SHARKSPAGE

Stockton Thunder and San Jose Sharks affiliation is a boost for hockey in Northern California

ECHL STOCKTON ANNOUNCED EDMONTON, SAN JOSE AFFILIATIONS ON MONDAY

STOCKTON EARNED 4 STRAIGHT ECHL ATTENDANCE TITLES 1ST 4 SEASONS

This summer has seen a number of major changes for the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. The Thunder announced a new co-affiliation agreement with the San Jose Sharks on Monday, along with a 1-year renewal of their 4-year affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers. In April the ECHL’s board of govenors approved the sale of the team from Michael Reinsdorf’s ownership group to one lead by Alberta-born oil executive Brad Rowbotham. The arrangment may give Stockton, a West Conference Finalist in the Kelly Cup Playoffs last season, a leg up on the rest of the ECHL. The arrangement also officially allows for the cross pollination of Stockton Thunder and San Jose Sharks fans in Northern California, something that was already commonplace.

Edmonton has exceeded all expectations as an NHL affiliate. Stockton has seen 7 Oilers prospects advance to play in the NHL: 6-foot-6 goaltender Devan Dubnyk, Liam Reddox, 2005 Islanders first round draft pick Ryan O’Marra, defenseman Bryan Young (who suited up for Oilers against the Sharks at the Tank), Tim Sesito, current Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Bodie and Colin McDonald. The Oilers actively work with Stockton on player development, and periodically send coaches to visit the team during the season.

San Jose has quietly developed into one of the premiere top to bottom organizations in the NHL. San Jose Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson is straightforward and thorough, and that carries down to his work at the AHL, ECHL and development levels. During Monday’s press conference, Wilson noted that the Sharks have been working on this affiliation for more than a year. “On all fronts this makes a lot of sense,” Wilson said via phone while traveling with his son to Sweden. “We tried to put it in place last year.” The Sharks were the most active team with regards to AHL callups last year, most active by a wide margin. In January the Sharks created an informal working relationship with Stockton that allowed rookie defenseman Jason Demers to practice 80 miles away in Stockton, instead of flying over 2600 miles back to the NorthEast on the “Worcester Shuttle”.

San Jose Sharks assistant GM/VP Wayne Thomas said the decision to work with Stockton came down to three factors, a stable professional organization, a place where hockey is important in the community, and the trust they have in a coaching staff. Stockton is a city that has its share of rough edges, but the Stockton Arena and Thunder hockey team, along with the adjoining single A ballpark and new hotel, are the centerpieces for downtown revitalization efforts. In Northern California, you can count the number of teams with hockey as one of the centerpieces of revitalization efforts on two fingers, San Jose and Stockton. The central valley is more of a rural atmosphere, but very sports oriented. Fans have supported the Thunder in droves, helping Stockton earn 4 straight ECHL attendance titles in their first 4 seasons. This year Stockton finished third in regular season attendance (behind LA’s southern California affiliate in Ontario), and second in playoff attendance.

As to the coaching staff in Stockton, represented at the press conference by head coach Matt Thomas and assistant coach Matt O’Dette, the Sharks have more than enough confidence that any player assigned to Stockton will be treated properly. The Sharks worked with Thomas when he was the head coach off the San Jose affiliated Fresno Falcons, and he brings with him consistent playoff credentials. The Thunder head coach said that the dual affiliation will probably lead to a younger team with more NHL contracted players, but he also noted that there will be fewer announcments made this summer. A number of decisions may be made after the 5-team NHL rookie tournament held in British Columbia, at which the Sharks and Oilers will both participate. Thomas also said that many decisions will not be made until after the AHL rosters are set.

From the San Jose Sharks perspective, history would suggest that an ECHL affiliation may result in one NHL contracted player being assigned. Given the importance of developing high caliber starting goaltending, NHL teams have zero’d in on the ECHL to prepare netminders for the professional game. The Sharks have seen a number of moves from Doug Wilson to advance his team, from draft day deals to stock the development shelves, to offer sheets, to dipping into a pool of collegiate and European free agents. The Sharks affiliation with Stockton may open up a new front in the development of new players. Wilson noted that with 8 new draft picks and 4 recently signed collegiate free agents, more young prospects may be assigned to Stockton.

“I think the beauty of this relationship is that we are flush with young players,” Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson said. “We had the youngest team in Worcester last year.” There may be one NHL contracted goaltender from Edmonton and San Jose assigned to Stockton according to head coach Matt Thomas, but that may only be the start. “We will get players for different reasons, high skill players looking for more minutes.” Add to that player development, injury rehabilitations, possibly salary cap maneuvers among other reasons.

Six straight postseason appearances, and back-to-back Western Conference regular season championships have dropped the Sharks down the NHL entry draft ladder. As a result, the Sharks are forced to select players a little farther out in the development process. Assigning a prospect to Stockton makes sense. It is easier to monitor their development, and the more time San Jose Sharks strength and conditioning coach Mike Potenza has to get his hands on a player, the more prepared they are going to be for the rigors of the pro game. Two examples of at the NHL level of success built in part on physical conditioning, Joe Pavelski and Evgeni Nabokov. If players can start at a level closer to where they need to be, they will be more successful. “It doesn’t matter where you start, it is where you finish,” Doug Wilson said.

