture the Calder Cup.In 28 career NHL games with Columbus, Nashville and San Jose, Darche has recorded a goal and an assist. Before being signed as a free agent by Columbus in 2000, he played four seasons at McGill University in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union, leading the league in scoring in 1999-2000 with 72 points in 33 games.

“Mathieu is a prolific scorer and outstanding playmaker at the AHL level, and will get a chance to compete for a spot on our roster in camp,” Feaster said. “He has great vision and very good hands and he shows excellent poise with the puck. He works hard and competes consistently, and he continues to post big numbers at the minor league level. We simply don't have enough quality veteran depth players like Mathieu in our organization, and we are very pleased Mathieu recognizes the opportunity we present.“Our scouting staff did an outstanding job identifying the depth players we wanted to target, and Claude Loiselle was relentless in pursuing good, solid contracts with both players. As a result, we are significantly better and deeper, organizationally, than we were prior to the start of free agency.”

*Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Lightning

SHARKS GIVE 7 PLAYERS QUALIFYING OFFERS

2007-07-08T02:05:00.000-04:00

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:
Riley Armstrong C/RW
Tom Cavanagh C
Mike Iggulden C
Dimitri Patzold G
Thomas Plihal C
Craig Valette C

The following Group II restricted free agents were not issued qualifying offers and become free agents:
Michal Macho C
Glenn Olson LW

The following players can potentially become Group III unrestricted free agents on July 1, 2007:
Mathieu Darche LW
Scott Ferguson D
Bill Guerin RW
Scott Hannan D
Mark Smith C
Patrick Traverse D

The following players can potentially become Group VI unrestricted free agents on July 1, 2007:
Garrett Stafford D
Grant Stevenson C/RW

*Courtesy of the Worcester Sharks

SHARKS ANNOUNCE OPENING NIGHT

2007-07-08T02:03:00.000-04:00

WORCESTER - President and CEO Michael T. Lehr announced today that Opening Night for the home portion of the Worcester Sharks 2007-08 season will take place on Saturday, October 13th at the DCU Center. In addition to Opening Night, Team Teal released five other home dates guaranteed by the American Hockey League. The remaining Worcester Sharks and AHL regular season schedules will be released in early August.

The following dates are scheduled home games for the Sharks 2007-08 season at the DCU Center:

*Saturday, October 13, 2007 (Opening Night)
Saturday, October 20, 2007
*Saturday, November 17, 2007
*Saturday, December 8, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Friday, January 18, 2008

* - Denotes Opening Hat Trick Pack game

In addition to these six dates, the Worcester Sharks have released an Opening Night Hat Trick Pack with three of the six dates listed above. The Opening Night Hat Trick Pack will include a Sharks baseball cap and a ticket in the Gold Level to a home game on Saturday, October 13th, Saturday, November 17th and Saturday, December 8th. To order your Opening Night Hat Trick Pack for just $49, simply click here.

*Courtesy of the Worcester Sharks

MACHO SIGNS WITH HC KOSICE

2007-07-08T01:56:00.000-04:00

"Novou posilou klubu HC Košice sa stal útočník Michal Macho. V stredu podpísal s klubom dvojročnú zmluvu.

Michal Macho debutoval v slovenskej extralige v sezóne 2000/01 v drese Martina. Po dvojročnom pôsobení na Turci odohral tri sezóny za Slovan Bratislava a po tom, čo ho draftoval klub San José Sharks odišiel do Ameriky. V uplynulom ročníku pôsobil na farme vo Worchestri, kde získal v 27 zápasoch sedem bodov.

Dvadsaťpäťročný center pôsobil v juniorských reprezentačných výberoch Slovenska a 5-krát nastúpil aj za A-mužstvo.

Michal Macho sa narodil 17. januára 1982. Meria 185 cm a váži 85 kilogramov."

He will be playing in the Czech Rupublic.

2007-07-07T01:41:00.000-04:00

Due to unfortunate circumstances The Shark Tank was not maintained while the Sharks started their first ever playoff run. However, we are pleased to announce that this is the unofficial spot to catch all your Sharks news during the offseason..

Check back for later for breaking news.

Sharks 3 - Lowell 2 OT

2007-01-16T13:49:00.000-05:00

Worcester Sharks @ Lowell Devils
January 15th

1st Period
1. Lowell, D. Clarkson (12) (T. Pihlman, M. Mottau) 17:33
2. Worcester, G. Mink (7) (M. Darche, M. Iggulden) 19:52 PP

2nd Period
none

3rd Period
3. Worcester, M. Iggulden (14) (D. Spang, G. Stafford) 11:41
4. Lowell, P. Vrana (6) (N. Bergfors, T. Harant) 15:53

OT
5. Worcester, G. Stafford (6) (D. Spang, M. Darche) 2:47 PP

Sharks 4 - Springfield 2

2007-01-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

Worcester Sharks @ Springfield Falcons
January 13th

1st Period
1. Springfield, S. Dufresne (2) (D. Spina, D. Corso) 12:07

2nd Period
2. Worcester, M. Darche (25) (G. Mink, G. Stafford) 9:02
3. Worcester, B. Leisenring (1) (S. Bernier) 18:02

3rd Period
4. Worcester, B. Leisenring (2) (J. Prudden) 0:45 SH
5. Worcester, L. Kaspar (3) (J. Prudden, B. Leisenring) 8:32
6. Springfield, D. Corso (9) (A. Rogers) 11:12

Sharks Game Day: January 13th

2007-01-16T13:31:00.000-05:00

Tonight, the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will travel west to the Nest to take on the Springfield Falcons (Tampa Bay Lightning). The Sharks look to even up the season series and are currently 2-3-0-0 against the Birds this season. The two teams last met on January 3rd when the Sharks beat the Falcons 5-3. They will be back at it again one week from today as the Sharks once again travel to Springfield.

“It’s going to be a tough game” said Scott Ferguson “We’re trying to catch teams in front of us and every game is important.”

The Springfield Falcons would take the lead with less than 2 minutes left in the first frame on a power play goal by Eric Healey. Norm Milley and Doug O’Brien would each get the assists on the goal that gave the Birds the lead going into the first intermission.

Ashton Rome would tie the game up with an unassisted goal at 5:22 of the second period. Eric Healey would find the back of the net for the 2nd time in the game, which would earn him the games number 3 star, putting the Falcons back up on top 2-1. That wouldn’t last long as Mike Iggulden scored 3 minutes later to once again tie the teams up before they went into the locker room. Mathieu Darche and Graham Mink would get credited with assists for Iggulden’s first goal of the night.

The Sharks would take the lead early in the third when Tom Cavanagh broke down the right wing boards and fired it past Falcons netminder Karri Ramo. Steve Bernier picked up his first point as a Worcester Shark on the goal just 12 seconds into the final period. Defenseman Patrick Traverse would score his first goal as a Shark, second goal of the season, when his power play tally gave the Sharks a two-goal lead just 4:21 in. Worcester went 1-for-6 with the man advantage. Mathieu Darche and Riley Armstrong would both pick up their 2nd points in the game when Mike Iggulden scored his 2nd goal of the night. Rookie Matt Smaby would add another goal for the Falcons with 58 seconds remaining but it was too late and Thomas Greiss picked up his 7th win of the season with 21 saves.

The Sharks were last in action on Sunday afternoon as they fell to the Hartford Wolf Pack by the score of 2-1. Last night, the Sharks were idle while the Providence Bruins defeated the Springfield Falcons 3-2.

Players to watch for:

WORCESTER:
Thomas Greiss- is currently 4th in GAA for rookies with an average of 2.66.
Mike Iggulden- has 3 goals and an assist in his last 2 games against the Falcons.

SPRINGFIELD:
Eric Healey- has 3 goals and 6 assists in 5 games this season against the Sharks.
Jonathan Boutin- named Goaltender of the Month for December with a record of 5-1-1.

NOTES:
Atlantic Adventure: The Atlantic Division is the only division in the American Hockey League where all the teams are playing at or above a .500 record. The Sharks are in 7th place in the division but have two games in hand against Providence and a game in hand over Lowell, who the Sharks trail by only 1 point. The Sharks will have to play .500 hockey in their next 3 games to catch up to the Springfield Falcons 4th place and the last playoff spot in the division.

Streak Ends: After tonight’s game a streak will end. The Springfield Falcons are currently on a 3 game losing streak while going 1-5 in their last 6 games. The Sharks are on a 2 game skid with their last win coming on January 5th in Providence.

California Charter: Yesterday the Sharks recalled Jonathan Tremblay from the Fresno Falcons of the ECHL. Also the San Jose Sharks recalled defenseman Matt Carle back to the big club in time for their game against the Phoenix Coyotes. In 3 games for the Worcester Sharks he picked up 2 assists and was a +1.

Road Trip: This is the Sharks 4th city in as many games on their current road trip. They are currently 1-2-0-0 on the trip. They will finish the trip with a game in Portland, Maine tomorrow night and a 2:05 matinee on Monday in Lowell. They return home on Friday night as they complete a home and home series with the Lowell Devils. Once again, the Salter School of Massage Therapy will be on hand to give free massages for the fans. The first 3,000 fans will also receive collector’s edition trading cards.

AROUND THE ATLANTIC:
Hartford (43 pts) @ Portland (43 pts)
Providence (39 pts) @ Binghamton

Three Periods with Riley Armstrong
1st: What do you do in the off-season to prepare for training camp?
RA: “Usually I just work out with my brother. We have a lot of pro guys back home. We do our training there and probably get on the ice 5 times a week. A couple weeks before camp we really skate and work on little things to get back into game shape.”

2nd: When did you first play hockey?
RA: “When I was in grade 9, 14-15 years old. I used to figure skate before that and never really was into that whole hockey thing until my brother started getting good so I figured I would try it out so I started getting serious about hockey at that age.”

3rd: Did you have a hockey idle growing up?
RA: “I’d say Wayne Gretzky because the Oilers were the closest NHL team to my city. There are a lot of other guys who scored goals like Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny that I liked too.”

Hartford 2 - Sharks 1

2007-01-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

Worcester Sharks @ Hartford Wolf Pack
January 7th

1st Period
none

2nd Period
1. Hartford, G. Moore (5) (M. Richter, B. Lampman) 12:45
2. Hartford, M. Lee (2) (B. Isbister, N. Dawes) 13:45

3rd Period
3. Worcester, S. Bernier (1) (T. Cavanagh, T. Plihal) 8:45

Sharks Game Day: January 7th

2007-01-16T13:26:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) travel down to Connecticut’s capital to take on the Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers). It will be the sixth meeting this season with the Wolf Pack, with Worcester having a record of 2-2-1-0. In each of the 5 games, the visiting team has picked up 2 points. They will meet 4 more times this season with the next game being on February 16th in Hartford.

The two clubs last met on December 26th, with the Hartford Wolf Pack picking up their 400th regular season win in franchise history with a 2-0 shutout against the Sharks. Brandon Dubinsky would give the Pack all the offense they would need when he scored his seventh goal of the season just 3:14 into the first period. Millbury’s own Marvin Degon would pick up an assist on the goal. Dane Byers would add an insurance power play goal midway through the second period to give the Pack a 2-0 lead. Al Montoya made 20 saves in the win and would later become the AHL player of the week.

