SHARKSPAGE

War of the Heroes 7 hybrid Muaythai Kickboxing/MMA card in Santa Clara featured a prodigious 17 fights

KRISTINA ALVAREZ (R) QUALIFIED FOR IFMA W.C. IN THAILAND WITH WIN

YOMEL COLON LANDS A PUNCH AGAINST VICTOR CHAN

WOTH WILL RETURN TO SANTA CLARA CONVENTION CENTER NOVEMBER 13TH

War of the Heroes FC7 Muaythai Kickboxing/MMA Championships presented by Fairtex and X-Fight Promotions held their seventh event Saturday, September 18th. After venturing to Pleasanton for WOTH6, and postponing the first-ever WOTH event in Thailand due to political unrest, the hybrid fight series returned to its home at the Santa Clara Convention Center for a solid 17-fight card in front of a boisterous crowd.

Mountain View’s Nathan Fairtex (5-3) earned knockout of the night with a straight knee that crumpled Sheldon Gaines (2-2) in the full Pro Muaythai main event. After being peppered with push kicks and low inside kicks early, Nathan dropped the Muaythai Academy fighter with a knee to the midsection along the ropes. Gaines could not regain his feet after a 10-count.

Professional Muaythai fighters in Thailand often take the surname of the gym where they train. Nathan Willet, an instructor at Fairtex Mountain View, has taken the name Nathan Fairtex. In a past interview while training at Fairtex Bangplee in Thailand, Nathan described his favorite Muaythai style as ‘Lizard style’, with a focus on footjabs. In the ring in Santa Clara his style was compact and deliberate, but he threw strikes with heavy power.

Another featured fighter on the card was American Kickboxing Academy fighter Gabriel Carrasco, a USMF title holder. A headliner earlier this summer at the Born to Fight amateur MMA competition in Fremont, the undefeated Carrasco (13-0) faced off against Striking Unlimited’s Roman Isbell (5-2) in a co-main event Muaythai bout.

Isbell has a lightning quick kick, but Carrasco is one of the more polished competitors on the local scene. A series of knees to the body, and a violent trip takedown saw reality set in early for Isbell. It became more of a counter striking effort for Isbell in the first, keeping his distance and trying to time Carrasco as he came in.

Gabriel Carrasco kept up a strong pace at the end of the first, and in the second round he dropped Isbell with a short right hook early. Isbell took the 8-count, but became more tentative in the following minutes. Carrasco became more aggressive in the third, accidently landing an illegal knee to the head in the clinch, then missing with a right high kick and nearly sailing over the ropes with his follow through.

Isbell tried to stand with Carrasco at the start of the fourth and final round, but he ducked into a solid right hand and was sent to the canvas. The technical Isbell, who was throwing spinning back kicks and backfists earlier in the fight, was deep into survival mode. The first right hand Carrasco through after the break split his guard, and knocked Isbell back into the ropes. Carrasco stormed forward and landed nearly a dozen uncontested strikes before the referee stepped in and stopped the fight 44 seconds in.

Another popular American Kickboxing Academy fighter Eric Luna (12-1), who earned a gold medal at the IFMA World Championships last year in Thailand and also is a USMF title holder, suffered a knockdown/slip early in his fight with New World Combat’s Mario Martinez (9-2). Luna immediately launched into high gear, scoring two quick knockdowns of his own and ending the fight.

Fairtex San Francisco’s Daniel Kim (1-0) earned the loudest applause from the crowd upon his entrance into the ring. In his pro Muaythai debut which served as a WBC ranking match, Kim fended off the intial rush by Victory MMA’s Karl Santiago (0-1), also making his professional debut.

Kim made effective use of the clinch game, locking in Santiago tight and negating his long reach. After a referee seperation, Kim landed a low kick, straight left combo that backed Santiago into the ropes. Santiago tired significantly, losing steam on his kicks and losing mobility to fend of Daniel Kim. Kim nearly ended the fight with a kick that landed flush at the end of the first.

Not fully recovered for the second round, Kim sent Santiago to the mat with a push kick in the corner. Kim continued coming forward with a large volume of punches until Santiago was effectively out on his feet. A short elbow to the jaw dropped Santiago and ended the fight.

The hybrid pro/amateur Muaythai kickboxing event also featured a pair of professional mixed martial arts fights. Combat Sports Academy’s Val Ignatov (1-2) defeated Bay Area Boxing’s Florencia Sinogul (1-2) with an armbar 1:01 into the first round. After scoring a trip takedown and establishing side control, Ignatov quickly moved into full mount. He transitioned into an armbar to force a quick tap. Charles Grace and World Team USA trained Osmar Delima (6-1) also earned a first round submission with a north-south choke against San Jose’s David Barrios (4-5) 1:47 into the first round. Delima had top control over Barrios in the corner, eventually locking in the choke and forcing the Nor Cal Fight Factory fighter to tap.

On the undercard, Blue Ocean Thai Boxing’s Kristina Alvarez defeated World Team USA’s Jade Hayes in a very tightly contested fight. One month earlier up the road in San Mateo, the San Diego native Alvarez earned the IKF Super Lightweight West Coast title with a win over Katie Toliano. With a back-and-forth win over Hayes on Saturday night, Kristina Alvarez qualified to represent the United States Muaythai Federation at the upcoming IFMA World Championships in Thailand.

Also successful on the undercard, Shiela Adamos defeated Felicia Valdez, Unlimited MMA’s Josh San Diego defeated John Laset, Chris Casal defeated Andrew Moy, Jesslyn LeCap defeated Gabby Aguinaldo, Malia Spanyol scored an early knockout over Jennifer Tung, USH Fight Team’s Chrisente Joaquin defeated Tal Sagev (former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le was in the corner of Joaquin), Victor Chan defeated Yomel Colon, Josslyn Mikow and Adrianna Savannah fought to a 3-round draw, and Eisrael “Is” Verdusco scored a flamboyant win over Michael Kempf.

War of the Heroes 8, presented by Fairtex, X-Fight Promotions and the USMF, will return to the Santa Clara Convention Center on November 13th. Qualifiers to represent the United States will compete at the IFMA World Championships in Bangkok from November 27th to December 5th. On August 28th, the USMF represent the United States at the first Sportaccord Combat Games in Beijing, China. Overseen by the International Olympic Committee, the opening ceremony featured guest appearances representing 13 different styles of martial arts combat. Along with ambassador Jackie Chan, Jet Li (Wushu), Miss Thailand Ganvintra Photijak (Muaythai), Strikeforce heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (Sambo), and Don “the Dragon” Wilson (Kickboxing). Jill Guido was one of the 16 athletes selected to represent Muaythai in the opening ceremony. She was accompanied by USMF coach Cheryl Garcia and USMF President Anthony Lin.

A photo gallery from WOTH 7 is available here. A highlight video will be posted soon.

Sharks halve split-squad games with Coyotes: 3-1 win in San Jose, 2-1 loss in Phoenix

#31 ANTTI NIEMI MAKES SAVE OF THE NIGHT ON #53 DEREK MORRIS

#8 JOE PAVELSKI PRESSURES #54 BRACKEN KEARNS IN 2ND

#3 DOUGLAS MURRAY ELBOWS HIS WAY PAST A FORECHECK IN 2ND

The clock is ticking down on the San Jose Sharks pre-season. After a pair of split-squad contests with the Coyotes in San Jose and Phoenix on Saturday night, the Sharks will have only back-to-back games with the Vancouver Canucks left on the domestic pre-season schedule. At the end of next week the Sharks will line up across from the Deutscher Eishockey Liga’s Adler Mannheim squad in Germany before traveling to Sweden for the NHL Compuware Premiere season opening games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The pressure of delivering on a regular season laden with expectations is approaching at an ever quickening pace.

On Saturday night in San Jose Antti Niemi bolstered split squad A with 18 saves on 19 shots through two periods en route to a 3-1 win. Worcester Sharks goaltender Alex Stalock came off the bench for the final period, and goals by Patrick Marleau and defenseman Sean Sullivan 57 seconds apart in the third broke a 1-1 tie. In Phoenix, split squad B backstopped by goaltender Thomas Greiss dropped a 2-1 loss to the Coyotes after a pair of power play goals by Radim Vrbata. Jamie McGinn provided the lone Sharks goal in the second period.

The top two offensive lines of Clowe-Thornton-Setoguchi and Marleau-Pavelski-Heatley played at HP Pavilion. From the outside looking in, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton have started each of the last two regular seasons with more of an edge to their game. Whether that was a reaction to postseason or offseason impetus is speculation, but it appeared as if they were prepared to take it out against the opposition on the ice. Saturday night an early first period Shane Doan hit along the endboards sent Joe Thornton directly to the locker room holding his face. An all business Joe Thornton returned to the bench without missing a shift, and he was staring holes in the back of a few select Phoenix Coyotes jerseys afterwards.

Antti Niemi started the game with a solid save down low on Viktor Tikhonov. After taking a pass from behind the net, Tikhonov spun and fired a low shot that was blocked and frozen by Niemi. On Joe Thornton’s next shift he circled around the Coyotes slot. Devin Setoguchi set up in front of Phoenix goaltender Matt Climie (Texas Stars, AHL). Thornton could not gain control of the puck in traffic, and a defenseman knocked Setoguchi’s stick out of his hands and kicked it up ice. Later in the period, Shane Doan scored the first goal of the game on the power play, putting home the rebound of Keith Yandle’s shot.

Center Benn Ferriero, who made the 2009-10 NHL roster out of training camp, set up a linemate with a slick back pass for a shot on goal. Climie was there to shut it down. The pair of split-squad games against Phoenix forced the Sharks to carry a larger training camp roster deeper into the preseason, but roster cuts are expected Sunday. On Thursday defenseman Nick Schaus (AHL), and Taylor Doherty (OHL) were sent down. On Wednesday defenseman Matt Irwin and Joe Loprieno were sent to Worcester.

Former Boston University and San Antonio (AHL) defenseman Sean Sullivan made an instant impression in the second and third period. Excellent moving the puck up ice, he also got into a one-on-one battle with Phoenix captain Shane Doan. After Doan took a run up high at him, on his next shift Sullivan launched Doan into Heatley with a big open ice check. Both wobbled and eventually fell to the ice. Sullivan buried a nice feed by Heatley blocker side in the third, and finished with a pair of quality defensive plays on Kyle Turris and Taylor Pyatt. Against Turris, Sullivan contained him on the rush and then knocked him off the puck. Against a larger Pyatt, he poked checked the puck and then drilled the 6-foot-4, 230-pound winger up high.