For his part, new owner Brad Rowbotham instantly ingratiated himself with Stockton Thunder fans during a July Q-and-A when he answered a question about the tenure of the team in Stockton. “I want the team to stay here for decades,” he said. With a strong fan base and a solid coaching staff, what kind of team identity does Rowbotham want his team to have on the ice, and in the community? “We want the Thunder to be recognized as a first class organization that represents the people of Stockton and San Joaquin County in a manner they can be proud of,” Rowbotham told Sharkspage. “On the ice we continue to show we are hard working team that goes all out every night.”

Co-affiliation agreements with two NHL teams prepared to develop players at the AHL and ECHL levels also could signal increased exposure for the ‘AA’ hockey league. “The two affiliation agreements means we will be able to provide more of the best young, talented, hard working, professional players to the fans. It is another step forward in our efforts to win the Kelly Cup.” For the NHL, having a number one draft pick carries a cache and a marketing value that helps drive interest in a team. For the ECHL, that kind of cache and weight comes from having a NHL prospect. Stockton Thunder head coach Matt Thomas noted that, while crediting the work of his veterans, sometimes an NHL contracted prospect has a little more of a hunger and drive to advance up the food chain. “A little more of the carrot in front of him,” Thomas said. Stockton Thunder owner Brad Rowbotham sees that link in the development process as well. “Stockton is a great city and organization for professional players to focus on developing their hockey skills, which will help achieve the players’ goals of reaching the Sharks and Oilers organizations,” he said.

Monday’s press conference finished with a question asking about a potential NHL exhibition game between San Jose and Edmonton that could be held at Stockton Arena. Sharks assistant GM/VP Wayne Thomas said he would not have a problem with such an exhibition “it would be exciting”, and noted that due to adjustments to a previous NHL schedule there was a team that owed them a game in the preseason. This year the Sharks will start the 2010-11 regular season with a pair of games against the Ken Hitchcock-less Columbus Blue Jackets in Stockholm, Sweden. There could also be a preseason scrimmage between the Sharks and the Thunder, two teams less than 80 miles apart. In the past, the Sharks have even had a double-header between rookie teams preceeding a preseason game, as well as hosting the Oilers then-AHL affiliate Edmonton Roadrunners against San Jose’s then-affiliate Cleveland Barons at HP Pavilion during the NHL lockout. None of these suggestions are anywhere near being formalized, but there are a number of interesting twists the co-affiliation arrangement can take, and the cost of a bus ride to San Jose is far less prohibitive.

[Update] Thunder renews flourishing relationship with Oilers, aligns with prestigious Northern California neighbor Sharks for 2010-11 season – StocktonThunder.com.

[Update2] Oilers, Sharks commit to developing a winner – Stockton Record.

San Jose Sharks join Edmonton Oilers as co-affiliates for ECHL Stockton Thunder, press conference transcript

#31 BRYAN PITTON MADE 49 SAVES IN 2010 3-OT CONFERENCE FINAL GM3

STOCKTON/SAN JOSE/EDMONTON Press Conference
Monday, August 2nd, Stockon Arena

Press conference video part 1
Press conference video part 2
Press conference video part 3

A transcript from the press conference:

Stockton Thunder President Dan Champan

Matt (Thomas) and I worked together for the last several weeks putting this together, he is really the guy who dotted the T’s and crossed the I’s and worked hard with both of these organizations to get this done.

We are great partners with the Oilers, and are happy to have them back on board for a fifth consecutive season. They are committed and dedicated to the development of their young players while at the same time committed and dedicated to understanding the importance of trying to help us put a winning team on the ice. Whenever Matt, or I, or anyone else in the organization asked Edmonton for help, whether it was needing scoring, needing defense, needing goaltending, they are always very, very receptive to our needs. That doesn’t mean we are going to get that guy tomorrow, or in a week, but rest assured we know they are always ready, willing and listenting to the requests we make. We are certainly happy to have them back on board.

As for the San Jose Sharks, what can you say about them other than the fact that they have been at or near the top of the National Hockey League for the last decade or so. We are very, very happy to have them on board as well. Geographically it makes a lot of sense. There is a lot of synergy that can go on between our two organizations, not only on the ice, but off the ice in the areas of marketing, promotions. There are a lot of Sharks and Thunder fans between here and HP Pavilion Arena that can now go back and forth, and see both teams play.

Stockton Thunder head coach Matt Thomas

I think the important thing for us going into this offseason was that we got the Edmonton deal solidified for next season… One thing that has been a huge benefit to the Stockton Thunder has been the Edmonton Oilers. I don’t think there are many ECHL teams that can boast seven players that have played in the ECHL and played in the National Hockey League in the last 5 years. I think it is certainly something special that a lot of ECHL teams don’t get to experience, and we have got to experience that with Edmonton. My first order of business this offseason was to get on the phone with Rick (Olczyk) and make sure we can hammer that out.

With that said, making sure that was in place, with the Oilers blessing we thought it would be a huge benefit to us, and from my standpoint on the ice, to get another team on board with the San Jose Sharks. I think you are looking at a kid growing up loving hockey, there wasn’t a team as good as the Edmonton Oilers to watch, to see all these great players, from Gretzky, to Messier, to Lowe, to Charlie Huddy. All the great players that came through that organization. Like Dan alluded to, now having a relationship with the San Jose Sharks, who argueable have been the best team in the National Hockey League the last five seasons.