Last night, the Sharks traveled up to Portland to play the fifth game of the UnumProvident Challenge. Worcester would get off to a slow start as they found themselves trailing just 3:26 into the game. Curtis Glencross would get his 3rd goal of the season with Nathan Saunders and Ryan Shannon picking up assists on the play. Ryan Shannon, who was sent down from Anaheim on Thursday, would pick up 3 assists in the game and was the game’s third star. Matt Keith and Curtis Glencross would both pick up their fourth goals of the season with the man advantage to make it a 3-0 Pirates lead.

Garrett Stafford's power play goal would put the Sharks on board before the second period ended. Stafford beat Mike Wall with only 46 seconds left to play in the frame. Graham Mink and Mike Iggulden would each pick up points on Stafford’s 5th goal of the year. The Sharks and Pirates would skate a scoreless 3rd period as the Pirates went on to beat the Sharks for only the second time this season. Nolan Schaefer made 17 saves in the losing effort. In other action around the Atlantic Division last night, the Hartford Wolf Pack beat the Springfield Falcons 6-3.

Players to watch for:

WORCESTER:
Matt Carle- has 2 assists in 2 games played with the Sharks and is a plus-one in the player rating department.
Mike Iggulden- has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games played for the Sharks.

HARTFORD:
Brad Isbister- is averaging a point a game in his last 8 games played for the Wolf Pack.
Al Montoya- 5-1 in his last 6 starts with a 1.40 GAA and a .954 Save Percentage. NOTES:

Weekly Honors: Last week, Hartford netminder Al Montoya, was named CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week. Montoya had a record of 3-0-0 during the period, which included 2 shutouts. He got his first shutout of the year back on December 26th, when he blanked the Sharks by the score of 2-0.

Key Goals: When the game is on the line the Sharks pass the puck to Garret Stafford. Garret has scored 5 goals this season: 4 Power Play, 2 Game Winning, and 1 Game Tying. Also, 4 out of his 5 goals have come with less than 4 minutes remaining in the period. He scored his 5th goal of the season last night with 46 seconds left in the 2nd period in a 3-1 loss to the Portland Pirates.

Road Trip: The Sharks are currently 1-1-0-0 on their current 6 game road trip. They will be on the road until they return back to the DCU Center on January 19th as they complete a home and home series with the Lowell Devils. Once again, the Salter School of Massage Therapy will be on hand to give free massages for the fans. The first 3,000 fans will also receive collector’s edition trading cards.

AROUND THE ATLANTIC:
Manchester (49 pts) @ Portland (41 pts)
Springfield (41 pts) @ Providence (35 pts)

Three Periods with Steve Bernier:

1st: How does it feel to be a first round draft pick?
SB: “ It feels great. It’s always fun to be a first round draft pick. But right after the draft, I mean you’re a first round draft pick but it doesn’t matter anymore. You have to prove what you’re able to do and if you don’t do it, you’re not going to be in the NHL. So it’s great to be a first round draft pick but you have to make sure that you don’t think about it after that and just work hard and make sure that you try to improve yourself.”

2nd: What are your thoughts about Worcester?
SB: “It’s a new thing. I’ve come here to play with the Worcester Sharks. I’m going to be at the game the same way I do everyday when I play. Hope I’m going to give my 100% and try to win the game.”

3rd: What are your goals while you are in Worcester?
SB: “To improve my confidence, and try to score more goals. I have to improve my work down low, the way I approach a game and be ready for 60 minutes. That’s why I’m here.”

Portland 3 - Sharks 1

2007-01-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

Worcester Sharks @ Portland Pirates
January 6th

1st Period
1. Portland, C. Glencross (3) (N. Saunders, R. Shannon) 3:26

2nd Period
2. Portland, M. Keith (4) (R. Shannon, C. Genoway) 13:09 PP
3. Portland, C. Glencross (4) (C. Wilson, R. Shannon) 17:30 PP
4. Worcester, G. Stafford (5) (G. Mink, M. Iggulden) 19:14 PP

3rd Period
none

Sharks Game Day: January 6th

2007-01-16T13:23:00.000-05:00

Tonight, the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will travel up to Maine to battle the Portland Pirates (Anaheim Ducks). The Sharks are currently 3-0-0-1 against the Pirates this season in their quest for the first UnumProvident Cup. Last time these two teams met was on Saturday, when the Sharks beat the Pirates 3-2 in a shootout. Thomas Greiss would stop 45 shots in the win.

“Portland’s a good team, they come out hard and play physical” said defenseman Brad Staubitz. “We’ve just got to play hard hockey,” he continued.

The next time theses two team will meet is on January 14th as they once again travel up to Maine.

Last night, the Sharks traveled down route 146 to face the Providence Bruins. Worcester and Providence held each other scoreless through the first 2 periods. The Sharks had several opportunities but their best chance came in the third when both Mark Stuart and Bobby Allen received penalties to make it a two-man advantage. The Sharks would capitalize on the power play to take the late 1-0 lead. Graham Mink scored his fifth goal of the season with Mathieu Darche and Matt Carle both picking up assists on the play.

The Sharks continued on their man advantage and this time it would be Mathieu Darche finding the back of the net. That would be Darche’s team leading 24th goal of the season with helpers going to Steve Bernier and Garrett Stafford. Both Steve Bernier and Matt Carle were reassigned to Worcester on Tuesday and are averaging a point a game since their arrival. The Sharks went 2-for-6 on the power play to improve their league leading road power play to 24.5%.

Providence would cut the lead in half when they would get a power play goal of their own with a little over two minutes left in the game. Nathan Dempsey would score his first goal of the season and was assisted by T.J Trevelyan and Ben Walter. Thomas Greiss would stop 25 shots in his 7th victory of the season. The Portland Pirates lost to the Springfield Falcons 4-3 last night.

Players to watch for:

WORCESTER:
Mathieu Darche- has recorded five goals and an assist in four games against Portland.
Brennan Evans- leads the team with 87 penalty minutes.

PORTLAND:
Ryan Shannon- reassigned by Anaheim on 1/4. Scored a goal and an assist last night.
Clay Wilson- has two goals and two assists in four games played against the Sharks this year.

NOTES:
Family Reunion: Last Saturday was the first game that Aaron and Ashton Rome played against each other at the pro level. Ashton was a healthy scratch the last 2 times the Pirates and Sharks played. They also have a third sibling, Reagan, who spent some time with Manitoba of the AHL this season, but is now with the Reading Royals.

California Dreaming: Between the two clubs there were a lot of flights between California and New England this past week. In the past 7 days, Steve Bernier and Matt Carle made their way to Worcester while Aaron Rome, Mike Wall, and Ryan Shannon were assigned to Portland. Also, the Ducks recalled Tim Brent and Bjorn Melin.

Greiss Lightning: It’s the only way you can describe Thomas Greiss’s glove hand. Thomas Greiss is 5-0 in his last 5 starts and has a Goals Against Average of 2.73 and a Save % of .904. He currently leads the Sharks in wins with 7. He currently has a record of 7-4 in his rookie campaign.

Road Trip: This is the second stop in the second longest road stand for the Sharks. They will be on the road until they return back to the DCU Center on January 19th as they complete a home and home series with the Lowell Devils. Once again, the Salter School of Massage Therapy will be on hand to give free massages for the fans. The first 3,000 fans will also receive collector’s edition trading cards.

AROUND THE ATLANTIC:
Providence (35 pts) @ Manchester (47 pts)
Hartford (37 pts) @ Springfield (41 pts)
Lowell (37 pts) @ Norfolk

Get to Know ‘Em-
What age were you when you learned to skate?

Steve Bernier: “I started around 4 – 4 1/2, it was fun.”

Graham Mink: “I started skating at 4 and then I started playing organized hockey at 5 in Stowe.”

Nolan Schaefer: “I started skating when I was 2 years old and just been playing ever since. I was a D-man for the first few years and then I changed over to goalie.”

Lukas Kaspar: “ I was around 3-4, very young.”

Josh Prudden: “5 years old.”

Dan Spang: “3.”

Brad Staubitz: “I was young, I think as soon as I could I got started because my older brother and my dad played hockey. So as soon as I could walk, they probably put me in skates. So as long as I can remember.”

Sharks 2 - Providence 1

2007-01-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

Worcester Sharks @ Providence Bruins
January 5th

1st Period
none

2nd Period
none

3rd Period
1. Worcester, G. Mink (5) (M. Carle, M. Darche) 14:13 PP
2. Worcester, M. Darche (24) (S. Bernier, M. Carle) 15:47 PP
3. Providence, N. Dempsey (1) (T. Trevelyan, B. Walter) 17:53 PP

Sharks 5 - Springfield 3

2007-01-16T13:18:00.000-05:00

Springfield Falcons Vs. Worcester Sharks
January 3rd

1st Period
1. Springfield, E. Healey (15) (N. Milley, D. O'Brien) 18:19 PP

2nd Period
2. Worcester, A. Rome (4) 5:22
3. Springfield, E. Healey (16) (N. Milley, D. Corso) 11:33
4. Worcester, M. Iggulden (12) (M. Darche, G. Mink) 14:39

3rd Period
5. Worcester, T. Cavanagh (7) (S. Bernier) 0:12
6. Worcester, P. Traverse (2) (R. Armstrong, S. Ferguson) 4:21 PP
7. Worcester, M. Iggulden (13) (R. Armstrong, M. Darche) 14:40
8. Springfield, M. Smaby (2) (B. Jones, E. Healey) 19:02

Sharks Game Day: January 3rd

2007-01-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

Tonight, the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will host the Springfield Falcons (Tampa Bay Lightning) at the DCU Center. The Sharks are currently 1-3-0-0 against the Birds this season. The two teams last met on December 9th when the Falcons blanked the Sharks 3-0.

“I hope we’re patient” said Sharks assistant coach Dave Cunniff about tonight’s opponent, “and not fall into their trap.”

Tonight you can receive $2 off tickets just by showing your First Night Worcester button. Also during the game you can receive a free massage around the concourse courtesy of the Salter School of Massage Therapy. After the game, the Sharks will be on a six-game, five-city, road trip and will return home on January 19th to host the Lowell Devils. The teams will next play each other on January 19th as the Sharks head west to the Nest.

The Sharks are coming off one of their best performances of the season. Last Saturday, the Worcester Sharks defeated the Portland Pirates 3-2 in a shootout. Mathieu Darche and Mike Iggulden scored for the Sharks, while rookie netminder Thomas Greiss stopped 45 shots to record Worcester’s 14th win of the season. The two would also score both goals in the shootout with Greiss stopping all four of Portland’s attempts. The Sharks improved their record to 2-5 in the shootout this season with both wins coming against the Pirates.

“It was great and fun to watch” said Cunniff commenting on Greiss’s performance. “Hopefully he can put some games together like that, and if he does, we’ll go with him.”

Players to watch for:

WORCESTER:
Thomas Greiss- stopped 45 shots and all attempts in the shootout on Saturday.
Steve Bernier- 1st round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, 25 pts with SJ this season.