“You never know (about the roster cuts Sunday), the nerves are out there,” Sullivan said. “Once you get on the ice you are just playing, like any other game. You try to limit mistakes, play your position, any extra points you can put up there is a plus. I am just trying to get noticed and play the way I can.”

Niemi started the first with a big save on Tikhonov in front, in the second he would register the save of the game with a fully extended glove stop on Derek Morris. Yandle may be the Phoenix defenseman on the rise in 2010-11, but Morris has a booming slapshot that will always be dangerous.

Dany Heatley scored his second goal of the pre-season at 4:22. After Marleau held the puck in the zone, Justin Braun fired a point shot that Matt Climie could not control. Heatley gathered the rebound and waited out the Phoenix netminder before roofing a shot. “Phoenix is a quick team, quicker than Anaheim for sure,” Heatley said after the game. “I thought they played pretty well in the first. We started skating with them, and we cleaned up some things, especially in the third.”

At the NHL level, time and space to make plays closes down considerably. Outnumbered behind his own net 2-to-1, defenseman Nick Petrecki slid a between-the-legs pass to Kevin Henderson who was set up on the half boards. Later in the period, Joe Thornton was forechecked into the same area of the ice. Thornton used his reach to dangle around Shane Doan and Mikkel Boedeker, then he hit a forward cutting through the neutral zone with a crisp pass. Over an 82 game schedule, Thornton can make those plays on a nightly basis, Petrecki can not. The Sharks want the physically intimidating and offensively gifted blueliner to focus more on high percentage plays, playing body position, firing pucks up the wall or off the glass. Once Petrecki grasps the fundamentals, he is going to be a defenseman to keep an eye on.

A broken play finished off the second period for San Jose. Danish speedster Mikkel Boedker blew past his man on the right wing, and drove along the goalline towards the net. A late reacting Murray tried to get his stick in the shooting lane, but Boedker deked around to the front of the net. A wide butterfly by Niemi blocked the net down low.

The Sharks pulled away in the third period with quick strikes by Patrick Marleau and Sean Sullivan. Brandon Mashinter and Ryane Clowe also made effective use of their size late. Mashinter tried to check defenseman Sami Lepisto in the offensive zone, but missed. His second attempt sent the smaller Lepisto to the ice, then he slid to the front of the net to screen the goaltender. Later in the period Ryane Clowe carried the puck around the left wing, drawing a penalty on defenseman Garret Stafford, and holding on to the play long enough for Dan DaSilva to make it in front of the net. It was a play Clowe made with regularity in the second half of 2009-10.

After dropping two games against Anaheim, the Sharks earned their first win of the preseason with a split against Phoenix. “When you put the equipment on, you play to win. It doesn’t matter if it is an exhibition game, or playoffs,” Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said after the game.

The announced attendance in San Jose was 15,855. The Sharks finished 0-3 on the power play at HP Pavilion, 2-3 on the penalty kill. Goaltender Alex Stalock stopped all 5 shots he faced in the third period. Defenseman Justin Braun finished with a game high 2 assists, 20:18 minutes of ice time, and one blocked shot. The Sharks finished 0-6 on the power play in Phoenix, 8-9 on the penalty kill. Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (23:37), Kent Huskins (21:57) and Niclas Wallin (20:23) all finished with 20+ minutes of ice time for the Sharks. Jamie McGinn lead the team with 5 shots on goal.

A Sharkspage photo gallery from the San Jose split-squad game is available here. Video highlights of the split-squad game in Phoenix are available via coyotes.nhl.com.

Sharks forward Joe Thornton interviewed by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton was interviewed by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun during the veteran hockey reporter’s tour across Western NHL training camps. LeBrun spoke with Thornton about his new baby girl, disappointment after losing to Chicago in the Western Conference Finals, expectations for next year, his current line configuration with Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi, and what his thoughts are entering a contract year.

The video is available via ESPN here.

DOH Podcast #116: betting odds, Teal and White game, roster battles, Niclas Wallin, Andreas Lilja

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2010_0922.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana discuss Tuesday’s Teal and White Game for San Jose season ticket holders, recent Clowe-Thornton-Setoguchi and Marleau-Pavelski-Heatley lines, defenseman Niclas Wallin and veteran tryout Andreas Lilja, pre-season NHL betting odds in Las Vegas, prospects competing for jobs on the opening night roster, the Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki goaltening tandem, Dan Boyle’s long term value and more on the 116th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team or download the MP3 file directly here.

Media Day photo gallery

NEW GOALTENDER #31 ANTTI NIEMI STARTS TRAINING CAMP IN SJ

#16 SETOGUCHI BACKS INTO #44 VLASIC IN TRAINING CAMP DRILL

DEFENSIVE TRYOUT #6 ANDREAS LILJA SPEAKS TO THE PRESS

A photo gallery from the first day of the Sharks training camp is available here.

The Hockey News/XM Home Ice 204 Podcast: Steven Stamkos, Dan Ellis twitter, Toronto and Ottawa playoff chances

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Last week on The Hockey News Radio Show with Adam Proteau and Scott Laughlin on XM Satellite Radio Home Ice Channel 204: Adam and Scott return for another off-season edition of THN Radio from Toronto. In the opening block, Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos joins the show and talks about the change in his organization since new owner Jeffrey Vinik and GM Steve Yzerman took over, the team’s new additions, off-season training, and the Dan Ellis/Twitter controversy. In the second segment, THN managing editor Edward Fraser calls in and breaks down the Lightning’s strengths and weaknesses, balancing a team’s salary cap needs for the present with its future requirements, and the process behind THN’s Yearbook predictions. In the last block, Ask Adam deals with the playoff potential of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, why so many NHLers remain unsigned, and Dan Ellis’ “TwitterGate”.

This podcast is posted here with permission. Visit thehockeynews.com and XM Radio NHL Home Ice 204 for more NHL coverage, or download the podcast MP3 file directly here.

First overall draft pick Taylor Hall not enough as Sharks rookies down Edmonton 4-3

2010 PENTICTON ROOKIE TOURNAMENT FINAL STANDINGS

First-overall 2010 NHL Entry Draft selection Taylor Hall, 2008 first round draft pick Jordan Eberle and 2009 first round draft pick Magnus Paajarvi(-Svensson) were not enough for the previously undefeated Edmonton Oilers prospects on Wednesday night. Despite a clear speed advantage 5-on-5, the physical play and blue collar work of the Sharks rookie team carried them to a 4-3 win in Penticton, British Columbia. Michael Sgarbossa scored a hat trick with a pair of powerplay goals in the first period and an unassisted tally in the second. Tommy Wingels also scored for the Sharks, and 18-year old tryout goaltender J.P. Anderson (2-0, 2.00GAA, .920SV%) earned his second win of the tournament with 20 saves on 23 shots.

This rookie game had a little more meaning between the Oilers and the Sharks after both signed co-affiliation agreements with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder this August. The two organizations wanted to evaluate themselves against each other before working together to develop prospects. The Oilers will also be breaking in a new AHL affiliate in 2010-11, the Oklahoma City Barons.

The Sharks went with a more experienced lineup against Edmonton than the one they used two days earlier against Vancouver. Edmonton center Tyler Pitlick registered two big hits in an early shift in the first. He was answered by free agent signee Tommy Wingels, who laid out an opponent along the bench. Wingels was signed by the Sharks in June after helping Miami of Ohio reach back-to-back Frozen Four appearances, including a NCAA Championship Final in 2009.

After the Oilers starting pulling away in the shot and scoring chance category based on three consecutive Sharks penalties, Wingles made a critical play shorthanded. After an Edmonton faceoff win, Wingels broke up the back pass to the point to kill off more time on the clock. Following up on the play, he carried the puck behind the net and passed to Benn Ferriero. Ferriero was by taken down by defenseman Johan Motin, and Motin was called for holding at the side of the net. It was one of the plays that would cause a scout to circle your number in a game.

On a subsequent power play, Wingels curled around the left faceoff dot as Zach O’Brien provided a screen in front of Edmonton goaltender Bryan Pitton. From 30 feet out, Wingels beat Pitton blocker side for the first goal of the game. “I thought we controlled the play a lot. It was back and forth… guys are going to have a lot of opportunities,” Wingels said during an intermission interview. “(This tournament) gives you a good understanding of the pro game.” Wingels and free agent signee Cam MacIntyre, who missed the rookie tournament to rest a sore groin, are two of the prospects looking to make an impact at the main Sharks NHL training camp this weekend.

Less than a minute later Michael Sgarbossa scored the first of his three goals on the night. On the power play, Sgarbossa punched home a rebound in tight at 14:52. Sgarbossa was an agitating element against Vancouver on Monday, Wednesday he would be a fixture on the score sheet. The OHL center added a second power play goal from a similar range after a Benn Ferriero shot with 19 seconds left in the first. He completed the hat trick with a hestitation toe drag around defenseman Jeremie Blain and a snap shot blocker side in the second. A similar deke attempt around Vancouver’s Kevin Connauton Monday was unsuccessful.

#84 Taylor Hall was the focus of a lot of attention inside and outside of the rink, but he forced goaltender Bryan Pitton to kill off his first period holding minor with several clutch saves. Hall moved to center for the prospect tournament, centering the Big Three line of Eberle-Hall-Paajarvi. The Edmonton Oilers have struggled after a 2006 Stanley Cup Final appearance against the Carolina Hurricanes, finishing last or next to last in their division for 4 straight seasons. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi all have a legitimate chance to make the NHL roster in training camp, and regardless of their destination they give the Oilers some of the best young talent in the Western Conference. Hall told the Edmonton Sun that his first order of business if he has to move to center will be a better command of the faceoff circle.

Magnus Paajarvi kept the Oilers in the game in the first period. After scoring twice against the Canucks, he added his third goal of the tournament after a point shot by Jordan Eberle. Paajarvi corralled the rebound behind the net, and sent a quick pass to the front of the crease. The puck deflected off of defenseman Matt Irwin to beat J.P. Anderson. The first period was punctuated by a pair of fights. 6-foot-4, 235-pound Brandon Mashinter dropped the gloves after pushing and shoving around the Oilers goal escalated at his urging. Mashinter hammered 6-foot-4, 225 pound defenseman Alex Plante, hitting him several times as he fell to the ice. Plante would leave the game with an injury and not return.