We have got two of the great organizations we can say are part of the family. For me, the one thing I really want to try to accomplish with getting this done, I think we are that close to winning a championship. I think last year being 2 wins away from a chance to be in the Finals, I think we needed a little bit of a push. What contracted players due from NHL organizations… these guys have the carrot a little bit more right in front of them. That is important from a motivation standpoint. When you got a lot of players that are a part of these organizations, and there is a true opportunity to move up and play in the National Hockey League, and they are seeing it happen and also having our players that are on ECHL contracts seeing that they are not that far off from that player that they are with. It gives you that little push over the edge. I think that is what we need.

Obviously a lot of things need to happen for you to win a championship. I think these two relationships together are going to give us a huge push in that direction. I am really looking forward to getting an opportunity to work with some of these prospects. It is a fun thing for a coach, myself and (assistant coach) Matt O’Dette to work with the young guys who are hungry and really want to move up. We are looking forward to it, and I want to thank both organizations for making this happen. I know it is going to be a very happy marriage.

Edmonton Oilers assistant GM Rick Olczyk

It is a pleasure to be here on behalf of Rexall Sports Corp. I would like to thank the Stockton Thunder, and in particular Dan Chapman and of course Matt Thomas for continuing our relationship. We have really enjoyed it over the last 4 years. We are looking forward to our fifth year upcoming here. It has been very professional, treating our players any time we have had our prospects come down and play here. We have had some good ones come through here as you remember, Devan Dubnyk, Liam Reddox, Ryan O’Marra (as well as Bryan Young 06-07, Tim Sesito 08-09, Troy Bodie 08-09, Colin McDonald 09-10), and other guys that have had an opportunity to play in the show. It is what any hockey player aspires to, to play in the big dance, to play in the National Hockey League.

We know when we put players down here in Stockton, first of all we know there is a great fan base. It is something exciting to see. I will tell you, you outshite a lot of the AHL buildings in terms of the excitement. It is really great to see. Some would argue, some of the nights in the National Hockey League. Keep that going, keep that intensity, keep that passion going here. I know our players, we have the utmost confidence and respect for Matt Thomas and what he does. How he reacts to callups, and any time we have to send a player down here to Stockton. Two things that we emphasize in our organization is development and winning. Certainly Matt instills both of those principles on a daily basis. We certainly appreciate that, that is why we want to continue that relationship here in Stockton.

With the San Jose Sharks, I think it is a no-brainer for us. We have had a long relationship with Doug Wilson for a number of years. I have the utmost admiration and respect for him as a person first and formost, but certainly as a hockey executive as well. We just think this will be a great fit, a natural fit. This kind of piggybacks with our rookie tournament in Penticton, British Columbia with a couple of those other California teams which we won’t mention.

It should be great, we are really looking forward to this. We think this will be great for the city of Stockton, and certainly for both organizations the Edmonton Oilers and the San Jose Sharks.

San Jose Sharks GM/EVP Doug Wilson

Thanks very much, because I know how much work has gone into getting us to this point. All I can say to start off is that we are really excited to have a partnership with the Stockton Thunder as our ECHL affiliate. The Thunder have really fostered a great tradition of success on and off the ice, and for us it makes perfect sense for our franchise. I think we are located right around 80 miles apart as we enter this mutually beneficial relationship. I think I have to appreciate and thank Stockton chairman and owner Brad Rowbotham, president Dan Chapman, and certainly head coach Matt Thomas, who we have worked with and enjoyed a great relationship with for a long time.

We feel really comfortable with our players playing, learning and experiencing success under Matt. I think it is appropriate that I follow Ricky Olczyk because we want to thank the Edmonton Oilers organization. We look forward to working with them to bring a Kelly Cup to the city of Stockton. I can’t say how much respect I have in particular for (Edmonton Oilers GM) Steve Tamballeni and Rick Olczyk. I have known Ricky for a long time, and know the work he put into this. The partnership that we are trying to create here is to try to benefit all parties involved, but in particular to have a team that can win a championship. To bring a Kelly Cup to Stockton would be a great accomplishment for all of us.

To me it is a really exciting time for our organization, for Edmonton’s organization which Rick mentioned we are going to compete in a rookie tournament coming up in September. That is just the starting point of this relationship.

San Jose Sharks Assistant GM/VP Wayne Thomas

Personally I am excited with the partnership with the Thunder and the Oilers, but particularly to be back working with Matt Thomas. I think we look at partnering with an ECHL affiliate, there is three real things we look at, a stable professional organization, which Stockton has certainly proven to be a great partner for the last 4 going on 4 years with the Oilers, they have a proven history there. We also look for a place where hockey is important in the community. The response the fans have given to the Thunder the last 5 years, they are making a lot of people in minor league hockey happy. It is a great spot. There have been kids that have played there who have been through our organization and have had nothing but great things to say not only about how they are treated by the team, but also how they are treated in the community. The third thing is to entrust your players to a coach. Matt has done a great job in the past and present with our people, we are looking forward to working with him again.

It is a no-brainer. I am excited to work with the people over there, and like Doug said we are 80 miles away. That is an asset for us, to be able to see our kids play.

