Shark Notes [Kyle McLaren edition]- McLaren agrees to 4 year deal averaging $2.1 million per season [pro-rated this year].
- Team's offer hurt McLaren - Boston Globe. Boston's offer of a 2 way contract to McLaren added insult to injury.
- Oilers coach Craig MacTavish pulled NHL Mascot Harvey the Hound's toungue out of his costume. This scuffle is second only to the deflating of inflated minor league mascot Sir Slapshot by an irate coach. Theo Fleury assaulting SJ Sharkie is third on the Mascots gone wild scale.
- NHL on HDTV schedule.
- Last year: "There are ways to run a business and that's why there's going to be a lockout. Because we're not running the business well." - Toronto coach Pat Quinn. This year: Strike no sure thing - Stephen Harris.
Shark trade Sundstrom and Jillson for Kyle McLaren
Here is the deal: Sharks trade Sundstrom and a 3rd round 2004 pick to Montreal for goalie Jeff Hackett, San Jose then deals Hackett and Jeff Jillson to Boston for Kyle McLaren and a 4th round 2004 pick.
Sundstrom has been struggling this season with 2 goals and 10 assists [-4] in 47 games. San Jose will pick up a quarter of his salary this year and next. Jeff Jillson was demoted to Cleveland on Dec 8th. Jillson scored 5 goals and 13 assists as a rookie in 2001-2002.
6 foot 4, 230 pound Kyle McLaren has held out this season in a protracted contract dispute. In 7 seasons with Boston, Kyle recorded a career high 8 goals in 1999-2000, and a career high 20 assists in 1997-1998.
For further reading:
Sharks acquire holdout Boston D Kyle McLaren in three-team trade - SF Chronicle
Hackett, McLaren keys to 3 way deal - Toronto Star
Shark Notes- According to CBS Sportsline, the Boston Bruins were asking for Evgeni Nabokov in a trade for defenseman Kyle McLaren.
- First Ulf Dahlen, then Dallas picks up Claude Lemieux. They are serious about a playoff run this season.
- Marty Turco makes a beer save on a thief stealing liquid refreshments out of his garage.
- Alexander Korolyuk update: 8 goals, 15 assists in 28 games for Ak Bars Kazan of the Russian Superligue. You can follow the league at faceoff.com/russia.
- Recommended reading for SJ: Game theory concepts - Penalty Killing, from hockeyschool online. SJ is 30th out of 30 teams on the penalty kill.
- According to the Buffalo News, player salaries went from a 1990-91 average of $271,000 to a 2002-03 average of $1.64 million.
Where should the NHL look for financial salvation?Last week 2 NHL teams filed for bankruptcy, the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres. While both scenarios involved questionable business decisions, the financial stability of the league is no doubt in question.
During the last NHL strike, I was quick to jump on the player's bandwagon. The league would not release a detailed financial picture proving how much money was being lost. With the impending strike looming in 2004, the numbers are starting to add up in the owner's favor.
Consider this:
• according to Ross McKeon [SF Chronicle], average salaries in the NHL are 540k more than in the NFL [the NHL is the smallest of the 4 major sports]
• 73% of NHL revenues are going to pay player salaries [numbers provided to ESPNmag by the league]
• a weak Canadian dollar [1.55/US] further threatens hockey north of the border [revenues taken in Canadian, salaries paid in US $$].
In order for the league to survive with 30 teams, a salary cap, revenue sharing, and transparent financial statements are desperately needed. Unfortunately for NHL fans, player representative Bob Goodenow can not accept that the league is in trouble. It is.
[Update: LA Kings in the red]
[Update2: salaries up 240 percent]
Miikka Kiprusoff pictures
[Email from Lisa] Lisa from Finland asks if I can post pictures of Miikka Kiprusoff. Here are 2 from practice before Pittsburgh, and the blurry one is from his first playoff start last year against St Louis.
Miikka pic1
Miikka pic2
Miikka pic3
New web home for SharkspageWe apologize for the server being down over New Years weekend, we moved to a new webhost Cornerhost.com [in addition to driving from Seattle to San Jose].
Please reset all bookmarks to www.sharkspage.com. This URL can be used as a backup address.
Shark Notes- Team USA is up against Finland for the bronze medal in the World Junior Championships, Canada and Russia are playing for the gold.
[Update: Russia wins gold, Finland bronze.]
- Eric Duhatschek delves into the Ottawa financial mess, and hints at the root cause [$350-million long-term debt] behind the Senators missed payroll last week.
- The FBI is taking on the Secret Service for a charity hockey game. Not too often when back-checking is a matter of national security.
- According to Thestar.com, former female Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser will suit up for Kirkkonummen Salamat [Finnish 2nd division]. Sharks forward Teemu Selanne is part owner of the team.
- Did anyone think the Flames would do worse with Darryl Sutter? He is undefeated in 4 games as Calgary's head coach [3-0-1].
- From LCShockey, ESPN2 shortens NHL2nite schedule.