SPRINGFIELD:
Andy Delmore- leads all AHL defensemen with 9 goals.
Karri Ramo- has a record of 3-0 in shootouts. He has a GAA of 2.88 and a .911 save percentage.

NOTES: Today during practice Grant Stevenson, Glenn Olson and Coach Cunniff had a competition that Stevenson saw up in Edmonton. The object was to get 15 out of 20 pucks into an empty net from center ice in 15 seconds. During an Oilers’ intermission, if you could do that, you’d earn yourself a million dollars. Both Grant Stevenson and Coach Cunniff scored 15 goals while Olson managed to get 14. However, Dave went over the time limit, so Grant was the winner. Too bad he wasn’t in Edmonton!

The Sharks return back to the DCU Center on January 19th as they complete a home-and-home series with the Lowell Devils. Once again, the Salter School of Massage Therapy will be on hand to give free massages for the fans. The first 3,000 fans will also receive collector’s edition trading cards of your Worcester Sharks.

Yesterday, the Sharks received right-winger Steve Bernier and defenseman Matt Carle from San Jose. Steve Bernier is a 2nd year pro from Quebec City. In 39 games for the San Jose Sharks, Bernier has recorded 25 points with 11 goals. He also played in 50 games last season in the NHL.

“My goals are to improve my confidence and try to score more goals,” said Bernier on the assignment. “I have to improve my work down low and be ready for 60 minutes.”

Matt Carle is a rookie out of the University of Denver where he was the Hobey Baker award winner in his junior year. He leads all San Jose Sharks defensemen with 3 goals and 18 assists for 21 points. He also played in 11 games last year for the Sharks in the playoffs, picking up 3 assists.

AROUND THE ATLANTIC:
Providence (35 pts) @ Hartford (34 pts)

Get to Know ‘Em-
Who was your hockey idol when you were growing up?

Graham Mink: “I like Cam Neely and John LeClaire. Obviously he’s from Vermont too, so I try to play like those two guys.”

Brad Staubitz: “Kevin Lowe in Edmonton for a bit, and then when I wanted to be a goal scorer it was Pavel Bure, but that never fanned out.”

Dan Spang: “You know being from Boston, I’ve always heard all the stories of Bobby Orr and I’d see old film of his and Ray Bourque was playing when I was younger so I loved watching him and pretty much those two guys just because I was a big Bruins fan when I was younger. You don’t get two better defensemen playing in one city than those two guys.”
Thomas Greiss: “I didn’t have one.”

Josh Prudden: “A little bit of Wayne Gretzky. I also liked Mike Modano a lot and I was always going to Merrimack College because it was in my town when I was younger, and Andy Hines was one of their better players at the time.”

Nolan Schafer: “When I was growing up I always watched Patrick Roy on TV. I liked the glove save that he made. Then it ended up changing to my brother because he made it to the NHL.”

Sharks 3 - Portland 2 SO

2007-01-16T13:11:00.000-05:00

1st Period
none

2nd Period
1. Portland, C. Wilson (5) (I. Moran, M. Keith) 4:07 PP

3rd Period
2. Worcester, M. Darche (23) (P. Traverse, B. Staubitz) 1:12 PP
3. Worcester, M. Iggulden (11) (T. Cavanagh, T. Plihal) 2:17
4. Portland, M. Keith (3) (C. Wilson, B. Melin) 8:41 PP

OT
none

Shootout
Round 1 - POR - Bjorn Melin - No - WOR - Mike Iggulden - Yes
Round 2 - POR - Colby Genoway - No - WOR - Graham Mink - No
Round 3 - POR - Zenon Konopka - No - WOR - Mathieu Darche - Yes
Round 4 - POR - Brett Skinner - No

Manchester 5 - Worcester 3

2007-01-16T13:08:00.000-05:00

Worcester Sharks @ Manchester Monarchs
December 29th

1st Period
1. Manchester, R. Murphy (5) (P. O'Sullivan, P. Kanko) 3:26
2. Manchester, J. Zeiler (9) (G. Gauthier, M. Moulson) 10:37

2nd Period
3. Manchester, J. Zeiler (10) (G. Gauthier, M. Moulson) 2:45
4. Worcester, A. Rome (3) (D. Spang, J. Prudden) 5:35
5. Worcester, G. Mink (3) (B. Evans, M. Darche) 7:54

3rd Period
6. Manchester, B. Schmidt (3) (N. Clarke, M. Moulson) 0:36 PP
7. Worcester, G. Mink (4) (M. Iggulden, D. Spang) 18:07 PP
8. Manchester, T. Jackman (5) 19:31 EN

Hartford 2 - Sharks 0

2007-01-16T13:07:00.000-05:00

Hartford Wolf Pack Vs. Worcester Sharks
December 26th

1st Period
1. Hartford, B. Dubinsky (7) (B. Isbister, M. Degon) 3:14

2nd Period
2. Hartford, D. Byers (5) (B. Dubinsky, G. Moore) 10:56

3rd Period
none

Lowell 2 - Sharks 1 SO

2007-01-16T13:02:00.000-05:00

Lowell Devils Vs. Worcester Sharks
December 23rd

1st Period
none

2nd Period
1. Lowell, G. Marshall (3) 5:54

3rd Period
2. Worcester, J. Kurtz (2) (L. Kaspar, S. Ferguson)

OT
none

Shootout
Round 1 - WOR - Graham Mink - No - LOW - Chris Minard - No
Round 2 - WOR - Mike Iggulden - No - LOW - Justin Papineau - No
Round 3 - WOR - Lukas Kaspar - No - LOW - Grant Marshall - No
Round 4 - WOR - Garrett Stafford - No - LOW - David Clarkson - No
Round 5 - WOR - Riley Armstrong - No - LOW - Stephen Gionta - Yes

Sharks Game Day: December 23rd

2006-12-23T02:38:00.000-05:00

Sharks Game Day: December 22nd, 2006

Tonight the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will battle the Lowell Devils (New Jersey Devils) at the DCU Center. This will be the 4th game this season between the clubs, with Worcester having a record of 1-2-0-0 against the Devils. Tonight Santa will once again be visiting the Sharks and they’ll be selling Mystery Pucks around the concourse. All pucks will be signed by a Shark and wrapped to conceal their identity. Also, there is a chance to win a Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau signed puck as well as a Sharks signed stick! After the game, stay around for SATURDAY NIGHT SIGNINGS and get an autograph from one of your favorite Sharks!

The last time these two Bay State rivals met was on November 19th, with the Sharks falling to the Devils 6-2. The Sharks got off to a slow start in the first period with 3 quick goals against but rebounded when Mathieu Darche scored on Devils goaltender Frank Doyle. The Sharks would get within one when Joe Pavelski scored midway through the third period but it was too late and Lowell would go on to score 3 unanswered goals. The teams will square up once again on Martin Luther King Day in Lowell.

Last night, the Worcester Sharks were in action against the Manchester Monarchs. Mathieu Darche and Graham Mink led the offense with each getting 5 points on the evening. Darche would end up getting a hat trick on the night and also added 2 assists to bring his point total to 37. Darche was the number one star in the AHL last night and currently in 2nd place in the goal race. Graham Mink also assisted on 5 goals last night bring his total to 13 in 11 games played. Also scoring for the Sharks last night were Brennan Evans (1), Riley Armstrong (12), and Mike Iggulden (10). Thomas Greiss picked up his 4th victory of the season, stopping 22 of 26 shots. The Lowell Devils were idle last night.

Players to watch for:
WORCESTER:
Mathieu Darche- scored a hat trick and 2 assists last night against the Monarchs.
Graham Mink- assisted on 5 goals in a 6-4 victory of the Monarchs last night.

LOWELL-
Justin Papineau- is averaging over a point a game and leads the team in goals and points.
Grant Marshall- has played 790 NHL games in his career. Currently has 10 points in 18 games.

NOTES: The Hartford Wolf Pack come into town Tuesday night as defensemen Marvin Degon returns to his hometown. It is also Family Night, where families can buy fun packs, which include 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs or popcorn, and 4 sodas for only $52!

Mathieu Darche’s 3 goals last night, was the first time he’s scored a goal in the last 10 games. He is still currently 2nd in the league in that category, trailing Chicago’s Brett Sterling, by 8 goals.

AROUND THE ATLANTIC:
Springfield (31 pts) @ Portland (38 pts)
Manchester (36 pts) @ Bridgeport
Providence (31 pts) @ Hartford (28 pts)

Manchester 4 - Sharks 6

2006-12-23T02:30:00.000-05:00

Worcester Sharks 6 - Manchester Monarchs 4

1st Period Scoring -
1. Manchester, J. Zeiler (7) (N. Clarke, M. Moulson) 4:34 PP
2. Worcester, M. Darche (20) (M. Iggulden, G. Mink) 7:31 PP
3. Worcester, B. Evans (1) (M. Darche, G. Mink) 12:26

2nd Period Scoring -
4. Worcester, M. Darche (21) (G. Mink, T. Plihal) 5:20
5. Worcester, M. Darche (22) (G. Mink, D. Spang) 7:18 PP
6. Manchester, T. Jackman (4) (P. Harrold, M. Hoffman) 7:53
7. Worcester, R. Armstrong (12) (G. Stafford, J. Laliberte) 13:33 PP
8. Manchester, J. Zeiler (8) (P. O'Sullivan, M. Moulson) 16:51 PP
9. Worcester, M. Iggulden (10) (G. Mink, M. Darche) 18:01

3rd Period Scoring -
10. Manchester, M. Hoffman (4) (L. Tukonen, E. Werner) 11:09

Power Play Conversion
Manchester Monarchs 2-3.
Worcester Sharks 3-6.

Goaltenders
Manchester Monarchs
LaBarbera 14-11-1 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 40:00 SV: 27 GA: 6 [L]
Fukufuji 0-0-0 Start: 3rd 0:00 Min: 18:55 SV: 9 GA: 0

Worcester Sharks
Greiss 4-4-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 60:00 SV: 22 GA: 4 [W]

Attendance : 2728

Sharks Game Day: December 22nd

2006-12-23T02:28:00.000-05:00

Tonight the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will host the Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles Kings) at the DCU Center. This will be the 4th meeting this season between the two clubs, with Worcester having a record of 1-1-0-1 against the Monarch’s. The Sharks look to have everybody contributing tonight and to improve their home record. “We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have a good outing and that’s what I expect.” said Coach Sommer. Tonight the Sharks will be giving away Hockey Skate Ice Scrapers for the first 3,000 fans courtesy of Atlantic Graphics. It’s also college night at the Sharks, as any college student gets a ticket for $8 when they show a student ID.

The last time these two teams battled was on December 16th, as the Sharks lost by the score of 3-2. Tom Cavanagh got the Sharks a 1-0 lead on a second period shorthanded goal assisted by Mike Iggulden. However, the Monarchs would score the next 3 goals on Nolan Schaefer, who made 19 saves, before Garret Stafford’s slap shot beat goaltender Jason LaBarbera with 57 seconds left to play. The Sharks had some great opportunities to tie the game up just as the final seconds ticked off the clock but came up short.