The game featured several more fights. San Jose defenseman Samuel Finn drew a fighting major and an instigator penalty for dropping the gloves with Cameron Abney in the first. Brandon Mashinter also earned his second fight of the period with a tussle against Mike Thomas. In the second Cameron Brodie squared off against Drew Czerwonka. Tommy Wingels met a much larger Jordan Bendfeld in the third, and Freddie Hamilton faced off against Ryan Martindale. All told both teams registered a combined 17 minor penalties, 104 penalty minutes and 6 fighting majors each. The Sharks finished 3-5 on the power play Wednesday, 6-for-19 for the tournament. The Oilers finished a woeful 2-12 against San Jose, 5-for-26 for the tournament (19%).

Right wing James Livingston and Taylor Hall (PP) finished the scoring for Edmonton. In the second period Livingston beat Zach O’Brien in a battle for the puck, then snapped a quick shot up high as J.P. Anderson sealed off the near post. Taylor Hall scored his first goal of the tournament, bringing the Oilers to within one 50 seconds into the third period. A subsequent 5-on-3 Oilers power play was broken up by an excellent effort from Benn Ferriero. A diving poke check by #78 killed off the final seconds of the 2 man power play, and allowed Tony Lucia to get back onto the ice and into the play.

Taylor Hall tried to elevate his game in the final minutes. He was dominating down low. After being run over by defenseman Cameron Brodie in an #84 on #84 collision, he continued to control the action with body position and puck control like it was on a string. After Pitton was pulled for an extra attacker, Hall was back on the ice in the final seconds. Hall curled behind the net and fired a quick shot that was blocked by J.P. Anderson, but Edmonton could not get to the loose rebound. The Oilers suffered their first loss of the tournament, and may have lost first place overall with a loss to San Jose.

“I think it is good for the kids, they get to play against their own age group,” San Jose Sharks development coach Mike Ricci said in a second intermission interview. “Sometimes in bigger camps when they are playing against veterans and don’t feel comfortable going in and hitting them. Here they are able to do some of those things.” Ricci was also asked about the makeup of the prospect roster the Sharks brought to British Columbia. “We have probably got 6 or 7 (guys with AHL experience), which is a little more than other teams” Ricci said. “It just happened that way. Our prospects have been developing for a few years. A few years ago we had a bunch of young guys.”

The NHL Board of Govenors implemented a new tiebreak policy for the NHL on Tuesday. According to friend of the blog Mark Stepneski’s Dallas Stars site on ESPN, the new NHL tiebreak procedures will not include shootout victories for the first time since they were implemented in 2005. The tiebreak will now be determined by first place in division, points, regulation/OT wins (not shootouts), head-to-head points, and greater goal differential. That criteria would not strictly apply to the Penticton rookie tournament with the Canucks playing one more game than every other team, but used as a tie-breaker the Sharks (2-1) would edge the Oilers (2-1) based on their head-to-head meeting. It would be the Sharks first win in a multi-team rookie tournament in 5 attempts.

“We’d definitely consider doing it again… I think it works because you have fans in the rink so that these kids aren’t just playing in front of a lot of scouts and an empty building,” Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis told the Vancouver Sun. “I think it works because we put in rules about ages and different things so it doesn’t disintegrate into a fight-filled kind of atmosphere. I think it works because it gives young guys an opportunity to play against other young guys who are similarly situated for the most part and gives them an interim step before jumping head-first into main camp.”

[Update] Edmonton Oilers’ GM ‘very, very’ encouraged, Tambellini liked what he saw at prospect tournament – Edmonton Journal.

[Update2] San Jose Topped Edmonton 4-3, The Sharks Prospects Finished 2-1 In The Tournament – SJsharks.com.

Janesville Jets hire Red Line Report and Sharkspage’s Max Giese as a scout

MAX GIESE NOW A SCOUT FOR THE NAHL JANESVILLE JETS

The Janesville Jets announced the hiring of Red Line Report and Sharkspage.com scout Max Giese today via a press release. The Jets are co-owned by San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski. Janesville began their second NAHL season last Friday with a 5-2 win over the Chicago hitmen.

Janesville Jets Hire Former Bluebird Max Giese as a Scout
September 15, 2010

The Janesville Jets announced today that they have hired Max Giese as a player scout for the North American Hockey League (NAHL) team. His focus will be on the Midwest, covering a territory that includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa. His role will be to scout and identify players for tender offers, draft picks, and try-out camps.

Giese played high school hockey for the Janesville BlueBirds, serving as their starting goaltender from 2004-06, which included their state tournament run in 05. He played hockey for the Janesville J-Hawks from the age of 5 years-old until his freshman year of high school.

Prior to joining the Jets, Giese’s scouting experience included working for the scouting services Redline Report (2008-10) and McKeen’s Hockey (2006-08). Currently he is also attending the University of Wisconsin Whitewater where he is majoring in print journalism with a minor in business. The 23 year old Giese was born, raised and still resides in Janesville, Wisconsin. His parents are Cindy Giese of Janesville, and Bob Giese of Beloit.

[Update] The NAHL (Junior A Tier II) gained a Northern California contingent with the addition of the Fresno Monsters for 2010-11. The Monsters competed in the WSHL (Junior A Tier III) last season. Fresno debuted against the Bismarck Bobcats in the annual NAHL Showcase Tournament this afternoon and lost 7-2.

DOH Podcast #115: Rookie Tournament, Sheldon Souray, Sharks training camp

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2010_0915.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana discuss the San Jose Sharks rookie team playing in Penticton, British Columbia, defenseman Sheldon Souray being turned away from the upcoming Edmonton Oilers training camp, fantasy hockey, potential trade scenarios and jury duty on the 115th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team or download the MP3 file directly here.

Rookie Sharks lose to Canucks 5-3 in second game of Vancouver Prospect Tournament, face Edmonton tonight

The Sharks rookie team ran into a hot goaltender in 6-foot-4 Eddie Lack Monday night in Penticton, British Columbia. Instead of building a four goal lead as they did a night earlier against Anaheim, a younger San Jose squad was forced to battle back from a 3-0 deficit in the third period. Leigh Salters and defenseman Nick Schaus scored to bring their team within one, but speedy Vancouver defenseman Chris Tanev and Pierre-Olivier Morin scored to effectively put the game out of reach. Schaus added his second goal of the game late en route to a 5-3 loss to Vancouver.

Inserted into the lineup by Worcester Sharks head coach Roy Sommer, forwards Zach OBrien, Leigh Salters, Michael Sgarbossa, Cam Braes, Samuel Finn, Daniel “Rudy” Erlich, defenseman Justin Braun, Nick Schaus, German Konrad Abeltshauser, and a standout in last year’s rookie games and training camp Joe Loprieno all made their first appearances. After backing up J.P. Anderson Sunday, Thomas Heemskerk made his first start of the tournament.

The game began with more than it’s share of agitation, including 3 first period fights. The San Jose and Vancouver rookies combined for 25 penalties, 8 fighting majors and 76 total penalty minutes. Aaron Volpatti dropped the gloves with defenseman Joe Loprieno 2:13 into the first period, Sharks tryout Curt Gogol had his second fight in as many nights against defenseman Taylor Ellington. 1:01 later, 6-foot-3 Kevin Henderson drove the net and 6-foot-4 defenseman Sawyer Hannay took umbrage and got pummeled for his efforts, and in the second period 6-foot-6 Tayler Jordan and 6-foot-4, 225-pound Leigh Salters dropped the gloves in a semi-heavyweight tussel. Fighting is a part of the game, and it can keep opponents in check when appropriate. In the short rookie tournament window, prospects looking to fill that role have to showcase their skills whether the moment calls for it or not. 4,200 fans at the South Okanagan Events Centre did not seem to mind the early hostilities.

The Canucks opened the scoring on the rush with Alex Friesen firing a cross ice pass to Matt Fraser for a one-timer. “(Friesen) found me, and it was pretty easy from there.” Fraser told Canucks TV after scoring his first goal of the tournament. “I wanted to get a shot on net, the biggest thing from there was not to miss the net and have the puck run out of the zone.” The 6-foot-2, 207-pound tryout registered 32 goals, 56 points, and 117 penalty minutes with Kootenay of the WHL last year before earning a brief 2 game stint with Peoria in the AHL. “Undrafted, drafted or free agent, everyone is here to make an impression,” he said. In edition to his 11 fights in the WHL last year, he was also named the league’s Humanitarian of the Year after raising $14,000 for a local hospital.

The Sharks rookies did not have success getting pucks on net early against the Swedish goaltender Lack. They were outshot 10-7 in the first period, and often did not have enough traffic in front to create quality scoring chances. “It comes down to just getting in front of the goalie, he is playing great,” defenseman Justin Braun said during the first intermission. Manitoba Moose head coach Claude Noel compared Eddie Lack to Nashville’s Pekka Rinne in style and personality, and through the early stages of the game that held true. San Jose’s Philip Varone made excellent use of his speed to create a scoring chance from behind the net, and fan-favorite Daniel Erlich made a hard cut around a defender to snap a shot on goal before being flattened. Lack was all over both opportunities, and he swallowed up a third quality redirection attempt from Kevin Henderson later in the first.

Down 1-0 and with Vancouver carrying the play, Sharks were lacking a little bit of composure towards the end of the period. OHL center Michael Sgarbossa (Barrie/Saginaw) upended Stefan Schneider with a borderline check just inside the zone. Sgarbossa took out the legs of Schneider and sent him flying, the techincal hockey term being ass over teakettle. Sgarbossa was given two minutes for kneeing at 18:42, and Freddie Hamilton was also given a roughing call in the post-fight scuffle. A hit to energize the team and provide life on the bench is good. A borderline hit that could injure the opponent and draw two minor penalties, not so much.

Sgarbossa would be a constant thorn along the boards and in front of the net, and his temperment and drive were noted. At the start of the second period, he tried to deke around defenseman Kevin Connauton, but could not pull off the move. Lanky forward Marek Viedensky pulled down a player in front of the Canucks net, drawing another penalty 54 seconds into the middle frame.

One of the Sharks big German defenseman, 6-foot-3 Dominik Bielke, made an excellent block on the subsequent penalty kill. “A lot of Germans have made their first steps in the NHL through the Sharks,” 6-foot-5 Konrad Abeltshauser told SJsharks.com. “I want to be the next one to make that step in ‘the show'”.