San Jose Sharks radio play-by-play host Dan Rusanowsky

It is a great pleasure to be here. I would be remiss if I didn’t talk for a moment about my background in minor pro sports. I spent 5 years in the American Hockey League in New Haven, and understand the relationship very closely between the affiliate team and the team in the National Hockey League. I have to say we have been watching the way the Stockton Thunder and Edmonton Oilers have been here in Stockton the last few years. It is really great to see people like Devan Dubnyk, Liam Reddox and some of the other players that have skated here get to the NHL. It shows a track record, it shows a professionalism, and that of course is a credit to Dan Chapman, Brad, Matt and everybody here in Stockton.

It also goes back to the fans. To those fans maybe checking us out on the internet, it gets back to you, the fact that you are so passionate, the fact that you love the game of hockey. Wayne Thomas talked about. The fact that there is a crossover between this area, and the fact that there are so many people coming to HP Pavilion to see the Sharks play. We see that on the radio, listening in on AM970 ESPN Radio that is our affiliate in this area, also in Sacramento. We have a lot of listeners that tell us they are tuning in. Also we see some zip codes from this area pick up a little bit when the Sharks play the Edmonton Oilers. What a surprise that might be. I think that is great. We think that is special, that rivalry on the ice is accentuated by the work the Sharks and the Oilers will do together to try to develop players. Development is the key to winning. The fact of the matter is, without those future players you are not going to have a present.

I think that people in Stockton are doing a great service to hockey by being so passionate. Dan runs a very professional organization here. You have a great training staff, a fact that often gets overlooked. The fact that our training staff can trust the people here and understand that if they are working with one of our players they are going to get top quality attention. Those are little things that really add up a great success for the organization.

What it also comes down to is that there is a winning tradition here, a love and support for the game. The San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers are proud to be working with the Stockton Thunder, and we hope to do so for a long time.

Born to Fight XI Amateur MMA a hit this Sunday at the Saddlerack in Fremont

6-YR OLD JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ, 8-YR OLD ADAM ARENAS JR MUAYTHAI EXHIBITION

AKA SAN JOSE'S EDUARDO CARILLO TRIES TO LOCK IN A CHOKE

700 FANS SHOWED UP FOR 9 AMATEUR MMA BOUTS IN FREMONT

The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) legalized amateur MMA in 2009, then designated the newly formed California Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Organization (CAMO) to regulate amateur MMA in California. This Sunday at the Saddlerack bar in Fremont former Strikeforce Middleweight champion and owner of Universal Strength Headquarters Cung Le and former ISKA Champion and owner of American Kickboxing Academy Javier Mendez promoted 9 amateur MMA fights and one jr. Muaythai kickboxing exhibition as part of the long running south bay Born to Fight series.

The line outside the door Sunday wrapped around the parking lot. Several hundred fans were turned away when the capacity limit of 700 was reached. What those fans missed at Born to Fight XI was one of the most polished and entertaining amateur fightsport events put on in the Bay Area. How many smaller promotions have 3 large screens broadcasting action inside the ring, multiple bars, and a VIP section large enough to house Cung Le, Josh Thomson, Gilbert Melendez, Cain Velasquez, Herschel Walker (seen here breakdancing in the ring), Justin Wilcox, Jon Fitch and Trevor Prangley among several others.

This is amateur MMA, so there were fighters tumbling through the ropes, and a power double leg by John “Cali” Davis drove Felix Guel into the ropes hard enough to collapse the ring and force a 15-minute delay. The hiccups and unusual venue aside, fans came to see the fights, and the action inside the ring was spectacular.

The highlight of the night came with American Kickboxing Academy San Jose’s John “Cali” Davis facing Norcal Fight Factory’s Felix Guel. After jockeying against the ropes for position, “Cali” picked up a large Guel and drove him across the ring into the far ropes. Each of the four corners of the ring buckled, and the referee quickly stepped in to pause the fight. After a 15 minute delay which both fighters took in stride (and CSAC’s new heavyweight referee Monte tested the ropes), “Cali” picked up where he left off and quickly scored another takedown. Felix Guel expertly got his legs in front of him to blunt a portion of the whithering ground and pound.

It looked like the second round would proceed in a similar fashion after “Cali” dropped Guel with a big right hand. Guel swept to top control, but “Cali” powered his way back to his feet. Bigger fighters often have a problem maintaining cardio, in the amateur ranks even moreso. “Cali” began to wear down in the middle of the second. Guel was working hard on top for a choke or an arm, but he was swept and John Davis nearly finished the fight with heavy, heavy ground and pound. A contingent from Davis’ church were in attendance and vocal ringside supporting their fighter.

The pace slowed slightly in the third, as Davis weared Guel down in the corner with knees to the midsection. Davis had to double clutch in order not to land knees to the head, against the rules in California amateur MMA but fundamental in muaythai training. He took Guel down and methodically worked to full mount. For the third straight round, he attempted to finish the fight with ground and pound as the horn went off. Draped in a Californian state flag, “Cali” earned a dominant unanimous decision.

Many of the fighters represented top Bay Area MMA gyms, including the San Jose and Sunnyvale AKA’s, Gilbert Melendez’s El Nino Training Center, the Combat Sports Academy, World Team USA, Pacific Ring Sports and several others. Also represented were two fighters from the Columbus Sheeley’s Iron Tigers gym. Sandeep Kommini of Sheeley’s faced AKA Sunnyvale’s Shahriyar Erfanian in the second amateur MMA fight of the night, and Sheeley’s Brian Smith faced the highly touted Gabriel Carrasco of AKA in San Jose in the main event. Carrasco picked Smith apart, then forced a stoppage due to strikes as the Columbus fighter could no longer defend himself.