The teams meet again next Friday night as the Sharks travel up to the Granite State to play the Monarchs.

Players to watch for:
WORCESTER:
Mathieu Darche- leads the team in goals against the Monarchs this season with 3.
Garret Stafford- scored a goal in the last two games for the Sharks.

MANCHESTER:
Matt Moulson- scored 2 goals against the Sharks in a 3-2 win back on 12/16.
Jason LaBarbera- is currently is 2nd in the league with most wins at 14.

NOTES: Santa will be visiting the Sharks tomorrow night when they host the Lowell Devils at 7 PM. The Sharks will be selling Mystery Pucks around the concourse. All pucks will be signed by a Shark and wrapped to conceal their identity. Also, there is a chance to win a Joe Thornton signed puck as well as a Sharks signed stick! After the game, stay around for SATURDAY NIGHT SIGNINGS and get an autograph from one of your favorite Sharks!

The Sharks have converted on 18% of their power plays at home, while Manchester is ranked 27th in the league on the road penalty kill, killing off 73% of penalties.

Former Worcester Shark, Joe Pavelski, continues to do well for the San Jose Sharks. In 12 games in the NHL he has 7 goals and 3 assists for 10 points. He was called up from Worcester on November 22nd.

AROUND THE ATLANTIC:
Providence (31 pts) @ Portland (36 pts)
Springfield (31 pts) @ Hartford (26 pts)

Manchester 3 - Worcester 2

2006-12-17T05:33:00.000-05:00

The Worcester Sharks fell to the Manchester Monarchs last night by the score of 3-2. The teams would skate to a scoreless period but it wasn’t a period without excitement. Midway through the first, as Tim Jackman just got out of the box for serving his cross-checking penalty, him and Brennan Evans would drop the gloves. It was a long fight that saw a lot of small jabs and a lot of pushing and shoving for the upper hand but in the end was a draw.

In the second period, the Sharks would kill off a quick 5 on 3 and while Patrick Traverse was in the box, Tom Cavanagh raced in on a break away and beat Jason LaBarbera for the 1-0 lead. Patrick Traverse was acquired yesterday from the Hamilton Bulldogs (Montreal Canadians) and made his Worcester debut last night in front of 4,112 at DCU Center. Mike Iggulden would pick up an assist on Cavanagh’s 6th goal of the year. The lead wouldn’t last long as just over a minute later, Manchester’s Matt Moulson, would tie the game up at one. Noah Clarke and Jason Schmidt would pick up the assists, as Moulson would beat Nolan Schaeffer glove side. Moulson would pick up his 2nd goal the night and 7th of the season when he tipped in a Peter Harrold shot on a 5 on 3 advantage. Their was one second left on the 2 man advantage so Manchester would continue on the power play for another 1:28. The Sharks argued that after the goal they should be at even strength because Riley Armstrong’s hooking call was at 15:13 and the goal was scored at 17:13 of the second period but no such luck.

The teams swapped goals in the final stanza. Konstantin Pushkarev scored his 4th goal of the season and was assisted by Matt Ryan and Jeff Giuliano. The Sharks pulled Schaffer for a 3-man advantage in the final minutes. Garrett Stafford would get his second goal in as many nights, when he fired a shot past Jason LaBarbera from the point. The goal was a power play goal, which the Sharks went 1 for 7 on, and was assisted by Dan Spang and Graham Mink. The Sharks had some great opportunities as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Jason LaBarbera was very good in net tonight finishing up with 27 saves but was also very lucky. The Sharks hit a couple posts and no one was there to cash in on the big rebounds that he gave up. The Sharks will host the Monarchs again next Friday.

NOTES: The Sharks are 1-1-0-0 when Chris Brown is the ref, who was the referee last night. The Sharks are about .500 with most refs in the league with a few exceptions: Brian Pochmara (2-0), Jeff Smith (2-1), Chris Ciamaga (2-1) and Steve Kozari (0-2).

The Sharks home record falls to 4-7-1-1, which ranks 23rd in the league.

The Sharks assigned defensemen Tom Walsh back to the Fresno Falcons of the ECHL. In 4 games with the Worcester Sharks this season Walsh is a “+ 1” and has picked up an assist.

Worcester’s average attendance for the first 13 games is 4,224, and is currently ranked 16th.

Today the Sharks will hold their first annual “hats and mittens- holiday skate” at Buffone Rink on Lake Ave. in Worcester. It’s free to the public but donations will be excepted to help benefit Community Healthlink.

Sharks Game Day: December 16th

2006-12-16T04:10:00.000-05:00

Tonight the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will host the Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles Kings) at the DCU Center. This will be the 3rd meeting of the season between the two clubs with Worcester leading the season series 1-0-0-1. They will next meet on Friday night, as first 3,000 fans into the DCU Center will receive Sharks Ice Scrapers. They last met on October 28th, as the Sharks won 5-4. Garret Stafford, Tom Cavanagh, Mathieu Darche, Scott Ferguson and Grant Stevenson would all light the lamp for the Sharks as they went 3 for 3 on the power play. Dimitri Patzold would turn in a decent effort stopping 22 of 26 shots on net.

Last night, the Sharks had to work some overtime to get the much-needed 2 points to keep pace with the Atlantic Division. Garrett Stafford would score 3:15 into the extra session to give the Sharks a 5-4 win over the Hartford Wolf*Pack. Meanwhile the Manchester Monarchs lost to division leading Portland by the score of 3-1. Konstantin Pushkarev would score the lone goal for the Monarchs while netminder Jason LaBarbera made 17 saves.

Players to watch for:
WORCESTER: Patrick Traverse, Riley Armstrong, & Grant Stevenson
MANCHESTER: Konstantin Pushkarev, Jason LaBarbera, & Patrick O’Sullivan

NOTICE: Manchester has signed 39-year-old Jason Poirier to a PTO. Poirier last played in the AHL for the New Haven Blackhawks during the 89-90 season.

The parent teams met Thursday night in San Jose. Former Monarch’s netminder Barry Brust picked up his first NHL victory in a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

Former Shark, Mathieu Biron, scored a goal in Hamilton’s 8-4 loss to the Amerks last night. While new Shark, Patrick Traverse, assisted on the game-tying goal in last night victory for Worcester.

AROUND THE DIVSION:
Lowell (31 pts) @ Bridgeport
Norfolk @ Springfield (30 pts)
Portland (33 pts) @ Hartford (24 pts)
Albany @ Providence (31 pts)

Hartford 4 - Sharks 5 OT

2006-12-16T02:17:00.000-05:00

Worcester Sharks @ Hartford Wolf*Pack

Goals
Sharks: 2-1-1-1 = 5
Wolf*Pack: 2-2-0-0 = 4

1st.
HAR: 1:30, Callahan (Byers, Dubinsky)
WOR: 7:59, Cavanagh (Kaspar, Iggulden)
WOR: 9:38, Armstrong (Stevenson, Valette)
HAR: 13:15 Dawes (Korpikoski, Montoya) PP

2nd.
HAR: 5:04 Dawes (Moore, Liffiton)
HAR: 10:38 Byers (Dubinsky, Girardi) PP
WOR: 16:24 Plihal (Kaspar, Stevenson) PP

3rd.
WOR: 8:32 Stevenson (Traverse, Stafford) PP

OT.
WOR: 3:15 Stafford (Spang, Darche) PP

Shots: Worcester: 37 - Hartford 23
Power Play: Worcester 3/6 - Hartford 2/4
Attendance: 3,279 (15,635)
3 Stars: 3: Har- Dan Byers, 2: Wor- Grant Stevenson, 1: Har- Nigel Dawes

Sharks Game Day: December 15th

2006-12-15T18:08:00.000-05:00

Tonight the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will travel down to Connecticut’s capital to take on the Hartford Wolf*Pack (New York Rangers). This will be the 4th meeting of the season between these two division foes. The last meeting took place on December 8th at the DCU Center as Hartford defeated the Sharks by the score of 3-1. Worcester is currently 1-1-1-0 against the Wolf*Pack this season.

Players to watch for:
WORCESTER: Grant Stevenson, Graham Mink, & Patrick Traverse
HARTFORD: Ryan Callahan, Daniel Girardi, & Marvin Degon

NOTICE: Today the Sharks traded away defensemen Mathieu Biron to the Montreal Canadians for defensemen Patrick Traverse. Traverse signed a contract with the Sharks in the summer but was picked up off waivers when they tried to send him back to Worcester during training camp. Patrick lives in Grafton, MA.

Former UMASS defensemen, Thomas Pock, is currently on a two week conditioning stint with the Wolf*Pack.

Providence 3 - Sharks 2 (SO)

2006-12-11T03:15:00.000-05:00

The Worcester Sharks continued their fall in the Atlantic Division yesterday afternoon as they blew a 2-1 lead going into the final period to lose to the Providence Bruins 3-2 in a shootout. The Sharks knew it wouldn’t be their night because just after the opening face-off was dropped, Riley Armstrong was whistled off for slashing just 13 seconds into the game. However, the Sharks penalty kill improved this weekend, killing 15 out of 17 man advantages, to move them up to 24th overall out of the 27 team AHL. The Sharks have yet to find balance yet this season. While the Sharks defense has picked up, their offense has slacked. They were 1 for 17 this weekend on the power play. The only goal came when Justin Kurtz got his first goal of the season when he chipped in a rebound that barely hit the inside net. Lukas Kaspar who worked hard behind the goal line to set up the goal and Michael Macho, who took a shot before Kurtz skated into the slot, were both credited with assists on the goal.

In the second period it was the “Tonight Show with Terry Koharski” and was nothing but a joke. The Sharks thought they had scored their second goal of the evening but referee Terry Koharski said that he had blown the play dead before the puck crossed the line. Sharks leading scorer Mathieu Darche thought otherwise--- and was correct, that the goal should have counted. He was then given a 2-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. That was the turning point in the game and the wheels just came off after that. After the penalty, Darche still had some choice words for Mr. Koharski and was then given a 10-minute misconduct. While in the box, Darche took his anger out on a water bottle and threw it against the glass, and then was given the gate. He was issued a game misconduct for abuse of an official and a gross misconduct (which carries a minimal one game suspension). He then proceeded across the ice cursing in another language (excuse his French… literally) and left the Sharks emotionally drained. For the next 5 minutes the Sharks flopped around their zone almost like they had already given up. Yan Stastny would skate into the Sharks zone drop it back to T.J. Trevelyan at circle who fired it over Nolan Schaeffer’s glove hand. Nolan would finish up the night stopping 31 shots and picked up the number 3 star of the night honor. With less than 4 minutes to play in the period, Assistant Captain Craig Valette, would put the Sharks back in the lead. It was his 9th goal of the season and was assisted by Grant Stevenson and Riley Armstrong.