The list of German-drafted alumni in the Sharks organization is a long one (Marco Sturm – Dingolfing, Marcel Goc – Calw, Christian Ehrhoff – Moers, Dimitri Patzold – born in Kazakhstan, moved to Germany, Patrick Ehelechner – Rosenheim, Kai Hospelt – Koln, Thomas Greiss – Koln, Timo Pielmeier – Deggendorf, Dominik Bielke – Berlin, Konrad Abeltshauser – Bad Tolz). It was an easy decision for the NHL to schedule a San Jose exhibition game against Alder Mannheim of the Deutscher Eishockey Liga (DEL) on October 2nd. It will bring Sharktoberfest to Germany during the height of beer drinking season. Two German league exectutives mentioned to this blog that the profile of the sport is small but growing across Germany, but it is very big in the Bavarian region. The exhibition will take place 6 days before the Sharks kick off the season against Columbus with a pair of NHL Compuware Premiere games at the Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

On the ice, the game went from bad to worse for the Sharks prospects. A power play earned on a Pierre-Olivier Morin cross check lasted all of 4 seconds when Cam Braes took a slashing call. An end-to-end rush by speedy Vancouver defenseman Chris Tanev set up the next goal for Aaron Volpatti. Two Sharks released Tanev through the neutral zone, and Nick Schaus tried but could not cover the pass on the 2-on-1. 4-on-4, Volpatti punched the puck out of the air to beat Thomas Heemskerk. The momentum shift was palpable, as the top Canucks line of Morin-Schroeder-Sweatt pinned the Sharks deep in their zone and created several scoring opportunities.

Heemskerk made a quality save on a Schroeder-Sweatt 2-on-1 late in second, but another quick Vancouver rush set up the third goal. With his back to the boards in the neutral zone, right wing Kellan Tochkin fed Aaron Volpatti a soft pass in stride. Volpatti blew into the Sharks zone with speed, and snapped a shot home to give the Canucks a 3-0 lead after two periods.

San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan was asked by Canucks TV’s Kristin Reid about replacing captain Rob Blake for 2010-11. “I don’t think we do (replace a Rob Blake) individually, we have to do it collectively. There won’t be one person that steps up and assumes his role,” McLellan said. “The six defenseman that play on a nightly basis are going to have to eat up his minutes and compensate for his experience, maybe even more importantly his leadership skills. The ability he had in the locker room to lead some of the younger players, and even some of the older veterans, was enormous.”

McLellan was also asked about the success of the Chicago Blackhawks, and whether other NHL teams will try to emulate them. “I thought Chicago played with as much speed as anyone in the game. A lot of us have big, strong physical teams, but they were a little quicker. Not necessarily skating-wise, but with their puck movement. They passed very well,” McLellan said. “Their young players elevated their game at a time in the season when it was very important. The Bolland’s, the Byfuglien’s, the superstars were there but those other guys really elevated their game and led them to the victory.”

After a pretty impressive fight in the second period, Leigh Salters ran over defenseman Adam Polasek to start the third. Results are important in a 5-team tournament, but the hockey staffs are also looking at how individuals and teams respond to different situations. Down 3-0 with the Canucks prospects rolling, the Sharks started trying to chip away at the lead shift by shift. ““I think it shows a lot of moxie. When you’re down 3-0 you wonder, as a coach and as an organization, how everyone would come out. But, no one quit,” Worcester Sharks head coach Roy Sommer told SJsharks.com.

The Sharks would get on the board with two early third period goals on the power play. Defenseman Justin Braun hammered a shot from the point that was deflected past Eddie Lack by Salters. Salters would finish the game an assist shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick. After matching penalties on Kevin Henderson and Taylor Ellington, resulting from yet another drive to the net, Nick Schaus scored the first of his two goals on the night at 2:54. Schaus beat Lack far side with a blast from the point, assisted by Abeltshauser.

Vancouver stemmed the tide with goals by Chris Tanev (PP) and Pierre-Olivier Morin, but the Sharks rookie prospect squad was holding their own and carrying the play during stretches in the final 20 minutes. Both teams registered 18 shots after two periods, but in the third San Jose outshot Vancouver 20-9 trying to even up the game. Schaus scored his second goal of the game at 11:09, but with the final minutes ticking down goaltender Thomas Heemkerk was pulled for an extra attacker. Matt Fraser took an ill-advised tripping penalty, giving the Sharks a 6-on-4 advantage in the final two minutes.

Kevin Henderson was tossed from a key offensive zone faceoff, but Varone earned a clean faceoff win and drew the puck back to his defense. Nick Schaus torqued a big point shot on goal which was smothered by goaltender Eddie Lack. Another clean faceoff win by San Jose, another enormous point shot on goal by Schaus. A third straight win, another big point shot from the Sharks defense. Finally the Vancouver rookies got a body down on the ice in front of the Sharks blueline, and the seconds ticket off the clock for a 5-3 Canucks win.

The San Jose Sharks rookies faceoff against the Edmonton Oilers prospect squad tonight at 7:30PM (PT). A live broadcast of the game will be available at youngstars.insinc.com. Anaheim will meet Vancouver today at 4PM. The Oilers are the only undefeated team in the tournament at 2-0. 2010 NHL Entry Draft first overall selection Taylor Hall is expected to suit up for Edmonton against San Jose tonight. Goaltender J.P. Anderson is expected to start for the Sharks. The main San Jose Sharks NHL training camp will open Friday, September 17th.

[Update] Ed Willes: San Jose Sharks a perennial winner except come playoff time – Vancouver Province.

Devin Setoguchi visits San Jose Earthquakes-FC Dallas game as part of Sharks Night

SETOGUCHI INTERVIEWED BY CSNCA'S DAN DIBLEY SATURDAY - CSN

Two south bay sports behemoths collided Saturday as San Jose Sharks right wing Devin Setoguchi visited the 2-time MLS champion San Jose Earthquakes for a match against FC Dallas in Santa Clara. The Earthquakes (9-7-6) battled FC Dallas (10-2-11) to a 0-0 draw, and remain in the Western Conference playoff hunt with 8 games left in the 2010 season.

“It has been pretty good so far, they have been all over the place,” Setoguchi told CNSCA’s Dan Dibley during the first half. “Before this I have never watched a game, but it is fun to watch.” After attending one game earlier, his current record as a fan is 1-0-1. The southern Alberta native said his regime growing up with 6 months of snow mostly consisted of hockey, with a little bit of soccer thrown in during the summertime. As a restricted free agent, Setoguchi signed a 1-year, $1.8 million contract with the Sharks for 2010-11.

Scheduled to attend Sharks Night at Buck Shaw Stadium were Setoguchi, Jason Demers, Torrey Mitchell, Frazer McLaren and Jamie McGinn. The Sharks players were slated to meet the Quakes players prior to game time, and participate in halftime activites. The night also included a silent auction for Sharks memorabilia, and a visit by mascot SJ Sharkie.

CenterlineSoccer.com posted a game recap and photo gallery from Saturday night. The Quakes will have a short rest before they face the Philadelphia Union Wednesday at home (7PM). The game will be available on CSN via tape delay according to the Earthquakes.

Sharks rookies learn how to pummel Anaheim early, earn 4-1 win over Ducks at Vancouver Rookie Tournament

T/O GOALIE J.P. ANDERSON STOPPED 26 OF 27 SHOTS - CANUCKS.COM

Goal number one for the San Jose rookie squad at the Vancouver Young Stars prospect tournament was to beat Anaheim, and make an impression in doing so. Unlike the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks prospects earlier Sunday, there was no feeling out process between the Sharks and Ducks. The players scrambled to make contact and make plays early, and the San Jose prospects took advantage of 12 Anaheim penalties, a sparkling 26-save performance by tryout goaltender J.P. Anderson, and goals by Nick Petrecki, John McCarthy (PP), and two by Brandon Mashinter to earn a 4-1 win.

Media attention will invariably focus on the players with the best opportunity to make an impact on an NHL lineup, but in the San Jose Sharks camp the offseason has stressed development and growth. With a veteran and talent-laden NHL team, available roster spots are at a minimum. The Young Stars prospects are not only playing in front of NHL eyeballs, but AHL, ECHL, junior and even international teams are paying close attention as well. The 5-team tournament allows players to ramp up competition against quality talent their own age, prepares many of them to hit full NHL training camps in stride, and allows organizations to gauge their development systems against each other. Many fans in San Jose simply want the Anaheim Ducks to lose, whatever their incarnation.

“The guys don’t have a whole lot of time before to practice together and understand the system,” San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson said during an intermission interview with Stockton Thunder announcer Mike Benton. Wilson was asked what he looks for from prospects during the tournament. “Their instincts, their hockey sense. You have guys playing against their same age group. That is what is really attractive to us. Often a player will come into camp a little bit wide eyed, or physically dominated by some of the older guys. Too see some of the guys here who can figure it out, play this game, it is a pretty high level right now. I think there are a group of players here who will be playing in the NHL this year.”

Former Miami University forward Tommy Wingels, and 6-foot-4, 235-pound Worcester Sharks winger Brandon Mashinter made their presence felt early. Wingels knocked over a defenseman en route to the puck, and showed a solid burst of speed and a quick snap shot later in the first. In his first year of pro hockey in 2009-10, the 21-year old Brandon Mashinter registered 22 goals, 37 points and 117 penalty minutes. Off the stat sheet, Mashinter recorded two Gordie Howe hat tricks, nine multi-point games, and 12 fights according to Sharkspage’s Darryl Hunt. Mashinter and Frazer McLaren may be the two favorites heading into the Sharks NHL training camp to replace the services of Jody Shelley and Brad Staubitz.

In one of his early shifts in the first period, Mashinter ran over #81 Jason Akeson, collided with another defenseman at the side of the net, and then checked #78 Tomas Zaborsky off-camera as he headed back to the bench. The largest foward on the Sharks team, and larger than any Ducks forward or defenseman by 20+ pounds, Mashinter was a bit of a roving destructive force early. Sharks tryout defenseman Cameron Brodie tried to step into Anaheim right wing Josh Brittain with a hip check as he entered the zone, but Brittain avoided the bulk of the collision and landed the hardest elbow of the game to Brodie’s head.

6-foot-0, 180-pound forward Curt Gogol stepped up against the much larger 6-foot-4, 215-pound Anaheim defenseman Scott Ramsay for the first fight of the game in the opening period. Gogol landed a quick left off the bat, and two looping rights before Ramsay gained his bearings and started using his reach. Ducks defenseman Jake Newton sparked a breakaway on a subsequent shift, forcing goaltender J.P. Anderson to make a hard push left-to-right to make the save. There was an opening 5-hole, but Anderson’s stick was in position to make the save. The Sharks carried the momentum until that breakaway, but it quickly swung back on a goal by defenseman Nick Petrecki at 19:27. Benn Ferriero passed the puck back to the point, and Petrecki unloaded a shot with Mashinter providing a screen in front.