Two other standouts on the amateur MMA card were AKA San Jose’s Eduardo Carillo and World Team USA’s Vince Bordi. Carillo met a game Anthony De Los Santos (CCK) in the third MMA fight of the night. Carillo came out to perfectly appropiate Mexicana music, and for Anthony’s part he came out all business to tried and true metal. Early in the first round in became evident that Carillo had power to spare. After a quick takedown, Carillo worked to lock in a choke and it appeared DLS tapped outside of the view of the referee.

The fight continued in the second round, as Anthony De Los Santos tried to back Carillo off with a high kick and a superman punch, but neither landed. A spinning back kick did land, but DLS is quickly on his back defending another choke attempt. In the third round, Carillo shows precision as well as power. With DLS again coming forward, Eduardo lands a flush counter right, then two more long jabs as he backed out. Carillo finished the third in impressive fashion, scoring another takedown ending the fight with several punishing shoulder strikes to the head. He earned a unanimous decision win and accepted a medal from Strikeforce veteran Justin Wilcox.

In his bout against Gladiator Academy’s Jonathan Chaplain, Vince Bordi landed the second biggest highlight of the night. He upended Chaplain and slammed him into the canvas, earning a standing ovation and a loud roar from the crowd. In the second round Bordi bobbed and weaved, and feinted before touching Chaplain repeatedly from outside. Three consecutive blows forced Chaplain into a desperation takedown attempt, but Bordi quickly scrambled into top position and nearly finished the fight in full control.

The third round was equally dominant for Bordi. After a greco roman clinch in the corner, Bordi scored a quick trip takedown and then transitioned into half guard. Chaplain was struggling for breath as the World Team USA fighter rained down blows on top of him. The referee nearly stopped the fight, but Vince Bordi earned a unanimous decision win and was awarded a medal by top UFC contender Jon Fitch.

The event started off with a jr. Muaythai kickboxing exhibition between 6-year old Justin Rodriguez and 8-year old Adam Arenas, refereed by former Strikeforce Lightweight champion Josh Thomson. Both jr. Muaythai fighters Rodriquez and Arenas were active around the ring. Each landed several kicks, punches and takedowns to loud cheers from the fans. Announcer Travis Johnson (also ISKA Kickboxing Champion and K-1 veteran) described both kickboxers as future champions, and encouraged fans to give them another standing ovation after the fight.

Also successful on the amateur MMA card: Steve Tomayo (Combat Sports Academy) won via unanimous decision over Isaiah Gonzalez (Norcal Fight Factory), Sandeep Kommini (Sheeley’s Iron Tigers) with a come from behind win via 2nd round triangle choke of Shahriyar Efranian (Team AKA Sunnyvale), Joe Silva (Combat Sports Academy) decision over Felix Lopez (Pacific Ring Sports), a split decision win for Joe Neal (True Fight Club) over Benji Amezquita (Antdawg’s USH), and Jessie Henderson (Gladiator Academy) decision over Jordan Felix (El Nino’s Training Center).

One of the ongoing topics of recent MMA coverage has been establishing a hierarchy within professional MMA divisons. Establishing a pecking order from champions to top contenders, to depth veterans and young prospects looking to break into the ranks. Amateur mixed martial arts in California allows many competitors to develop skills against quality competition before turing pro. Up until this point, many fighters had to train and compete in other disciplines before transitioning into professional MMA.

Now individuals can lay the foundations of a professional career in the amateur ranks, and in the near future they will be able to compete in the inaugural California State Amateur MMA Championships. Starting in September, 8 different regions in the North (Sacramento, Central Valley, Bay Area, Central Coast) and South (Los Angeles, San Bernadino, Orange County, San Diego) will seed 8-man regional single elimination tournaments in 8 weight classes (135lb, 145lb, 155lb, 170lb, 185lb, 205lb, 230lb and Heavyweight). Winners will go on to the regional Quarterfinals, then the State Semifinals and State Finals. In the first two rounds, fights will be 2 rounds at 2 minutes each, with a third deciding round in case of a tie. In the Semis and Finals, each fight will consist of three 2 minute rounds. The Finals will be held December 4th. There is no information yet on the date or venue for the “Bay Area” regional.

More information can be found on the inaugural Amateur California MMA State Championships at the official CAMO website. Open signups for the tournament begin August 7th at camo-mma.org. For more information on Born to Fight visit CungLe.com or AKAkickbox.com. A Sharkspage photo gallery from Born to Fight XI is available here.

[Update] There is a big B2F XI photo gallery up from Sharon Sanghere at Vincit Magazine.

[Update2] CAMO Launches California State Tournament for Amateurs – Sherdog.com.

[Update3] Jon Fitch, the UFC’s #2 ranked Welterweight, will compete this Saturday at Oracle Arena in Oakland for the UFC 117 Silva vs. Sonnen. Cain Velasquez, the UFC’s #2 ranked Heavyweight, will face champion Brock Lesnar for UFC 121 at the Honda Center in Anaheim October 23rd.