The Bruins tied the game up 6 minutes into the period. Lashoff would send the puck up to Yan Stastny who carried it over the blue line and set a nice pick and pass to Ben Walter, who skated in off the left circle and found the 5-hole of Schaeffer. The Sharks would have an opportunity late in the third but the puck bounced off the ice and hit the left post of Hannu Toivonen. Toivonen and Bruin’s defensemen Mark Stuart were sent down from Boston earlier in the morning. The game would go into overtime and the Sharks had another opportunity to take home 2 points but were denied by the glove of the Bruins netminder. Toivonen had to go into the splits in order to make the save, and that was the save of the game. The 2 teams skated the rest of the extra session and then it was off to a shootout.

WORCESTER: Valette (Missed High), Mink (Glove Save), Stevenson (Missed High) 0
PROVIDENCE: Kerjci (Goal, Deke), Versteeg (Goal, Deke), Trevelyan (Goal, Deke) 3

NOTES:

The announced attendance was 5,985… Well that’s how many tickets were issued for the game… Although it was a decent crowd considering for Providence…

Although they are doing renovations to the Dunkin Donut’s Center, they seem to have a problem with the ice machine. Several times during the third period they had to fix holes near the Providence net, and the ice was even black in some spots.

Nolan Schaeffer went 0 for 3 in stopping the breakaways in the shootout. He came out to between the hash marks when the Bruins steamed forward. When a goalie comes out that far, it’s very easy to score a goal by using a deke. All 3 shooters for the Bruins were rookies and all 3 used dekes.

The Sharks still haven't figured out the shootout yet. They are 0-4 in their last 4 shootout games and their only victory in the event was on opening night in Portland, Maine. The Sharks had 22 opportunities on the break aways but only managed to get 2 in (both which were on opening night).

Sharks Game Day: December 10th

2006-12-10T02:52:00.000-05:00

This afternoon the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will travel down 146 and try to stop their 2 game skid as they face the Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins). This will be the 5th time these division rivals square off, as their season series is tied up at 2 games apiece. Last time these two teams met on November 18th, Providence scored 2 late third period goals to steal the game and 2 points away from the Sharks. Both teams were in action last night and both lost ground in the very tight Atlantic Division. Providence comes into the game in 3rd place, while the Sharks slipped into 6th. (Worcester 0-3, Providence 1-2)

Last night, the Sharks ran into a hot Jonathan Boutin and were shutout by the Springfield Falcons 3-0 in front of 3,422 fans. Rookie Justin Keller, Norm Milley, and Marek Kvapil (Empty Net) all scored goals for the birds. Nolan Schaeffer was selected as the 2nd star of the night. He stopped 18 out of 20 shots in the losing effort. He is currently 1-1-0-0 in the month of December with a 1.49 GAA and a .947 save %. He’ll have to keep up the those good numbers if the Sharks have any chance of making it to the post-season.

Players to watch for:
WORCESTER: Grant Stevenson, Craig Valette, & Dan Spang
PROVIDENCE: Kris Versteeg, Pascal Pelletier, & Matt Lashoff

NOTICE: Goaltender Philippe Sauve, has a record of 1-1-0-0 against the Worcester Sharks this season. He was traded from the San Antonio Rampage in Mid-November. Against the Sharks this season he has a 5.05 GAA and a .846 save %. However, in his last 3 games he has a record of 2-0-0-1.

Kris Versteeg is tied for 2nd in the AHL rookie-scoring race with Norfolk Admirals forward Brouwer. He has 13 goals and 14 assist in 23 games played so far for the Baby B’s.

Springfield 3 - Worcester 0

2006-12-10T02:07:00.000-05:00

The Worcester Sharks can’t catch a break these days. They hosted another division rival for the second straight night at the DCU Center but had the same outcome. The Sharks inefficiency on the man advantage as of late and their very poor penalty killing has them almost at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. They also ran into a brick wall tonight with Jonathan Boutin in net for the Springfield Falcons. Boutin stopped many quality shots that kept the Sharks off the board and finished the night stopping all 32 shots on goal. He also has a new best friend as Justin Kurtz's shot rang off the post midway through the second period.

Rookie Justin Keller would get the Falcons on the scoreboard midway through the first frame as he slipped a shot into a wide-open net. The Falcons power play tally would come as two of Worcester’s veterans, Scott Ferguson and Justin Kurtz, were in the penalty box. Former Worcester player Daniel Corso and Eric Healey picked up helpers on Keller’s 8th goal of the season.

Worcester would try to make a late comeback as they out shot the Falcons in the last two stanzas, shooting 12 shots on goals in each, but were denied by Boutin. Jonathan Boutin picked up his first shutout of the season, second overall for the birds. Springfield’s Captain, Norm Milley, wouldn’t take long in the second to make it a two-goal game. He scored 30 seconds into the 2nd period while another Worcester veteran, Mathieu Biron, was sitting in the sin bin.

Worcester’s Glenn Olson and Springfield’s Mitch Fritz would drop the gloves a couple minutes later. Olson managed to get a good punch in, but the fight would be a draw. Fritz would also receive another 4 minutes for roughing, however the Sharks power play could hardly get off many shots. The Sharks went 0 for 4 tonight with the man advantage and are 0 for 11 in their last 2 games. After the penalties were served, Mitch was benched for the rest of the game. The score would hold up until Marek Kvapil scored on an empty net with 15 seconds remaining. Eric Healey would pick up his second assist of the game on the play.

NOTES:
Attendance was 3,923

Booster Club member Darryl Hunt has signed up to sing the national anthem. Tonight R&B star Patrice Peris tried the gig but forgot some of the words and just added some.

Tonight was the teddy bear toss to support Project Smile. However, fans weren’t able to throw their bears on the ice because the team never scored. This happened the last time it was done in Worcester and the previous 2 seasons in Cleveland.

Sharks Game Day: December 9th

2006-12-09T02:03:00.000-05:00

Tonight the Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will continue their short home stand as they take on the Springfield Falcons (Tampa Bay Lightning). This will be the 4th time these division rivals square off, second on home ice (1-2-0-0). Last time these two teams met, Worcester scored 5 unanswered goals in the third period to get the 5-2 victory. Last night both teams were in action and both suffered loses (Worcester 1-3, Springfield 0-4) Tonight is also the Teddy Bear Toss to support Project Smile. When the Sharks score their first goal of the night, throw your bears on the ice, if the team doesn't score by the 2nd intermission, it will be held then.

Last night, the Sharks lost 3-1 to the Hartford Wolf*Pack in front of 3,422 fans. Ryan Callahan, Lauri Korpikoski, and Craig Weller (Empty Net) scored goals for the Pack while Dan Spang scored the lone Worcester goal. Craig Valette would pick up a point on the play. Rookie netminder, Thomas Greiss, made 24 saves for the Sharks in the losing effort. Thomas has started out the month of December with a 2.35 GAA and a .928 save %, however he has a losing record of 1-2-0-0.

Players to watch for:
SPRINGFIELD: Norm Milley, David Spina, & Jonathan Boutin
WORCESTER: Dan Spang, Craig Valette, & Tomas Plihal

NOTICE: Goaltender Sean Burke will not be in attendance tomorrow at the DCU Center. He doesn't make road trips. He has yet to play in another game since his third period melt down against the Sharks on November 25th. The former NHL has a record of 2-5-0-0 with a 4.52 GAA and a .858 save %.

Springfield has a perfect record when going into extra time. They are 5-0 (1-0 OT, 4-0 SO) while the Sharks struggle with a 2-4 record (1-1 OT, 1-3 SO).

Hartford 3 - Sharks 1

2006-12-09T02:01:00.000-05:00

The Hartford Wolf*Pack are the hottest team in the AHL in their previous 5 games. They continued their winning streak to 5 games last night when they beat the Worcester Sharks by the score of 3-1. The bounces just didn’t go the Sharks way last night as they were left questioning themselves after the game.

The teams played a fast action 1st period, with a lot of rushes up and down the ice in a scoreless frame. Hartford would have 9 shots on goal in each of the 3 periods tonight as goaltender Thomas Greiss made 24 saves. Worcester would shoot itself in the foot as they went 0-7 on the power play and gave up a second period short-handed goal to the Pack’s leading scorer Ryan Callahan. Callahan deked out Greiss on a break away and found the back of the net for the 16th time this season. Worcester would find themselves trailing 2-0, as Greiss let in a shot that he would love to have back. Lauri Korpikoski would skate in on a 2-on-1 and beat Greiss glove side. Daniel Girardi would pick up an assist on the goal as he intercepted a pass in the Hartford zone and passed it up to Dane Byers.

Dan Spang would cut the lead in half when he shot a one-timer past Stephen Valiquette. Craig Valette skated down the left side boards and made a tape-to-tape pass to Spang who tied Mathieu Biron for most goals by a defensemen at 3. Craig Weller would seal the deal when he intercepted a Garrett Stafford pass at the Shark’s blue line and put one in the empty net.

NOTES:

Attendance was 3,422

Tomas Plihal was the only Shark to be a “+” in last night's game.

Stephen Valiquette is 6-1 in his last 6 starts, including a shut out against the Manchester Monarchs last week (Overall 8-4-1-0). He received a bad luck loss when Al Montoya was pulled on November 22nd after letting up 3 quick first period goals. The final score of that game was 5-4.

Millbury native Marvin Degon received a hooking penalty in the game. He also registered a shot on net.

Sharks Game Day: December 8th

2006-12-08T01:49:00.000-05:00

Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks) will host the Hartford Wolf*Pack (New York Rangers) tonight at the DCU Center. This will be the third time these two teams play each other this season. The series is currently tied at one game apiece with the visitor winning both games. The last meeting between these two teams happened on November 26th when the Pack won on a Jarkko Immonen goal.

The Sharks are coming off an impressive weekend with wins against the Norfolk Admirals and Hershey Bears. They would have to go into an extra session in the chocolatetown on Sunday but Grant Stevenson made sure it wouldn't be a long bus ride back to the Bay State. The Sharks are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. Hartford is currently on a 4 game winning streak with their last victory on Saturday as they blanked the Manchester Monarchs 3-0.

Players to watch for:
HARTFORD: Ryan Callahan, Marvin Degon, & Stephen Valiquette
WORCESTER: Riley Armstrong, Mathieu Darche & Craig Valette

Sharks Assigned 4

2006-09-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

The San Jose Sharks have sent the following players to Worcester:

Mathieu Biron
Graham Mink
Tomas Plihal
Craig Valette

Also, Patrick Traverse was picked up off waivers from the Montreal Canadians.

PRESEASON GAME TONIGHT:

MANCHESTER VS. WORCESTER

MARLBORO, MA

NESC @ 8 P.M.

Sharks Lose Preseason Opener in Hartford 4-1

2006-09-29T12:10:00.000-04:00

The Worcester Sharks opened their preseason slate last night as they traveled down to Simsbury, CT to take on the Hartford Wolf Pack. The teams skated a scoreless first period with a lot of end to end action. Worcester out shot the Pack in the frame 11-9, but unfortunately the Sharks’ netminders would get shelled for the rest of the game stopping 37 of 41 shots.