Defenseman Nick Petrecki, the Sharks lone first rounder participating in the tournament (28th, 2007), was one of the standout figures during the rookie games and training camp last season. The youngest player on the Worcester Sharks roster, the physical presence he cultivated while winning an NCAA championship with Boston College did not immediately translate to the AHL. One of the pitfalls of online and new media coverage is the immediacy and pressure put on young players. In an excellent interview this summer with the Fear the Fin blog, Petrecki showed maturity and poise discussing some of the problems he had in his first year as a professional.

Defenseman often take years to develop into NHL caliber professionals, and Petrecki seems to have taken directions to simplify his game to heart. “What you want is consistency,” Doug Wilson said Sunday night. “When you are a big physical guy you are used to dominating guys because of your size. You are not often going to dominate guys with your size in the NHL. We went through this with Douglas Murray and Ryane Clowe… we worked very hard with him, especially with Bryan Marchment, and the details he needs to play the hardest position in this league. Nick is well on his way.”

Last year Benn Ferriero impressed the Sharks coaching staff enough to earn a roster spot at training camp. With 24 NHL games on his resume, Ferriero was the most experienced player on either Ducks or Sharks prospect roster. That experience came out when he beared down on loose pucks. Instantly transitioning on offense, Ferriero drove wide right and fed Brandon Mashinter across the slot. 2:21 into the second period Mashinter picked the far corner (aka high cheese) on Timo Pielmeier and gave the Sharks a two goal lead. Much like their NHL counterparts, the Ducks parade to the penalty box continued. San Jose capitalized with a power play goal by John McCarthy at 8:47. Tommy Wingels beat a defenseman off the boards to get the puck to Philip Varone, and a point shot by Nick Petrecki could not be covered by Pielmeier. McCarthy banged home a goal from in tight.

There were 3,500 fans at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, British Columbia watching the all-California matchup. They saw their second fight of the night when Ducks defenseman #75 Scott Valentine hip checked 6-foot-3, 210-pound forward Kevin Henderson. Henderson, #71 for the Sharks, has a bit of a mean streak in him. Valentine immediately dropped the gloves and landed a punch, but Henderson pummeled him and held him up as he fell to land a few more blows. Ill advised penalties on Maxime Macenauer (hooking) and Rob Bordson (hooking) gave the Sharks a 5-on-3 power play for 40 seconds. Tony Lucia made a nice move to free up space with the puck, and found a trailing Matt Irwin for the best scoring opportunity.

The bounces were not going in Anaheim’s direction. After an Emerson Etem shot was stopped by the right leg pad of J.P. Anderson, Jason Akeson picked the puck off his pads and could not bury it in the empty net. It would be a costly missed opportunity. The Sharks would answer at the other end of the rink to make it 4-0 with 55 seconds left in the period.

The conversation heading into the third centered around Sharks goaltender J.P. Anderson, and the possibility of a shutout bid. The conversation became a little more difficult when the Sharks took a pair of penalties, giving Anaheim a 5-on-3 man advantage for just over a minute. After a solid effort by Anderson, the Sharks took another penalty as Spencer Humphries earned a tripping call at 3:22. This gave the Ducks a second 5-on-3 man advantage, this time for 40 seconds. San Jacinto, California native Jake Newton, only the second California born prospect playing in this game, fed Nick Bonino for a quick shot on goal. More of a shovel pass than a shot, Long Beach native Emerson Etem and Bonino both took whacks at the puck on the goal line. Bonino was credited for the only Ducks goal of the game. 4-1 Sharks.

The Sharks still had to finish off the remainder of the 5-on-4 penalty kill, and a Ducks defenseman simply leveled Benn Ferriero with a hit against the boards. With his helmet off, Ferriero continued his extended shift on the point of the PK, pressuring the puck carriers with his stick in the shooting lane. Despite a few hit crossbars and posts, one by Peter Holland, a second by Sharks defenseman Domink Bielke, and a third by Ferriero, the game got a little sloppy at the end of the third period. Ducks center Maxime Macenauer tried a lazy spin move to the left of J.P. Anderson, but was hammered to the ice by defenseman Spencer Humphries. Another Ducks center Peter Holland could not finish on a 2-on-1 breakaway, and both teams engaged in a pushing and shoving after physical play around the net.

The final straw for Anaheim was a 2-on-0 breakaway by center Tomas Zaborsky and right wing Josh Brittain. After getting behind the Sharks defense uncontested, Zaborsky tried to pass across the crease instead of letting go with a shot. Brittain fired the puck over the net from point blank range. Then the game devolved into more physical play. Kevin Henderson laid out Jason Akeson with a borderline hit against the glass, resulting in the first 5-on-5 scrum between the teams, also mirroring their NHL counterparts. According to Eric Stephens of the OC Register, Henderson was tossed from the game for checking from behind.

The Sharks prospects will face Vancouver Monday night at 7:30PM, and the Edmonton Oilers prospects Wednesday night at 7:30PM. All games will be streamed online at sjsharks.com. The Oilers-Sharks prospect game will feature the first prospect contest between the two teams after both entered into a co-affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. The only other professional hockey team in Northern California, Stockton is about 80 miles away from the Sharks home ice in San Jose. According to the Stockton Thunder, goaltender Bryan Pitton and defenseman Jordan Bendfeld will be suiting up for the Oilers prospects. Matching them against the San Jose Sharks prospects will be a good way to jump start the intra-organizational rivalry. OHL forward Luke Judson was scratched from the Sharks prospect roster with an injury that occured before camp. Goaltender Tyson Sexsmith will not be on the prospect roster, which could allow J.P. Anderson, Thomas Heemskerk and Carter Hutton to each start an individual game. Free agent signee Cam MacIntyre was not probable for the tournament according to the Sharks.

The San Jose Sharks have never won a preseason rookie tournament. In four years of the Pacific Division Shootout featuring SJ, ANA, LA and PHO, the Coyotes (2003, 2006) and Ducks (2004, 2005) each won twice. The Sharks prospects swept the Ducks in three head-to-head rookie games last year, with Anaheim defenseman Luca Sbisa providing the highlight of the series with a full speed train wreck hit on Nick Petrecki. Without Sbisa in the 2010 prospect lineup, the attention for Anaheim focused on 2010 first round draft pick Cam Fowler.

The hockey gods smiled on Anaheim at the first NHL draft in California, as one of the top defensive prospects available fell into their wheelhouse at #12. Adding Long Beach native Emerson Etem with the second to last pick in the first round was a selection that worked on many different levels. Joining Fowler and Etem on the Anaheim prospect roster were three other Anaheim first round draft picks including Peter Holland (2009), Kyle Palmieri (2009) and Mark Mitera (2006). The Anaheim team also included NCAA champion and former Sharks 6th round draft pick Nick Bonino and German goaltender Timo Pielmeier. Bonino and Pielmeier were traded to the Anaheim Ducks in March, 2009 for veterans Travis Moen and Kent Huskins.

“We got off to two really bad periods,” Nick Bonino told the official Ducks website. “The first couple of periods we couldn’t stay out of the box and played maybe two even strength shifts in the first period. It hurts. We need to be a bit sharper from start to finish.”

[Update] Sharks Earn 4-1 Victory, Worcester Teammates Provide Win Against Anaheim – SJsharks.com.

[Update2] Ducks open rookie tourney with 4-1 loss to Sharks. – Quackalackin blog for InsideSoCal.

[Update3] Cam MacIntyre among three rookies who won’t be skating in Penticton tournament — and Niemi arrives in San Jose – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

[Update4] Via Sharkspage twitter: Vancouver Rookie Tournament Day 2: ANA-CAL at 4PM, SJ-VAN 7:30PM, watch live here http://youngstars.insinc.com.

First day of San Jose Sharks rookie camp preps for prospect tournament in Vancouver

SHARKS FORWARD #71 KEVIN HENDERSON ON FIRST DAY OF SHARKS ROOKIE CAMP

FREE AGENT SIGNEE #34 CARTER HUTTON MAKES A SAVE

The Sharks opened their first day of rookie camp practice Friday afternoon in preperation for the Youngstars rookie tournament from Penticton, British Columbia that begins on Sunday. San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, San Jose, Edmonton and Anaheim will compete in the 5-team, 5-day tournament. Participating for the Sharks are goaltenders Tyson Sexsmith and Carter Hutton, forwards Benn Ferriero, Cam MacIntyre, Tommy Wingels and Brandon Mashinter, and defenseman Taylor Doherty, 2007 first round draft pick Nick Petrecki, Matt Irwin and Nick Schaus among many others. Tournament rosters and previews are available from canucks.nhl.com, and the Sharks rookie games will be streamed online at sharks.nhl.com.

A black and white photo gallery from the first day is available here.

Hockey Notes – 9/10

– The Hockey News Puck Panel takes a look at the upcoming 2010-11 season for the San Jose Sharks. Ryan Dixon, John Grigg and Ryan Kennedy weigh the scales on the departure of Evgeni Nabokov and the addition of goaltenders Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki. Kennedy also takes a look at the loss of Rob Blake and Manny Malhotra, and whether the Sharks can replace their contributions internally.