[Update4] From Jane Estioko of Cung Le’s Universal Strength Headquarters:

BORN TO FIGHT XII – Kickboxing Tournament (JUNIORS / ADULTS)
September 25th, 2010
at Universal Strength Headquarters in Milpitas
ONLINE REGISTRATION coming soon at www.cungle.com

BORN TO FIGHT XIII – Amateur MMA
TBD – October 2010

Controversial interference penalty with less than a minute left decides 2010 NARCh North American Rollerhockey Championship Pro Division Final in San Jose

TOUR MUDCATS (PA) WIN 2010 NARCH PRO DIVISION FINALS 3-2

MISSION LABEDA SNIPERS (NY) FORWARD MAKES DIVING PASS IN O-ZONE

TOUR MUDCATS FORWARD BREAKS UP ICE IN 2ND PERIOD

The massive 2010 NARCh North American Rollerhockey Championships came to a close this Sunday at the 3-rink SilverCreek Sportsplex in San Jose. A large 336-team field, several thousand hockey players, and 848 games wrapped after two and a half weeks of competition in the South Bay. California teams made their mark early in the NARCh Finals, and finished strong through the final weekend.

Three of the many highlights from the final weekend were the Girls/Womens Skills Competition and the 2010 NARCH Pro Division $15K/$5K Final on Saturday, and the the NCRHA (National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association) Finals on Sunday. The Womens/Girls skills competition saw the goaltenders blank a complete round of shootout attempts, and a highlight reel shootout goal that consisted of bouncing the stick off of the ground, scoring up high, then pulling out a sharpee and signing the glass. On Sunday the Western Collegiate Roller Hockey League Allstars took home the NCRHA Championship with a 3-2 win over the GPCIHL Allstars.

The main event of the weekend was the NARCh Pro Division Final between the #3 seed Tour Mudcats (Pennsylvania) and #8 seed Mission Labeda Snipers (New York) Saturday night. TM wasted no time getting on the scoresheet. Greg Thompson made an end-to-end rush for Mission, but then double backed and dumped the puck behind his own goal. On the next rush up ice, Mission’s Phil Maroon was stick-checked off the puck. TM’s C.J. Yoder took a nice feed at center rink, held off a backcheck with body position, and roofed a backhand shot farside over goaltender Mike Browne.

After a glaring non-call where one of their own forwards was slide tackled at the top of his own zone, Mission’s Pat Cannone was called for slashing at 8:32. C.J. Yoder would capitalize with his second goal of the game, assist by JP Beilstein. The Mission Labeda Snipers ramped up the intensity at the end of the first, outshooting TM 7-3 in the final minutes, but they could not put one past goaltender Brett Legget.

At the start of the second more fans filtered in around the already packed stands. Kyle Kraemer put MLS within one goal 45 seconds into the second period. In NARCh tournament hockey, teams often play twice-a-day, 4-on-4, with two 15-minute periods plus overtime if the game is tied. Mission’s Pat Cannone tied the game at 2-2 with a snap shot off the crossbar at 9:36.

The Pro Division Final looked to be headed to overtime with less than a minute to play in the period. Mission’s Greg Thompson made another end-to-end rush down the left wing, and snapped a shot on goal from the top of the faceoff circle. Trying to gain position in front of the net, MLS’s Kyle O’Kane took an interference penalty with 38 seconds left to play. The first Tour Mudcats power play opportunity narrowly missed a goal, but the second resulted in J.P. Beilstein deflecting a Chris Terry point shot for the 3-2 Finals win.

Several Mission Labeda Snipers players berated the referees after the goal, and one was kicked out of the rink after breaking his stick on the ice, but after three seconds ticked off the clock they formed a handshake line and congratulated the winners.

The NARCh event at SilverCreek was a very slick, well-oiled production. Roller Hockey skews younger than Ice Hockey, and with a DJ spinning mix tunes over the loudspeakers, modern equipment presentations, a photo center with real-time imagery, restaurants, free wifi, and a crush of interactive media coverage, there was a lot to engage hockey players, parents and fans at the venue.

For more information visit NARCh.com, or the NARCh blogs, facebook and youtube pages. There may be an upcoming broadcast of the NARCh Pro Final on Universal Sports, will confirm that via twitter when possible.

[Update] Video highlights: C.J. Yoder first goal, flying slide tackle, C.J. Yoder second goal (PP), O’Kane interference penalty, Beilstein game winning goal (PP).

[Update2] Box score:

NARCh 2010 North American Rollerhockey Championships
Pro Division Final
July 31st, 2010 – SilverCreek Sportsplex, San Jose

Tour Mudcats 3 (#3 seed)
Mission Labeda Snipers 2 (#8 seed)

Scoring: 1st – TM Yoder 2:27 (Yingling), PP TM Yoder 9:26. 2nd – MLS Kraemer 0:45, MLS Cannone 9:36 (Maroon), PP TM Beilstein 14:57 (Terry).

Penalties: 1st – MLS Cannone 8:32 (slashing). 2nd – Seibel 1:24 (tripping), O’Kane 14:22 (interference).

Goaltenders: TM Brett Legget (8s, 10sog), MLS Mike Browne (10s-13sog)

Devin Setoguchi interview with Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area

Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area host Matt Morrison briefly interviewed San Jose Sharks right wing Devin Setoguchi after he signed a 1-year, $1.8 million contract extension on Saturday.

I have known for the last month or so that I would be coming back. A lot of people didn’t know. I knew what was going to happen. We found what we thought was a fair deal for both ways. To be back for the year, to have a good year, will prove that I want to be there.