Bryce Lampman broke the scoreless tie in the second with a fluke goal. He missed fired on his shot and just trickled by McVicar who was fooled by the direction. Dwight Helminen and Martin Richter picked up assists on Lampman’s first goal of the young preseason. Hartford had a chance to make it 2-0 when they had a wide open net, but a huge sprawling save by McVicar kept it a one goal game. However, a few minutes later they did convert on their power play opportunity when Corey Potter’s slap shot found the back of the net. Hartford moved the puck well with the man advantage and Mike Gabinet and Jakub Petruzalek were credited with assists. Tough guy Ryan Constant showed a lot of emotion last night and dropped the helmets and gloves with Sharks defensemen Brennan Evans. The two dropped their gloves and flicked off their helmets before skating to center ice where the two danced. Constant threw small punches and Evans would just hold his jersey and throw small jabs before the linesmen broke them up. Although Ryan landed more punches, they were small, so therefore it was considered a draw.

Torry Gajda would score the Sharks first goal in franchise history when he came in on a 2 on 1 against Al Montoya. He would cut in on goal and fire a wrist shot between the circles that went stick side on Montoya. The goal was unassisted and the Sharks were still alive. Unfortunately, penalties killed any momentum the Sharks created as they often visited the box. Millbury native Marvin Degon, would score on a 5 on 3 power play for the Wolf Pack to give them their 2 goal lead once again. Quick passes from Laun Korpikoski and Ryan Constant would set up Degon who was in the high slot area. Then a few minutes later the Pack would make it a 4-1 game with a very controversial call. The puck appeared and sounded to go off the outside post, but the referee quickly pointed towards the net for the goal. Mark Lee would get credit for the blast from Martin Richter and Jakub Petruzalek.

Although the Sharks lost their preseason opener, they can take many positives out of the game. They are very deep at the goaltending position; all the goaltenders in camp would be dependable with a supportive defensive cast. They also played most of their rookies tonight with Evans, Olson, and Prudden being the only seasoned AHLers. Torry Gajda was the stand out for the Worcester Sharks last night and is hoping to stick with the big club.

SHARK ATTACK:

They may not have scored many goals last night, but they sure do have a hard shot. Last night during warm ups a member of the Sharks broke a piece of glass behind the net. The game was delayed for a few minutes because they had to find another piece of glass
While giving the first period wrap up, the announcer said “Shots on goal in the first period, for the Worcester IceCat’s 11”. It’s still good to know that some people remember the ‘Cats.
Torry Gajda had a cheering section when he scored. His family lives in Westfield, MA which is about 15 minutes away from the rink. Also Tyler McGregor’s mother was in attendance. Also in attendance were former Springfield Falcon’s head coach Dirk Graham and current Portland’s Pirates assistant coach Bruce Crowder.

Lines
Prudden-Hooton-Gajda
McGregor-Przepriorka-Martin
Bonello-Snider-Rome
Olsen-Seney- Tremblay

Elzinga-Evans
Walsh-Hutchins
Levin- Songin

Starters in bold

First Day of Camp: Cavanagh Scores!

2006-09-27T16:45:00.000-04:00

The Worcester Sharks opened training camp this Monday with an open practice at the DCU Center so the fans could see their new hockey team. There were about 200 fans in attendance as they watch the prospects battle it out in drills and then a gray vs. black scrimmage.

Josh Prudden opened up the scoring as he broke down the right side and shot a goal past Thomas Greiss to give gray the 1-0 lead. Brad Bonello, who switched jerseys half-way through the scrimmage, made it 2-0 when there was a 3-1 down low near the goal. Riley Armstrong picked up an assist on the goal. Black would cut the lead in half when Eric Przepiorka scored a goal off goaltender Dimitri Patzoid. Former Holy Cross standout Tyler McGregor would score a goal before the end of the half when he riffled a shot from the slot to beat Greiss high for team gray.

Shawn Snider would score the first goal of the 2nd half when he received a pass from Eric Przepiorka on a 2-1. Then John Wrobleski would tie the game up at 3 when he fired home a rebound off a Brennan Evans slap shot from the point. Gray would take the lead when Scott Seney found the back of the net, sliding one past Ryan MacDonald. Black would be awarded a penalty shot which Eric Przepiorka would convert on making it tied at 4. Brock Hooton made a nice centering pass right on the tape of Aston Rome’s stick who was able to score on netminder Ryan MacDonald. Evans would pick up the game tying goal just at the end of the game when he fired a shot off the face-off to send this game into a shoot out.

Shoot-Out Summary
Round 1) TEAL: Rome- FAILED- BLACK: Gajrda-FAILED
Round 2) TEAL: Darche- FAILED- BLACK: Kapar- FAILED
Round 3) TEAL: Armstrong- FAILED- BLACK Bonello- FAILED
Round 4) TEAL: Martin- FAILED- BLACK: Wroblewski- FAILED
Round 5) TEAL: Macho-SCORE, backhand top shelf- BLACK: Snider SCORE, Backhand
Round 6) TEAL: Prudden- FAILED- BLACK: Przepiorka- FAILED
Round 7) TEAL: Hooton-FAILED- BLACK: Cavanagh- SCORE, backhand

Notes:
Tyler McGregor would leave during the 2nd half with a towel full of blood in his mouth.

Seven More Cross Country

2006-09-26T16:53:00.000-04:00

The San Jose Sharks announced that they’ve sent defensemen: Scott Ferguson, Dan Spang, Garrett Stafford, Brad Staubitz and forwards: Mathieu Darche, Michal Macho, Joe Pavelski down to Worcester.

Scott Ferguson spilt time between the Houston Aeros of the AHL and Minnesota Wild of the NHL last season. For the Aeros and Wild he played in 61 games, netting 5 goals and adding 8 assist. Scott brings leadership and experience to the Sharks as he has played in 218 NHL games.
Spang, who was a member of the Hockey East champion Boston University Terriers last season was a 2nd round draft pick back in 2002 for the Sharks. For the terriers he scored 9 goals and 22 assists in 40 games last season. He also spent 8 games playing on an ATO for the Cleveland Barons of the AHL last year. He is from Winchester, Massachusetts.

Garrett Stafford is an AHL All*Star who has spent the past 3 seasons in the San Jose organization. Before going pro, he played his colligate hockey at UNH. Last season he played in all 80 games for the Barons scoring 11 goals and 28 assist. He was signed as a free agent on December 9th, 2003.

Staubitz will be playing his second year in the organization as he signed a contract with the club on September 19th, 2005. The 22 year old played in 71 games with the Cleveland Barons last year picking up 6 assists. He also led the club in penalty minutes with 245.

Mathieu Darche is another veteran that can put in the net for Worcester this upcoming season. Last season Mathieu was overseas playing for the Duisburg Foxes of the DEL. In 2004-05 he spent the season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears playing in 79 games scoring 29 goals and 25 assists. He has played in 26 NHL games split between the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Michal was a 6th round draft pick back in 2000 for the San Jose Sharks. He’s spent the past 4 season in Slovakia playing hockey. Last season he only played in 44 games picking up 28 points for Bratislava Slovan Harvard.

Joe Pavelski is coming off a championship season with the Wisconsin Badgers who won the NCAA hockey championship last season. Last season for the Badgers he played in 41 games scoring 23 goals. Joe looks to pick up some summer classes in the summer so he can continue to get his degree later in life.

Tickets Almost Gone!

2006-09-24T13:43:00.000-04:00

Individual game tickets for the Worcester Sharks inaugural season went on sale today at the DCU Center at 10 a.m. The early risers that waited in line got goodies such as donuts, coffee, a chance to win a Sharks sweatshirt, a spin on the prize wheel, and an opportunity to sign up to become a Worcester Sharks Booster Club member. The game is almost sold out — so get your tickets while they last!

Sharks Get 4 More
The San Jose Sharks have announced that netminders Thomas Greiss, Dimitri Patzold, and right wings Mike Iggulden, Lukas Kaspar will be attending the Worcester training camp that starts on Monday.

This will be the first season in North America for goaltender Thomas Greiss. He was selected in the third round of the 2004 draft. He played in 27 games last year for the Cologne Sharks in the DEL. Thomas is one of the best prospects for goalies in Europe.

This will be the 4th season in the United States for netminder Dimitri Patzold. Like Greiss, he too played for the Cologne Sharks in the DEL. Last season was a disappointing season while playing for the Cleveland Barons, with a record of 10-21 and a save percentage of .869%. He was selected by the Sharks in the 4th round of the 2001 NHL draft.

Mike Iggulden will be returning to the AHL again this season with the Sharks. He spent 4 years at Cornell University before signing an ATO to finish out the 2004-05 season with the Rochester Americans. He was invited to the Sharks camp last and found himself a contract. He signed as a free agent with the sharks on January 16th, 2006. Last year for the Barons he played in 77 games scoring 22 goals and adding 26 assist.

Lukas Kaspar was a first round draft pick for the Sharks back in the 2004 draft. The young right winger from the Czech Republic skated 76 games last year in a Barons uniform, scoring 14 goals and receiving 88 penalty minutes. Lukas just turned 20 on the 3rd of September.

SHARKS PRESEASON-
The San Jose Sharks are now 2-1 this preseason after picking up a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks last night in Fresno, California. Former Holy Cross stand out Patrick Rissmiller scored for the Sharks during the second period. Craig Valette who will probably be sent down to Worcester also scored a goal when he redirected a Josh Gorges slap shot past Michael Leighton. Thomas Plihal, who is still looking to earn a spot on the big club, scored the game winner with 12 minutes left in the game. Their next game is Tuesday night as they travel up to British Columbia to take on the Vancouver Canucks.

Training Camp

2006-09-22T11:09:00.000-04:00

September 24th
Team Meeting

September 25th
Practice: 5-8 p.m. DCU Center, Open to Public

September 26th
Practice: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. DCU Center

September 27th
Practice: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. DCU Center

September 28th
WORCESTER SHARKS @ HARTFORD WOLF*PACK
Simsbury, CT 7:05 p.m.

September 29th
MANCHESTER MONARCHS VS. WORCESTER SHARKS
New England Sports Center 8 p.m.
Marlboro, MA
$5 Tickets are very limited

September 30th
WORCESTER SHARKS @ MANCHESTER MONARCHS
Hooksett, NH 7:00 p.m.

October 2nd
Practice: 10:30 DCU Center

October 3rd
Practice: 10:30 DCU Center

Sharks Start Swimming In

2006-09-22T10:48:00.000-04:00

Today the Worcester Sharks announced that center Tom Cavanagh and right wing Brock Hooton have been assigned to the Worcester Sharks training camp, which begins on Monday. Players are schedule to report on Sunday and will have a team meeting at night before hitting the ice.

Last year Tom played in 65 games for the Shark’s top affiliate scoring 10 goals and recording 21 points. Tom was selected by the Sharks in the 6th round of the 2001 entry-draft. Tom spent 3 years at Harvard University before joining the Sharks organization.

Brock was originally selected in the 5th round of the 2002 draft by the Ottawa Senators. He attend St. Cloud State the past 4 years where he played in 143 games for the Huskies scoring 62 points. He was signed to an ATO during training camp.

SHARK SIGNINGS

Ashton Rome, who was sent down to Worcester a little of a week ago, signed a 3 year deal.