– Key upcoming dates via the NHL and the San Jose Sharks:

UPCOMING DATES:

Sept. 10: Rookie camps open
Sept. 10: Sharks Rookie Practice 2PM
Sept. 11: Sharks Rookie Practice 12PM
Sept. 12: Sharks Rookie Practice 10AM
Sept. 12: VAN Rookie Tournament 4PM (VAN-EDM)
Sept. 12: VAN Rookie Tournament 7:30PM (SJ-ANA)
Sept. 13: VAN Rookie Tournament 4PM (ANA-CAL)
Sept. 13: VAN Rookie Tournament 7:30PM (SJ-VAN)
Sept. 14: VAN Rookie Tournament 7:30PM (CAL-EDM)
Sept. 15: VAN Rookie Tournament 4PM (ANA-VAN)
Sept. 15: VAN Rookie Tournament 7:30PM (EDM-SJ)
Sept. 16: VAN Rookie Tournament 12PM (CAL-VAN)

Sept. 17: Training camps open
Sept. 18: Sharks Training Camp 9AM-1:15PM
Sept. 19: Sharks Training Camp 9AM-12PM
Sept. 20: Sharks Training Camp 9AM-12PM
Sept. 21: Sharks Teal and White Game 7PM
Sept. 21: Pre-season schedule begins
Sept. 22: Pre-season Sharks @Anaheim 7:05PM
Sept. 23: Sharks Training Camp 10AM-1:30PM
Sept. 24: Pre-season Sharks vs. Anaheim 7:30
Sept. 25: Pre-season Sharks @Phoenix (split squad) 7PM
Sept. 25: Pre-season Sharks vs. Phoenix (split squad) 7:30PM
Sept. 26: Sharks Training Camp 11AM-1PM
Sept. 27: Sharks Training Camp 11AM-1PM
Sept. 28: Pre-season Sharks @Vancouver 7PM
Sept. 29: Pre-season Sharks vs. Vancouver 7:30PM

Oct. 2: Exhbition vs. Alder Mannheim (Germany) 10:30AM
Oct. 7: Regular-season schedule begins
Oct. 7-10: Compuware NHL Premiere Games (Helsinki, Prague, Stockholm)
Oct. 8: Compuware NHL Premiere Sharks vs. Columbus (Sweden) 12PM
Oct. 9: Compuware NHL Premiere Sharks vs. Columbus (Sweden) 12PM
Nov. 6: Hall of Fame Game (Buffalo at Toronto)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 5: 2011 IIHF World Junior Championships (Buffalo)
Jan. 1: Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic (Washington at Pittsburgh, Heinz Field)
Jan. 30: NHL All-Star Game (Raleigh)
Feb. 20: 2011 NHL Heritage Classic (Montreal at Calgary, McMahon Stadium)
Feb. 28: Trade deadline (3 p.m., ET)
Apr. 10: Regular-season schedule ends

– San Jose Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson was interviewed earlier this week by Fitz and Brooks on KNBR 680AM. Wilson expanded on comments he made after signing Antti Niemi:

I think we are pleased this is where it ended up. We treated Nabby with the respect he deserved. He was able to go get the contract he wanted in Russia. The goaltenders we ended up with, both Antti (Niemi) and Antero (Niittymaki), are going to give us argueably the best tandem in the league. They are two guys who are team-first guys, really have had to compete for their net and earn it on performance. We think them coming in here really gives us an outstanding goaltending unit, and that doesn’t exclude Thomas Greiss, who we think is a very good goalie. Unfortunately he did not get to play too many games being behind Nabber the last few years. We like our goaltending situation, and we are pretty excited heading into camp.

For a West Coast team in particular, there is a lot of travel, both of the goalies are familiar with us. Todd (McLellan) will make the decision (on playing time), a lot of it will be dictated by their play but both goalies were included in this process, about going this route (a tandem in goal). That is what is good about them, both said it would make this team better. That is the bottom line, putting the best team on the ice with the best chance to win later in the year.

We have always liked (Antti Niemi), how he plays. We like his size and his style, much like Niittymaki. They way he played last year, we certainly saw it first-hand. We watched a lot of his games, a lot of his growth. To put these two guys in our nets, we are pretty excited about it.

Wilson also noted that two of the Sharks defensive representatives at the Olympics, Dan Boyle (Canada) and Douglas Murray (Sweden), will have increased roles next season, and that defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic stepped it up to another level in the playoffs against Detroit and Chicago. On Jason Demers (“fearless kid who moves the puck”). Wilson also noted questions about his defense in the wake of Rob Blake’s retirement, and what he believes is the unwarranted criticism Niclas Wallin and Kent Huskins have received:

We have got two veteran guys who have won Stanley Cups. They often don’t get the respect they deserve. Kent Huskins and Nick Wallin have both won Stanley Cups for a reason. Both have had to bounce back from injuries, Kent two years ago. Nick Wallin unfortunately got hurt in the last regular season game of the year when he hurt his ankle. These guys are veterans, they have won Stanley Cups in this league. They are big players who know how to play the game. You put all the components together, and that is not even touching on the fact that we have a group of young guys, whether it be Derek Joslin or Nick Petrecki, or Matt Irwin or Justin Braun, or Nick Shaus that can come in and make this team. We have high expectations for them. We have Jay Leach, who is a really good veteran, team guy who did a really good job for us too. That is where we sit today. We have all of our picks in next year’s draft, and we have a lot of things that other teams like too. If we decide we need to add a piece, we have all the assets to be able to do that. It is a long way away from the trading deadline, and a long way away from playoff time next year. We really like where our team is at. Competition is a tremendous motivator for all of these guys coming in. We like where we sit today.

Doug Wilson also talked about the window of opportunity this team has to win a championship with the current pieces in place:

We look at it now like we have a 4 year window with this group of players. The ages they are at, the experiences they have. In sports it is experiential learning. Sometimes you need to be kicked in the butt a little bit… This team left it on the ice last year. That was the difference from the year prior. They had the Olympics last year, you throw that in the mix and the players are coming back feeling … you can build upon it. This group is coming in very mature, very excited, and knowing what it takes.

– Sharks GM Doug Wilson: ‘We Like Our Goaltending Now’ – Susan Slusser for AOL Fanhouse.

– Interesting notes on Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki from the latest issue of The Hockey News. After the starting goaltender went down with a career ending concussion, Antti Niemi got his first big break with the Lahti Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga. Integral to his development was former NHL goaltender, and current owner/coach Pasi Nurminen. As a player, Nurminen was well known for his focus and intensity. “He’s a great guy, but he likes to work hard,” Niemi said of Nurminen to THN. “On the ice he has good tips, but people who know him know he’s a special guy mentally. I learned a lot.”

After the departure of Evgeni Nabokov, the only NHL goaltender to score a power play goal, THN noted that Antero Niittymaki was credited with a game winning shorthanded goal against Hershey in the AHL. He also has a sparkling 17-0-0 career record against the Atlanta Thrashers. The Sharks host Atlanta in the first non-Sweden regular season game of the season on October 16th. It is the only time the two teams will meet in 2010-11.

The Hockey News also reported that since NHL teams started carrying two goaltenders (officially mandated in 1965), no Stanley Cup Champion has seen both of its goaltenders depart before the start of the following season. With Antti Niemi signing a one-year, $2 million contract with the San Jose Sharks, and Cristobal Huet reportedly being loaned to Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss National League, neither of the Blackhawks starting goaltenders in 2009-10 will return.

– Boston Bruins beat writer Fluto Shinzawa touched on Antti Niemi and former Boston University and current Worcester Sharks forward John McCarthy in his weekend notes column – Getting from the crease into the fold is tough.

The late-blooming McCarthy, San Jose’s seventh-round pick in 2006, has been informed that coach Todd McLellan will give him a good look in camp as the Sharks seek to balance out their top-heavy forward crew of Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe, and Devin Setoguchi.

McCarthy earned his audition by turning in a rock-solid first professional season in Worcester. In 74 AHL games last year, he had 15 goals and 27 assists. Even more impressive was McCarthy’s plus-36 rating (heavily influenced by the first-place Sharks’ overall strength) while playing on an energy line with Dan DaSilva and Andrew Desjardins.

“That was good, too, especially because we were, a lot of the time, matched up against the other teams’ top lines, trying to shut them down,’’ McCarthy said. “To have all three of us with really good plus-minuses was a good sign.’’

– Hockey Independent blogger Al Cimaglia takes a look at Chicago Blackhawk recriminations after not being able to re-sign Antti Niemi – The Niemi Blame Game. Cimaglia believes the Blackhawks front office did not value him enough, that Niemi’s agent Bill Zito may have overplayed his hand, that the Sharks may have doubled what Chicago initially intended to pay defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, and that Niemi’s fate was sealed when the decision to keep forward Patrick Sharp was made public earlier this summer. This blog speculated in July that the Hawks may opt to keep Niemi over Sharp.

One item left out of a lot of the discussion. The Sharks opted to bring in Antero Niittymaki and Antti Niemi to offer more of a consistent, high percentage down low butterfly style. Niemi and Niittymaki are going to offer more of a route performance, as well as more size on a night-in and night-out basis. It will be easier for the Sharks defense to adapt to their playing style. One of the strengths, and one of the weaknesses, of former goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was his unpredictable nature in goal.

Late San Jose Sharks goaltending coach Warren Strelow described Nabokov’s style to me as a hybrid style, able to perform whatever type of save was needed given the situation. Other goaltending coaches and experts have described Nabokov’s style as more of a throwback stand-up style. One opposing player noted a scouting report where they were directed to snap a quick shot off at his feet to produce rebounds. At times, Nabokov could be extremely agressive, challenging shooters far out on top of his crease and using a poke check to upset their rythmn.

The Sharks will have adjustments to make with the more traditional butterfly styles of Niemi and Niittymaki, but there is the possibility of a defensive upside. Clearing bodies and pucks from in front of the crease is easier when you have a better expectation for where they will be on a more consistent basis. Antero has already been in San Jose for a few weeks participating in informal scrimmages with many of his teammates. Niemi shutdown the Sharks in four games during the Western Conference Finals in May, and consistent play was one of his strengths. His Blackhawks teammates noted that Niemi carried over that intensity and focus into practices.

The maverick goaltender label now will be on the Chicago Blackhawks. Turco is more than capable of turning in a top-5 or top-10 season talent-wise. Behind the strong Chicago defense and two-way forward corps, he could have one of his best years in 2010-11. But Turco is not Antti Niemi, Turco is not a Nikolai Khabibulin. In this 2008 photo a caught out of position Turco performed a half barrel roll, a front flip to narrowly make a save. Extremely agressive and athletic, at times his desire to play the puck and become a seventh defenseman can work against him.

It can be said, even with the loss of Nabokov and his 43+/wins a year average over the last 3 seasons, that the Sharks may have added a measure of stability in goal. The Blackhawks, adding Turco for the bargain basement price of $1.3 million, are going to have a mesure of instability they did not have en route to their Stanley Cup run last season.

– Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province believes the Detroit Red Wings are the only clear cut favorite in the Western Conference this season: Veteran Detroit Red Wings the ones to beat in West this season.

– As noted by this blog on twitter, Evgeni Nabokov’s KHL debut with SKA St. Petersburg was not a great one. Nabokov allowed 5 goals against as SKA lost to the Latvian Dinamo Riga club 5-4 in overtime in front of 11,902 fans. A rough translation of the game recap is available from Sports Express. ESPN3.com begins its season of KHL broadcasts Sep. 13th with Salavat Yulaev vs. Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

[Update] A look at which players are likely to be getting the closest look as rookie camp opens today – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

[Update2] The Sharks released their new Dany Heatley commercial today. The tag line, Dany Heatley is a lousy pitcher but a great hockey player, continues the theme from last season and included his epic first pitch fail at a Giants game.