It always sucks losing a teammate. I played with Nabby for 3 years, we know he is a good goalie. We know he did what he thought was best. We couldn’t hold on to him. At the same time, I am also excited. At times in this league, it is as much a business as it is a league. You lose friends, but you also gain new ones. It is going to be good, we kept most of the core guys together. We are excited to get ready, and go back to next season again.

Devin Setoguchi signs 1-year contract extension, Jason Demers locked up for 2 more years

SHARKS RIGHT WING #16 DEVIN SETOGUCHI - PHOTO JON SWENSON

SAN JOSE SHARKS HIT LEADERS 2009-10 SEASON

The San Jose Sharks announced this morning that restricted free agent Devin Setoguchi signed a 1-year contract extension with the back-to-back Western Conference champions. The 23-year old right wing registered 20 goals, 8 of them on the power play, and 16 assists in 70 games played last season. “He is an important part of our team and we are looking forward to his on-going growth as a player. We have very high expectations for him,” San Jose Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson told SJsharks.com.

Terms of his contract extension were not released as per team policy, but according to Globe and Mail reporter James Mirtle the contract is for 1 year at $1.8 million. According to capgeek.com, that would leave the Sharks with around $3.7M in salary cap space for the 2010-11 NHL season with 11 forwards (including rookie Cam MacIntyre), 7 defenseman (including Jay Leach), and 2 goaltenders under contract (Niittymaki, Greiss).

Setoguchi’s contract negotiations took longer than expected. The Alberta native declined salary arbitration and could be in for a much larger contract down the line, but the one year contract is evidence the Sharks want him to realize more of his potential and play a more disciplined game. Setoguchi missed 12 games in October and November with a leg injury, but he used his speed and agressive play effectively down the stretch. In the postseason, he scored 5 goals and 4 assists, and registered the OT game winner to cap a spectacular come-from-behind win over Colorado in Game 2 of the WCQF. He underwent surgery for a sports hernia injury this offseason. Setoguchi may have more unfulfilled offensive upside than any other forward in the Sharks organization, but GM Doug Wilson may want him to put together more of a complete game before locking him up to a long term deal.

The contract allows flexibility in the short term for GM Doug Wilson, who made an offer sheet to defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, and was rumored to be in on talks with defenseman Dan Hamhuis and goaltender Jaroslav Halak. Earlier this summer Wilson said that the best opportunity to bolster the Sharks lineup may come via the trade market, an option which would allow him to offset salary. “We’ve got lots of (cap) room, lots of assets and all our picks,” Doug Wilson told Edward Fraser of TheHockeyNews.com. “There’s probably a long way to go before this team is ultimately built… There’s a lot that can happen between now and the trade deadline, but we’re positioned just like we were when we added Thornton, Boyle or Heatley, if the right player with the right type of contract comes along.”

Mention of the trade deadline in the middle of summer is a signal that Doug Wilson is prepared to be patient in pursuit of a player that can upgrade his lineup. He has stated that his staff is prepared to make a move on short notice if an opportunity arises. The Sharks have created a ghost roster of every NHL player, and predicted possible needs for 29 other teams. Taking two expiring contracts off the hands of Atlanta for a late round 2010 draft pick, or trading for an already retired Vladimir Malakhov to free up cap space for New Jersey, are two examples of how that has been put in to practice in the past.

On Friday the Sharks announced that rookie defenseman Jason Demers signed a 2-year, $2.5M contract extention. Demers will reportedly finish out his entry level contract in 2010-11, then make $1.1M in 2011-12, and $1.4M in 2012-13 on his extension. With the signing, the Sharks have locked up the bulk of the defensive corps for at least the next three seasons. 34-year old Dan Boyle is signed through 2013-14, 23-year old Marc-Edouard Vlasic is signed through 2012-13, 30-year old Douglas Murray is signed through 2012-13, and 22-year old Jason Demers is also signed through 2012-13.

“Jason’s puck-moving capabilities and competitive nature fit well with where our team is trending,” Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson said of Jason Demers. “He is very capable of executing the up-tempo style of game we want to play and we see him as an important part of our team.”

The retirement of captain Rob Blake will leave holes on and off the ice that need to be filled, but Demers showed a lot of promise en route to finishing fourth among rookie defenseman in scoring (4G, 17A, 21pts, 51GP), and fourth among the Worcester Sharks in defensive scoring despite playing only 27 games in the AHL (4G, 13A, 17pts). Demers was effective as a power play quarterback on the second unit, but defensively he was raw and used sparingly in certain 5-on-5 situations. The Sharks rushed the return of veteran defenseman Niclas Wallin from injury in the playoffs, and dressed 7 defenseman and only 11 forwards to stabilize play in front of the net against Detroit and Chicago.

Fans in the stands at HP Pavilion are experienced in the foibles of a developing offensive defenseman, having watched Sandis Ozolinsh, Andrei Zyuzin, Brad Stuart, Jeff Jillson, Christian Ehrhoff and Matt Carle come up through the ranks. A full 82-game season for Demers, tests in all game situations, could prepare him for a much larger postseason role in the future.