AHL Rule Changes for 2006-07

2006-09-20T21:06:00.000-04:00

The American Hockey League held its annual fall meeting at the league headquarter in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts this past Tuesday and approved the following rule changes:

All AHL skaters, regardless of age or experience, will be required to wear approved visors beginning this fall.

Requests for stick measurements during a shootout must be made prior to the referee blowing his whistle to begin a shootout attempt. If the stick is deemed to be legal, the requesting team forfeits its next shootout attempt; if the stick is deemed to be illegal, the offending team forfeits that attempt and the offending player becomes ineligible to participate in the rest of the shootout.

The home team now has the option of shooting first or second in a shootout. Previously, the visiting team always shot first.

The maximum allowed curvature of a player’s stick has been increased from half an inch (½”) to three-quarters of an inch (¾”).

The league took action against protecting their players after Jordan Smith, of the Portland Pirates, caught a puck to an eye and suffered a career-ending injury last season. Dave Andrews, President of the league, was happy about the rule being put in place “The safety of our world-class athletes remains a top priority, and after lengthy discussions with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association and medical experts, there is no doubt in our minds that this is necessary and the right thing to do.”

SHARKS BOOSTER CLUB MEETING: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST – 7 P.M.

The Worcester Sharks Booster Club will be holding their monthly meeting tomorrow night at the Worcester Public Library. All are welcomed to join the discussion and the fun. Meeting starts at 7 P.M. and approximately ends at 9.

*Quote & picture courtesy of the AHL

Brady Leisenring Assigned to Worcester

2006-09-20T12:44:00.000-04:00

The Worcester Sharks, proud AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, have announced that Brady Leisenring has been assigned to attend the Worcester Sharks training camp. Last year Brady played for Vermont University of Hockey East, where he was an assistant captain for 3 years, and also signed an ATO with the Cleveland Barons. For the Catamount’s last season he scored 11 goals and picked up 24 assists. Martin St. Louis, John LeClair, and Tim Thomas have played in Burlington, Vermont and are products of a strong Vermont University hockey program. Hopefully for the Sharks Brady and Matt Syroczynski will soon be added to that list. Brady recently played for the Sharks in the Pacific Shoot-Out picking up two points in the tournament.

*Photo courtesy of Hockey East

Battle of the Baystate

2006-09-18T11:59:00.000-04:00

The Shark Tank is proud to announce that the Lowell Devils, Springfield Falcons, and the Worcester Sharks will be participating in the Battle of the Baystate. The team standings will only count when one team plays another team located in the Baystate. The Worcester Sharks play both the Springfield Falcons and the Lowell Devils 10 times each during the 2006-2007 season. Each team will have the chance to receive 40 points (2 for a win, 1 for a loss in OT or SO, 0 for a loss). The team with the most amount of points at the end of the regular season will be crowned the winner.

4 Assigned to Worcester

2006-09-16T12:33:00.000-04:00

Today the parent San Jose Sharks sent 4 prospects to attend the Worcester Sharks training camp that begins on September 25th. Forwards- Jonathan Tremblay, Ashton Rome, Matt Syroczynski, Torry Gajda will all compete for a spot to make the AHL club.

Last year Tremblay split time between Kalamazoo and Quad City of the UHL and also played in one game with the Toledo Storm of the ECHL. He picked up 2 assist last season and racked up 80 PIMS. He was the Sharks 7th round pick in the 2003 NHL draft.

Rome, the 5th round pick for the Sharks in this year's draft, split time between Kamloops and Red Deer of the WHL. Ashton played in 65 games picking up 30 goals and 34 assist for a total of 64 points. He was selected by the Boston Bruins in the 4th round of the 2004 draft.

Matt Syroczynski started his college at Clarkson but then transferred to University of Vermont for his last two years. Last year for the Catamounts he played in 35 games recording 3 goals and 6 assists.

Torry Gajda is from Westfield, Mass and spent 4 years playing at Providence College. In 36 games for the Friar's he scored 14 goals and added 20 assists.

* Photo courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

30 Days of Hockey Begins

2006-09-15T13:41:00.000-04:00

The Worcester Sharks have officially begun their 30 Days of Hockey campaign with many headlines. The Sharks held their press conference on Wednesday to a filled St. Vincent's Hospital atrium that followed with an ice cream social. Finz was on hand roaming around the crowd sporting the Shark's home jersey. The away jersey will be the same model as the home but will be teal instead on white. Also revealed was the third jersey that will be black with a teal and white stripe. The third jersey has the new Worcester mark for the crest. Also announced was that WTAG will be carrying all of the Shark's games home and away. Jamie Smock will be doing the play-by-play as he also has other responsibilities with the team. When you head to the games George Brown will be the public address announcer for this season. Another first for Worcester hockey will be that over 1/4 of the games will be on television. Charter Channel 3 will be covering 12 of the Sharks home games including opening night on October 14th! If you don't have those season tickets yet, you can get opening night tickets on September 23rd. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. for all regular season games at the DCU Box Office.

A few announcements from the Sharks today are that they will be holding a radio show on Sunday's from 7-7:30 a.m. on news talk 580AM. Mike Lehr and Jamie Smock will be hosting the show where you can learn all the information about the Sharks. Also the Sharks have "taken hostage" a WRTA bus, which is covered with teal and Sharks logos. The Sharks also opened the first day of training camp up to the public. They want everyone to come to the DCU Center on September 25th and from 5-8 p.m. you can catch the new Sharks.

It's hard to believe that in only 2 weeks from today, the first home game ever for the Sharks will be played. In just 3 weeks it's their first regular season game on the road in Portland, ME. If you’re interested in seeing history and would like to be apart of that first away game contact the Booster Club at sharkbytesbc@gmail.com and for only $30 you'll get transportation and a ticket to a packed house.

Sharks Split Games Against Ducks

2006-09-14T16:57:00.000-04:00

The 2006 Pacific Division shoot-out came to a complete Tuesday night and the Sharks found themselves to be in the bottom of the pile again. Although they did manage to pick up 4 points in 4 games, it wasn't enough to get them into the championship game. In the third and final game in the round robin format, the Sharks dominated the Ducks to even their record for the tournament at 1-1-1. Former University of Wisconsin stand out, Joe Pavelski, lead the scoring by getting two goals for the teal. Coach Sommer was really impressed with the rookie's play during the tournament “He was one of the best players on the ice tonight, and that goes for both teams.” Also tallying goals for the Sharks were Lukas Kaspar, Brady Leisenring, Torry Gajda, and Randy King. Marc-Edouard Vlasic was busy setting up plays as he recorded three assists. Taylor Drakes was a brick wall in net, only allowing one of Duck's shots get past him.

The two teams met the very next day but this time in the consolation game. This game would have a completely different turn out though. Lukas Kaspar once again scored for the Sharks but it wasn't enough as the Ducks of Anaheim beat the Sharks 2-1 in overtime.

San Jose will begin training camp tomorrow in San Jose, while training camp in Worcester will be opened on the 25th of September.

*Quote courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

Sharks Announce Pre-Season Slate

2006-09-11T16:42:00.000-04:00

The Worcester Sharks have announced that they will be playing 3 pre-season games to prepare for their inaugural season in Central Massachusetts. The Sharks will open the short schedule on the road as they take on the Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers) on Thursday, September, 28th in Simsbury, CT. Then the Sharks will play a home and home series with the Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles Kings). The only home pre-season game will be held at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass on Friday, September 29th at 8 p.m. The very next night the two teams will be back at it as they finish off their pre-season schedule with a game in Hooksett, NH. Both away game times start at 7 p.m.

Stay tuned! You can catch all of the Sharks coverage in the Deep End!

PRESS CONFERENCE SET FOR 9/13

2006-09-11T11:13:00.000-04:00

The Worcester Sharks are holding a press conference at St. Vincent's Hospital at Medical City on Wednesday, September 13th at noon. The event will be an ice cream social and will be held in the hospital's atrium. Several announcements concerning the upcoming season are scheduled to be released.

* Photo Courtesy of the Worcester Sharks

Kaspar Shines at The Tournament

2006-09-10T23:46:00.000-04:00

The Shark's prospects were busy this weekend as they played 2 games against other Pacific Division rivals. Friday night the Sharks played against the Phoenix Coyotes. The Sharks got off to a good start taking a 5-2 lead into the third period, but managed to give up 3 in the third period to force overtime. Kyle Wilson scored 1:59 into overtime though to give the Coyotes the win. Kaspar looked like a leader out there on the ice, scoring on the first shift of the season. Coach Sommer was impressed with his play in the early going saying

"He was in front of the net and he really did some good things"

The Sharks were back out on the ice the very next night as they played the LA Kings. Although it was a different night, it wasn't a different outcome as they lost to the Kings 3-2. Most of the game they were shorthanded 13 times in the first 2 periods. All of the Kings goals came on the power-play with 2 of them being 5-on-3's. New to the North American game goaltender Thomas Greiss stopped 20 out of 23 shots faced. Lukas Kaspar found the score sheet when he made the game 3-2, but it was already too late as the Sharks prospects are 0-2 in the tournament. They will play the Ducks today at 4 p.m.

*Quote courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

Sharks Announce Roster For Upcoming Tournament

2006-09-04T23:32:00.000-04:00

2006-07 Roster
63 *BARARUK, David LW
69 *BERNHARDT, Justin C
47 CAVANAGH, Tom C
68 *FELDE, Erik LW
56 *HOOTON, Brock RW
46 IGGULDEN, Mike C
43 KASPAR, Lukas RW
70 *LEISENRING, Brady C
52 MACHO, Michal C/RW
64 McGINN, Jamie LW
53 PAVELSKI, Joe C
54 ROME, Ashton RW
48 SETOGUCHI, Devin RW
42 TREMBLAY, Jonathan RW
57 DeLORY, James D
65 JOSLIN, Derek D
60 *KING, Randy D
61 *McCUE, Matt D
62 *POTUER, Graham D
51 SPANG, Dan D
67 VLASIC, Marc-Edouard D
58 WISHART, Ty D
33 DAKERS, Taylor G
1 GREISS, Thomas G

Sharks Get Ready To Battle In Pacific Shoot-Out

2006-09-04T23:18:00.000-04:00

Later on this week some of the Young Guns will be putting on their Sharks jersey for the first time as they prepare to take on some of the best rookie talent in the Pacific Shoot-Out. The Sharks in the past haven't been great in the tournament and are looking for veteran rookies Mike Iggulden and Lukas Kasper to take charge. Below is the schedule:

Friday, Sept. 8
10:00 am San Jose practice
4:00 pm San Jose vs. Phoenix

Saturday, Sept. 9
Noon San Jose practice
7:00 pm Kings vs San Jose

Sunday, Sept. 10
11:15 am San Jose practice

Monday, Sept. 11
10:00 am San Jose practice
4:00 pm San Jose vs. Anaheim

Tuesday, Sept. 12
4:00 pm Consolation Game
7:00 pm Championship Game

Sharks Announce Schedule.