Interview with Finnish journalist Risto Pakarinen

Friend of the blog Risto Pakarinen spoke with Sharkspage this week about recently signed Finnish goalie Antti Niemi, Antero Niittymaki, the upcoming NHL Compuware Premiere games in Finland and Sweden, Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray and goaltending prospect Hari Sateri, and which team to look out for in the Swedish Elitserien among other topics.

Risto watched the Pittsburgh Penguins kick off their Stanley Cup season two years ago in Stockholm, watched the Chicago Blackhawks start their Stanley Cup run in Helsinki last year, and he will be covering the Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets visit to Sweden this year.

The Finnish journalist, currently living in Stockholm, authored the 2007 collection of short stories titled Off the Post, and has contributed to NHL.com, the IIHF.com, and The Hockey News among many other media outlets. For more on Risto, visit his blog at ristopakarinen.com.

[Q] What is your reaction to the Sharks signing Niittymaki and moving away from Evgeni Nabokov at the start of free agency this summer?

[RP] I really like Nabokov. I think he is a great goalie. Sometimes the optics can make it easier for you to make certain moves. I think Niittymaki certainly deserves a chance. In the Turin Olympics, with Kiprusoff declining the invitation to the camp and other goalies going down, I think Niittymaki was the third goaltender and he carried the team to the Finals. He took a big paycut going to Tampa Bay. He basically put his career on the line and had a great season which I think proves he can perform under pressure, which is what he absolutely has to do with the Sharks.

[Q] How is the media in Finland and Sweden treating the NHL Compuware Premiere games in Europe. Is it a big media story?

[RP] Everything depends on the teams. Sweden had the Penguins and the Senators. The Senators had Daniel Alfredsson, and the Penguins had Malkin and Crosby, that was an easy sell. Last year they had Detroit with five Swedes, and that was an easy sell. Finland had Florida and Chicago. Florida had Ville Koistinen, he played like what, 20 games last year? The Hawks had Niemi, and he was fighting for a roster spot.

This year Finland gets Minnesota and Carolina. They have Jussi Jokinen, Tuomu Ruutu, Joni Pitkanen, Antti Miettinen and Mikko Koivu. They have five big players there, and they will sell the Finnish games well. This year Stockholm gets the Sharks against the Blue Jackets. There is Douglas Murray, he is not a big name here at all. Over here he went the college route, so he has played maybe 1 World Championships and 1 Olympics for Team Sweden. That has gotten him a little bit of name recognition over here. He is the grandson of Lasse Bjorn, but he is not a Sundin or a Forsberg, or even a Lundqvist. So for ticket sales, they still have Joe Thornton and some of the other big guys on the Sharks, and Douglas Murray, but it is a tougher sell. Who does Columbus have? Fredrik Modin just signed with Atlanta.

The end of last week they said there are still tickets left for the games, and they are actually putting them on sale. It is not sold out.

[Q] What are your thoughts on the Sharks signing Antti Niemi. Some people have said the Sharks made an offer sheet to Niklas Hjalmarsson to pressure the Hawks salary cap situation to free up Niemi, something GM Doug Wilson has denied.

[RP] I don’t think there was a plan, Marty Turco taking $1.3M, really hurt Niemi. He made $826K last season, and then they win a Stanley Cup. Obviously the guy expects a raise. He basically had between $826k and $1.3M to negotiate with. I am positive the Hawks had Marty Turco in their back pocket.

Antti Niemi has his arbitration at the end of July. He was hurt by the dates, and he was hurt by the fact that Marty Turco was waiting. I think he was NHL or bust. He came over there, it was late in his career coming over, he was around 26. I think it was his dream to play in the NHL (and not to return to the Finnish SM-liiga).

Niemi is a real quiet guy, a real low profile guy. He just had a small thing for his day with the Stanley Cup in Finland, and then he just partied.

[Q] Antero Niittymaki seems to be a low profile, easy going type of individual too. How do you see Niemi and Niittymaki operating in tandem?

[RP] I think they will get along. The little bit I have talked to Antti Niemi, he is so down to earth. I am sure it will be a good tandem because I think they can actually let the better guy play.

Niemi has gotten a lot better, his development has improved in the last 5 years. He really learned a lot with Pasi Nurminen in the Finnish league. When the former NHL goaltender Nurminen came back from Atlanta, I think he became the majority owner of the (SM-liiga) Lahti Pelicans. He is like the owner/coach/goalie coach of the team. I think Niemi’s 2-3 years there were big. That is when he made his big breakthrough on the Finnish national team. His style, he has a good hockey sense, he reads the game well. He is calm to the point of being boring. Sometimes you want to see the flashy saves, but the goalies know if you had to make that one highlight reel save, you made a mistake. You don’t want those.

I think Niemi and Niittymaki are both solid. Niittymaki had an offer from the KHL, apparently for a lot more money than he got the previous year, and then with the offers this year to get back on track. That is why I was pleased with his signing with the Sharks. It was such a gamble, such a bold move that he made.

[Q] And it may pay off big this year?

[RP] Yes.

[Q] What are your thoughts of San Jose Sharks 2008 fourth round draft pick Harri Sateri, who has played for Tappara Tampere in the SM-liiga in Finland? Will he likely return there next season? There are some people who think he is the Sharks top goaltending prospect in the organization, and this is the same team who had a rookie lead the AHL in wins last year (Alex Stalock).

[RP] I think he is going to play in Finland for another year probably. His Finnish team said something along those lines. He’ll go to the camp, but then he will be back. That is what his contract says that he can go back to Finland if he is not on an NHL team. I think the understanding is that he will go to camp, and then not go back to the AHL. He will go back to Finland and come back next year.

[Q] Is there an NHL player you could compare him to?

[RP] I was helping Rocky Bonanno write a fantasy article on up-and-coming international players for NHL.com, and there was a line about comparable players. I deleted all those lines, because if I said someone was the next Sundin, it might not happen.

[Q] Is San Jose on the radar for Finland?

[RP] Now it is big time. Finnish people follow Finnish players.

[Q] What team should fans keep an eye out for in the Swedish Elitserien (SEL) this season?

[RP] HV-71. They are the reigning champions, they have a good team and really good young players for 3 years now. They have Martin Thörnberg, they are fast and they are skilled. They have a solid core of Johan Davidsson, who played with the Ducks. (Jonathan Cheechoo played for HV-71 during the NHL lockout. Defenseman Daniel Rahimi, who was part of the August 2009 Sharks trade with Vancouver for Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lucowich, played with HV-71 last season).

[Q] Is the KHL much competition for the SM-liiga in Finland, and the Swedish Elitserien, it seems like they pull a lot more players from Europe than from the NHL?

[RP] Absolutely. It is the money. I may be off by a few players, but I think there are like 30 players from Finland this year in the KHL, and there are maybe 40 from Sweden.

Sharks and Comcast Sportsnet California release 2010-11 schedule

The San Jose Sharks and Comcast Sportsnet California released the 2010-11 NHL broadcast schedule today. On tap for this season are television broadcasts for 81 of the Sharks 82 regular seasons games, including the CSNCA premiere for the NHL Compuware game featuring the Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets October 9th at the Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Play-by-play broadcaster Randy Hahn and color commentator Drew Remenda will return to call the action, and Comcast will offer live pre and post-game shows featuring Brett Hedican, Ray Ratto and others to break down the action.

The full San Jose Sharks schedule for Comcast Sportsnet California and Versus:

2010-11 SAN JOSE SHARKS SCHEDULE
COMCAST SPORTSNET CALIFORNIA/VERSUS

OCTOBER:

OCT-8 FRI, @Columbus*, Noon (VERSUS)
OCT-9 Sat, COLUMBUS*, Noon (CSNCA-HD)
OCT-16 SAT, ATLANTA, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
OCT-19 TUE, CAROLINA, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
OCT-21 Thu, @Colorado, 6 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
OCT-23 Sat, @Edmonton, 7 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
OCT-24 Sun, @Calgary, 5 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
OCT-27 WED, NEW JERSEY, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
OCT-30 SAT, ANAHEIM, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)

NOVEMBER:

NOV-2 Tue, @Minnesota, 5 p.m. (VERSUS)
NOV-4 Thu, @St. Louis, 5 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-6 SAT, TAMPA BAY, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-9 TUE, ANAHEIM, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-11 THU, NY ISLANDERS, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-13 SAT, CALGARY, 7:00 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-15 MON, LOS ANGELES, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-17 Wed, @Colorado, 6 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-18 Thu, @Dallas, 5:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-20 SAT, COLUMBUS, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-24 WED, CHICAGO, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-26 Fri, @Vancouver, 7 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-27 Sat, @Edmonton, 7 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
NOV-30 TUE, DETROIT, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)

DECEMBER:

DEC-2 Thu, @Ottawa, 4:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-4 Sat, @Montreal, 11 a.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-6 Mon, @Detroit, 4:30 p.m. (VERSUS)
DEC-8 Wed, @Philadelphia, 4 p.m. (VERSUS)
DEC-9 Thu, @Buffalo, 4 p.m.
DEC-11 SAT, CHICAGO, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-13 MON, DALLAS, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-15 Wed, @Nashville, 5 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-16 Thu, @Dallas, 5:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-18 Sat, @St. Louis, 5 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-21 TUE, EDMONTON, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-23 THU, PHOENIX, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-27 MON, LOS ANGELES, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-29 Wed, @Minnesota, 5 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
DEC-30 Thu, @Chicago, 5:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)

JANUARY:

JAN-1 SAT, @Los Angeles, 6 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-3 MON, VANCOUVER, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-6 THU, BUFFALO, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-8 SAT, NASHVILLE, 5 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-9 Sun, @Anaheim, 5 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-11 TUE, TORONTO, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-13 THU, EDMONTON, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-15 SAT, ST. LOUIS, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-17 Mon, @Phoenix, 1 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-20 Thu, @Vancouver, 7 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-22 SAT, MINNESOTA, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
JAN-26 Wed, @Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)

Jan. 29-31 All Star Weekend in Carolina

FEBRUARY:

FEB-1 TUE, PHOENIX, 7:00 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-2 Wed, @Anaheim, 7 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-5 Sat, @Boston, 10 a.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-8 Tue, @Washington, 4 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-9 Wed, @Columbus, 4 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-11 Fri, @New Jersey, 4 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-13 Sun, @Florida, 2 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-15 Tue, @Nashville, 5 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-17 THU, WASHINGTON, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-19 SAT, COLORADO, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-22 Tue, @Detroit, 4 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-23 Wed, @Pittsburgh, 4:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
FEB-25 Fri, @Calgary, 6 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)

MARCH:

MAR-1 TUE, COLORADO, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-3 THU, DETROIT, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-5 SAT, DALLAS, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-8 TUE, NASHVILLE, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-10 THU, VANCOUVER, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-12 SAT, NY RANGERS, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-14 Mon, @Chicago, 5 p.m. (VERSUS)
MAR-15 Tue, @Dallas, 5:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-17 THU, MINNESOTA, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-19 SAT, ST. LOUIS, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-23 WED, CALGARY, 7:00 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-24 Thu, @Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-26 Sat, @Phoenix, 6 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
MAR-31 THU, DALLAS, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)

APRIL:

APR-2 SAT, ANAHEIM, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA+)
APR-4 MON, LOS ANGELES, 7 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
APR-6 Wed, @Anaheim, 7 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)
APR-8 Fri, @Phoenix, 7 p.m. (CSNCA+)
APR-9 SAT, PHOENIX, 7:30 p.m. (CSNCA-HD)

Bold = home game
*game in Stockholm, Sweden
Dates and Times subject to change

[Update] 2010-11 Versus NHL Schedule – Versus.com.