2006-09-04T17:23:00.000-04:00

The Worcester Sharks recently released their inaugural season schedule. The first ever game in Sharks history will be up in Portland, Maine on October 6th, as they take on the Portland Pirates. Almost a week later on October 14th, those Pirates travel down to Worcester as Worcester hosts its first ever regular season home game. The Sharks will benefit with this schedule because they have 33 weekend dates! Of those 33 weekend dates: 15 Fridays, 13 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. The Sharks will benefit from only having 1 Sunday game before the Super Bowl, which will help the attendance figures at the DCU Center.

2006-07 Home Games

OCTOBER
SAT 14 PORTLAND 7:00 PM
SAT 21 LOWELL 7:00 PM
FRI 27 PORTLAND 7:00 PM
SAT 28 MANCHESTER 7:00 PM

NOVEMBER
FRI 10 SAN ANTONIO 7:00 PM
SAT 11 PROVIDENCE 7:00 PM
FRI 17 BRIDGEPORT 7:00 PM
SAT 18 PROVIDENCE 7:00 PM
FRI 24 SPRINGFIELD 7:00 PM
SUN 26 HARTFORD 4:00 PM

DECEMBER
FRI 8 HARTFORD 7:00 PM
SAT 9 SPRINGFIELD 7:00 PM
SAT 16 MANCHESTER 7:00 PM
FRI 22 MANCHESTER 7:00 PM
SAT 23 LOWELL 7:00 PM
TUE 26 HARTFORD 7:00 PM
SAT 30 PORTLAND 7:00 PM

JANUARY
WED 3 SPRINGFIELD 7:00 PM
FRI 19 LOWELL 7:00 PM
WED 24 HOUSTON 7:00 PM
FRI 26 BINGHAMTON 7:00 PM
SAT 27 PROVIDENCE 7:00 PM

FEBRUARY
FRI 2 BRIDGEPORT 7:00 PM
FRI 23 PORTLAND 7:00 PM
SUN 25 NORFOLK 7:00 PM
WED28 SPRINGFIELD 7:00 PM

MARCH
FRI 2 PROVIDENCE 7:00 PM
SAT 3 NORFOLK 7:00 PM
SUN 4 SPRINGFIELD 4:00 PM
FRI 9 HARTFORD 7:00 PM
SAT 10 MANCHESTER 7:00 PM
FRI 16 HERSHEY 7:00 PM
SUN 18 PORTLAND 4:00 PM
WED 21 ALBANY 7:00 PM
SAT 24 PROVIDENCE 7:00 PM

APRIL
WED 4 MANCHESTER 7:00 PM
FRI 6 HARTFORD 7:00 PM
WED 11 LOWELL 7:00 PM
FRI 13 PROVIDENCE 7:00 PM
SUN 15 LOWELL 4:00 PM

*Photo courtesy of Sharkspage

Sharks Announce 6 Dates..

2006-07-21T00:50:00.000-04:00

The Sharks announced that they will begin their journey to the Calder Cup on Saturday, October 14th. The opponent is yet to be determined with the schedule to be released in early August. The Sharks also announced 5 other dates:

October 21st
November 11th
November 18th
December 16th
December 23rd

Getting to know ... Shane Joseph

2006-05-26T00:49:00.000-04:00

Name: Shane Joseph
Position: Right Wing
Number: 14
Shoots: Right
Birthplace: Brooks, ALB
Birthdate: September 23rd, 1981
Height:5'10''
Weight: 180 lbs
Last Team: Minnesota State U-Mankato (03-04)
Contract: Signed with the Sharks on 6/27/04
2005-06 Stats:Cleveland (AHL) : Shane has played in 75 games (11 goals, 20 assists, 31 points)

2006-2007 Atlantic Division Announced

2006-05-19T16:07:00.000-04:00

Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)

Lowell Devils (NJ)

Manchester Monarchs (LA)

Porland Pirates (ANA)

Providence Bruins (BOS)

Springfield Falcons (TB)

Worcester Sharks (SJ)

Shark Bait Announced

2006-05-19T15:29:00.000-04:00

The Sharks announced their matrix for their inaugural season today. It will feature 85% of their games against their Atlantic Division foes. The Sharks however, will not play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Philadelphia Phantoms in their inaugural season. The Sharks do manage to swim into the Western Conference to take on the Houston Aeros and San Antonio Rampage. The AHL Board of Governors will hold their annual summer meetings in Hilton Head, S.C. on June 26th through the 29th. The schedule is due out in August.

2006-07 Matrix

Providence (6 Home - 6 Away)
Harford (5 Home - 5 Away)
Lowell (5 Home - 5 Away)
Manchester (5 Home - 5 Away)
Portland (5 Home - 5 Away)
Springfield (5 Home - 5 Away)
Bridgeport (2 Home - 2 Away)
Norfolk (2 Home - 2 Away)
Albany (1 Home - 1 Away)
Binghamton (1 Home - 1 Away)
Hershey (1 Home - 1 Away)
Houston (1 Home - 1 Away)
San Antonio (1 Home - 1 Away)

Sharks stranded in oil

2006-05-19T15:20:00.000-04:00

Playoff Update:

Game 1: San Jose 2 - Edmonton 1
Game 2: San Jose 2 - Edmonton 1
Game 3: Edmonton 3 - San Jose 2 (3OT)
Game 4: Edmonton 6 - San Jose 3
Game 5: San Jose 3 - Edmonton 6
Game 6: Edmonton 2 - San Jose 0

Edmonton wins best of 7 series 4-2.

Getting to know... Mike Iggulden

2006-05-04T14:21:00.000-04:00

Name: Mike Iggulden
Position: Center
Number: 37
Shoots: Right
Birthplace: St. Catharines, ONT
Birthdate: November 9th, 1982
Height:6'3''
Weight: 205 lbs
Last Team: Cornell University (04-05)
Signed: a PTO with Barons on 9/19/05
Nickname: Iggy
2005-06 Stats:
Cleveland (AHL) : Mike played in 77 games (22 goals, 26 assists, 48 points)

*Photos courtesy of the AHL and Cleveland.com

Sharks Move onto Second Round

2006-05-03T17:07:00.000-04:00

#4 Nashville Predators Vs. #5 San Jose Sharks
The 5th seeded, San Jose Sharks (Worcester Sharks), opened up the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs against the 4th seeded Nashville Predators (Milwaukee Admirals). Even though the Sharks were the higher seeded, they weren’t the underdogs because of some injuries to some key players on the Predators.

game one
Mark Smith gave the Sharks the early lead in game one against the Nashville Predators, but unfortunately the rest of the team fell asleep for the rest of the period. Nashville got 1st period goals from Mike Sillinger, Martin Erat, and Shea Weber to take the 3-1 lead into the 1st break. Nils Ekman got the lone goal in the 2nd period assisted by Joe Thornton. Joe’s cousin, Scott, managed to tie the game midway through the 3rd period but it wouldn’t last long. Nashville would get the game winner 1:35 later when Paul Kariya slid a pass to teammate Adam Hall. Paul Kariya picked up 4 assists in today’s game. Also, all of Nashville’s goals game on the power play. Nashville leads the best of seven series 1-0.

game two
The Sharks, who were upset at their game one defeat handed by the Predators, had something to prove when they returned in game two. All you had to do was watch the 1st period and that was the whole game. The Sharks got three 1st period goals from Jonathan Cheechoo, Patrick Marleau, and Mark Smith and Vesa Toskala made 25 saves for the win. Jonathan Cheechoo also picked up 2 assists in the game. The Series now heads back to San Jose tied at one game apiece.

game three
The Sharks headed back west to host games 3 and 4 against the Nashville Predators. In game 3, Nashville got on the board first with a 1st period goal short-handed goal by Kimmo Timonen. Patrick Marleau then tied the game up with a weak goal past Nashville netminder Chris Mason. Rookie, Steve Bernier, put the Sharks ahead 2-1 with his first play off goal late in the 2nd period. Jonathan Cheechoo and Patrick Marleau both scored 3rd period goals to make the final score 4-1. The Sharks now lead the series 2-1.

game four
The Sharks hosted game 4 at the sold out HP Pavilion in San Jose. Former Holy Cross Standout Pat Rissmiller started the scoring for San Jose as he picked up his first of the playoffs from Carle and Goc. The Predators would take the lead 5 minutes into the second period when Shea Weber found the back of the net. Patrick Marleau showed why he is the captain of the Sharks. Patrick scored 3 goals in less than 20 minutes to lead the Sharks to victory. Nashville put some pressure on in the third period with 2 goals, but Vesa Toskala came up with 12 big saves in the 3rd. This was the first game in the series where Nashville out shot the Sharks. The final score was 5-4 Sharks. San Jose leads the series 3-1.

game five
It was a win or go home game for the Predators in game 5. The first period was fairly even, with San Jose out shooting the Preds 11-10. It took a fluke goal with .4 seconds left in the first period to break the tie. Steve Bernier tip in a shot from Scott Hannan on the power play to send the Sharks into the locker room with the lead. San Jose would pick up another power play goal from Patrick Marleau, his seventh goal of the playoffs, assisted by Joe Thornton and Tom Preissing. Nashville would finally get on the board, when Paul Kariya’s shot made it behind Vesa Toskala. It was too little to late though as the Sharks defeated the Predators 2-1, to win the series 4-1, and sent the Predators to trade in their hockey sticks for golf clubs.

The Sharks will play either the Colorado Avalanche or the Edmonton Oilers in the 2nd Round.

**Photo is courtesy of SJSHARKS.COM**

Getting to know ... Tom Cavanagh

2006-04-27T23:20:00.000-04:00

Name: Tom Cavanagh
Position: Center
Number: 20
Shoots: Left
Birthplace: Warick, RI
Birthdate: March 24th, 1982
Height:5'10''
Weight: 180 lbs
Last Team: Havard University (04-05)
Drafted: 6th round, 182nd overall by San Jose
Nickname: T.C., Cavy
2005-06 Stats:
Cleveland (AHL) : Tom has played in 62 games (10 goals, 11 assists, 21 points)

* Photos courtesy of the AHL and Harvard Hockey

Getting to know ... Brad Staubitz

2006-04-20T18:33:00.000-04:00

Name: Brad Staubitz
Position: Defense
Number: 3
Shoots: Right
Birthplace: Brights Grove, ON
Birthdate: July 28th, 1984
Height:6'1''
Weight: 210 lbs
Last Team: Ottawa 67's
Drafted:
Years left on countract: 2
2005-06 Stats:
Cleveland (AHL) : Brad played in 71 games (6 assists and 245 penalty minutes)

*Photos courtesy of clevelandbarons.net and the AHL

Getting to know ... Lukas Kaspar

2006-04-13T13:40:00.000-04:00

Name: Lukas Kaspar
Position: Left Wing
Number: 26
Shoots: Left
Birthplace: Most, CZK
Birthdate: September 23rd, 1985
Height:6'2''
Weight: 200 lbs
Last Team: Ottawa 67's
Drafted: 1st round, 22nd overall by San Jose
Years left on countract: 2
2005-06 Stats (as of 4/13/06):
Cleveland (AHL) : Lukas has played in 74 games (14 goals, 22 assists, 36 points)

* Photo Courtesy of Jatkoaika.com and the AHL