[Update2] NHL National TV Schedule By Team – Steve Lepore for Puck The Media.

DOH Podcast #114: Randy Hahn interview, Antti Niemi, Greg Jamison, Joe Thornton as next captain?

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2010_0908.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana interview San Jose Sharks television play-by-play broadcaster Randy Hahn, discuss the addition of Stanley Cup winning goaltender Antti Niemi, whether Joe Thornton would be best suited to be the next Sharks captain, which NHL favorites will rely most on propsects in 2010-11, and the surprise departure of team president and CEO Greg Jamison on the 114th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team, watch a portion of the podcast on youtube, or download the MP3 file directly here.

Sharks confirm Antti Niemi signing, San Jose will have a crowded crease heading into training camp

SHARKS CONFIRM SIGNING OF CUP WINNING GOALTENDER ANTTI NIEMI

NIEMI REPORTEDLY SIGNED 1YR/$2M DEAL WITH SAN JOSE

The San Jose Sharks confirmed reports this morning that Stanley Cup winning goaltender Antti Niemi signed a one-year contract with the team. Niemi registered a 16-6 playoff record in a phenomenal run to the Finals, a run where he outlasted the second best NHL offense in Vancouver, and shut down the Sharks en route to a 4-game sweep in the Western Conference Finals. After earning a $2.75 million award in salary arbitration, the salary cap strapped Chicago Blackhawks opted to go with a bargain basement contract for Marty Turco instead of re-upping Niemi.

“We liked our goaltending yesterday and we like it even more today,” San Jose Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson said in a conference call. “When a player like this comes available and wants to join your team, and you don’t have to give up any assets, you have to make it happen.” Wilson jumped at adding fellow Finn Antero Niittymaki on the first day of free agency, and the addition of Antti Niemi gives the Sharks more of a tandem in goal instead of the workhorse effort Evgeni Nabokov provided in recent seasons.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Niemi registered a 26-7-4 record for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2009-10 regular season, posting a .912SV%, 2.25GAA and 7 shutouts. The 27-year old beat out Corey Crawford for the backup position early, then surpassed starter Cristobal Huet as the year progressed. After January, Niemi appeared in 21 of the Blackhawks final 27 games (78%), and started 19 of them.

Niemi joins a long list of players in a salary cap exodus out of Chicago. The Stanley Cup winning Blackhawks have seen the departure of Antti Niemi, Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, John Madden, Brent Sopel, Colin Fraser, Ben Eager and Adam Burish from their championship roster this offseason. The Sharks will host Chicago in San Jose on November 24th and December 11th, and visit Chicago at the United Center on December 30th and March 14th.

“”It’s going to be the most exciting games of the regular season next year… It’s going to be weird because I used to play for the Blackhawks,” the understated Niemi said during a conference call.

[Update] Eenie, meenie, miney — Niittymaki, Greiss have different reactions to Niemi’s arrival – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

San Jose Sharks President/CEO Greg Jamison steps down, but does not retire

GREG JAMISON STEPPED DOWN AS PRESIDENT/CEO OF SAN JOSE SHARKS

AFTER 17 YEARS, G.J. WILL REMAIN AS GOVENOR/OWNER/EXEC COMMITTEE

In a surprise announcement Wednesday Greg Jamison announced that he was stepping down as President and CEO of the San Jose Sharks. After 17 years with the franchise and 14 and a half years running the day-to-day operations, Jamison decided to take a reduced role with the team and explore opportunities outside of hockey.

“It is a great time for me to step away from being CEO of the franchise, and taking some time to do other things,” Jamison said at an informal press conference. After recently turning 60, he said that he wanted to slow down. “I turned 60, I feel 40, I look 80,” he said.

Jamison has been a fixture for the San Jose Sharks, succeeding the late Art Savage as President and CEO under owner George Gund, and leading the transition for the team under new majority owner Kevin Compton and SVSE. An intelligent and lighthearted face of the ownership group, Jamison presided over on and off-ice turnarounds that have made the Sharks one of the rising teams in the NHL and the Bay Area.

In a November 2009 article for Forbes, Peter J. Schwartz said “the Sharks are looking like one of the best-managed teams in the sport.” In the hockey department, the team earned a league-wide reputation for quality and thoroughness from the bottom up. Without the television dollars and revenue sharing other leagues enjoy, the Sharks and SVSE helped turn HP Pavilion into a top 5 event destination, invested in local ice hockey rinks, the Strikeforce MMA promotion, tennis tournaments, and successful merchandising and publishing arms.

The hockey operations still finished in the red according to Jamison yesterday in David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog, but the team may be as close to profitability in 2009-10 and 2010-11 as it has been in the 12 year history of this blog. Add in the revenue from ancillary businesses, and the alleged 20% increase in the franchise valuation (according to Forbes in 2009), and the Sharks are on the path to sustainability in the South Bay. For an NHL franchise, that is a significant accomplishment.

Another significant accomplishment for the San Jose Sharks under Greg Jamison is the transformation of San Jose from a non-traditional hockey market into a strong hockey market. “I am excited about the ice centers and how many are playing hockey in this non-traditional hockey market, which I think has become a pretty strong traditional market,” Jamison said Wednesday. The Sharks manage an umbrella of local rinks in San Jose, Fremont, and Oakland, and are working on approval for a 4-rink facility in Pleasanton. Hockey clinics, the influx of youth hockey leagues and tournaments, college club hockey, high school and women’s hockey leagues have all spurred the growth of hockey at a grass roots level in the Bay Area.

“Without being overly effusive, we care,” Jamison said. “We have had an enjoyable time here.”

The former President/CEO said he made his decision about 3-4 weeks ago, and made his decision known to the executive group 2 weeks ago. He noted that in the interim, EVP/GM Doug Wilson will speak for the franchise, and EVP/PBD Malcom Bordelon will oversee the business side of operations. Jamison said the process to find a successor will be handled at the ownership level, and that he will not have a problem stepping aside and letting the new leadership operate with full authority.

“If the word retirement were to come up, I don’t think I am looking at this as a retirement,” Jamison said. “I am looking at this as stepping away from my current role.” He noted that he will remain the Sharks representative on the NHL Board of Govenors, he will remain a member of the 10-man NHL Executive Committee, and he will also remain a minority owner. He speculated that he may take a role as President of the Sharks Foundation charity, or possibly work in education. With the possibility of another labor issue arising in 2 years, Jamison noted “I have been there through two of those (lockouts), maybe I can help.”

Others speculated that with his previous background with the Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks, he could be planning a move to the Golden State Warriors after the approval of new owner Joe Lacob is finalized. “That did not enter into the thinking. I know Joe Lacob, but I haven’t talked to Joe and I don’t have any anticipation of talking to him,” Jamison told David Pollak of the Mercury News Wednesday.

The Sharks noted a 530-377-155 record under his tenure, but Jamison’s impact is honestly hard to quantify for downtown San Jose. CSNBA is using a Jamison photo from this blog on their Jamison report, but it is a photo taken at one of the low points in franchise history. Jamison had to announce the reduction of employees at HP Pavilion, and that the entire 2004-05 NHL season would be cancelled. It was a somber, sullen affair. Wednesday was the opposite. There was a tinge of sadness, but a lot of pride at what has been accomplished at HP Pavilion and in the community.

“I understand completely how life works. It will be Greg who in two weeks, that is really ok,” Jamison said. This blog is going to use a photo from an Oakland hockey clinic with Willie O’Ree, and create a button for the Sharks Foundation in Greg Jamison’s honor that will appear on almost every page of this site. A small tribute for an owner that has left his mark on the NHL and the Bay Area.

In a final question at yesterday’s press conference, one reporter asked Jamison what he remembers on the ice during his tenure. “April 94, Baker and his goal in Detroit,” Jamison said. He also mentioned hearing from someone who ran into Johan Garpenlov in Sweden. “I still remember. He shoots, he scores, no he hit the post. I still remember that twang.” It was a gut punch to come that close to eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round. It was the San Jose Sharks “tuck rule” equivalent. Jamison said he hopes he can be in the arena when the Sharks make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, something he believes will happen in the very near future.

[Update] Sharks President and CEO Greg Jamison Stepping Away from Day-to-Day Operations of Franchise – SJsharks.com.

[Update2] Letter from the President Greg Jamison – SJsharks.com.

[Update3] Sharkspage asked GM/EVP Doug Wilson about the leadership of Greg Jamison:

“I have such great respect for him as a man. What he has really done is set the standard for all of us in the organization, being involved in the community. I was raised by a great saying, ‘you make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give.’ Greg really epitomizes that. He has impacted all of our lives. He has shown us how to treat people during certain situations. It is a time to celebrate what he has done here because he set a standard and many of us will try to continue that standard.”

DOH Podcast #113: Willie Mitchell signs with LA, Sharks goaltending prospects, surprise player for 2010-11

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2010_0901.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana discuss defenseman Willie Mitchell signing with the Los Angeles Kings, weigh the goaltending prospects in the Sharks development system, create a list of the top 5 prospects, discuss the hockey culture in San Jose, and pick a surprise player that could make the Sharks NHL roster out of training camp on the 113th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team, watch a portion of the podcast on youtube, or download the MP3 file directly here.