Other Shark Notes:

The Worcester Sharks announced the signings of defenseman Mike Moore (2 years) and “Crazed Rats” forward Dan DaSilva (1 year) this week. Moore registered 3 goals and 22 points in 64 games played with the Worcester Sharks last season, DaSilva (72GP) tied Logan Couture (42GP) to finish third on team in scoring with 53 points. Defenseman Derek Joslin remains the lone restricted free agent left to be addressed by GM Doug Wilson. A press release from the (ECHL) Stockton Thunder noted that a press conference has been scheduled for 11AM Monday in Stockton. Stockton president Dan Chapman, Stockton head coach Matt Thomas and assistant coach Matt O’Dette, Edmonton Oilers assistant GM Rick Olczyk, Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson and play-by-play host Dan Rusanowsky will all be in attendance. The Edmonton Oilers have been Stockton’s NHL affiliate for 4 of the team’s 5 seasons.

2010 NHL Entry Draft note from Sharkspage and Red Line Report scout Max Giese: Several scouts believe the Sharks went off the board when they took Minnesota High School forward Max Gaede in third round 88th overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. At 6-foot-2, 187-pounds, Gaede is a big but developing forward, versatile with enough ability to play on a skill line or to grind it out to win puck battles in front of the net and in the corner. Gaede is set to play for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL this fall, then he will then attend Mankato State in 2011. “He impressed scouts with his versatility in the elite league last fall, but fell on some lists with some one-dimensional performances on a Woodburry team where he didn’t have much of a supporting cast,” said Musketeers Assistant Coach Cam Ellsworth. “The allure is that he’s only going to get bigger, has a strong stride, and a good shot. He loves being around the rink and he’s the type of kid who is going to put in the work”. The man behind the pick is San Jose Sharks scout Pat Funk, who has previously struck gold by going off the board to draft Joe Pavelski and goaltender Alex Stalock. One quality that Max Gaede shares in common with Pavelski and Stalock? All three are defined with strong leadership characteristics, a solid work-ethic, and are self described rink rats.

[Update] One-year, $1.8 million contract for Setoguchi follows similar path taken by Clowe and Pavelski – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

Last season, Setoguchi earned $1.247 million in the final year of his entry level contract. Under GM Doug Wilson’s payroll structure, there’s a middle step players need to take before cashing in bigtime. Clowe, 27, took it with a one-year, $1.6 million deal for 2008-09; Pavelski, 26, was coming off a two-year middle step that carried a $1.637 million cap hit.

In other words, Setoguchi’s $1.8 million deal is pretty consistent with the path taken by both Clowe — who will be in the second season of a four-year, $14.5 million deal — and Pavelski, who signed a four-year, $16 million deal in June.

DOH Podcast #109: Steven Zalewski, Kings move off Frolov to Ponikarovsky, remaining offseason acquisition candidates

DOH BELIEVES RICHARD PARK, LEE STEMPNIAK COULD FIT IN SAN JOSE

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2010_0728.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana discuss a new contract for Worcester Sharks center Steven Zalewski, the Los Angeles Kings signing Alexei Ponikarovsky as an Alexander Frolov replacement, whether the Sharks should re-sign Joe Thornton to an extenstion before or after his contract year, what it might take to acquire Tomas Kaberle from the Toronto Maple Leafs, other defenseman that are available, what the future holds in goal with Anteroi Niittymaki, Thomas Greiss and Alex Stalock, could the Sharks add a Richard Park or a Lee Stempniak as a UFA, and whether the NHL will ever bring a Winter Classic to the West Coast on the 109th 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.

Winter Classic 2011 press conference at Heinz Field previews Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals outdoor game on New Year’s Day

2011 BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC LOGO RELEASED YESTERDAY

2011 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS THROWBACK WINTER CLASSIC LOGO RELEASED

RED, WHITE AND BLUE THEMED WASHINGTON CAPITALS LOGO

The NHL held the 2011 Bridgestone Winter Classic launch party yesterday to mild fanfare at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Winter Classic IV will showcase the 2008-09 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins and former Art Ross and Rocket Richard winner Sidney Crosby, against the 2009-10 Presidents Trophy winning Washington Capitals and former Art Ross and 2-time Rocket Richard winner Alexander Ovechkin on New Year’s Day.

“If you love the fact that January 1st is the day we welcome the new year with a great outdoor event that celebrates the roots of our game, no matter which team you root for, no matter which rivalry you prefer, then this 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic here at Heinz Field will be a must-see moment,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the press conference. Bettman is putting the league’s best foot forward with two of the NHL’s high profile franchises and two of its largest stars, but it is a little hard to get geared up for the event for two reasons. The first being the 5+ month cushion between the announcement and the game itself, the second is the fact that there is little to no possibility of the outdoor gala ever coming to the West Coast.

San Jose Sharks President/CEO Greg Jamison speculated about a possible outdoor game being held in Northern California earlier this year on CSNBA. “That has come up numerous times, we have had conversations about it, AT&T Park, Stanford, maybe a couple of other venues, it isn’t really the temperature that concerns us, around here in January it is rain,” Jamison said. “That would be the hardest thing to overcome for the Winter Classic because basically you couldn’t do it. You would have to cover it someway, and that would defeat the whole purpose of the open-air venue.”

Jamison complimented the presentation of the 2010 Winter Classic held at Fenway Park between Boston and Philadelphia, and the 2008 Winter Classic held in Buffalo between the Sabres and Pittsburgh. He also noted that he was in attendance for Detroit’s 6-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks January 1st, 2009 at Wrigley Field. “It was a fantastic atmosphere. The place was full, it was cold. Let me say that again, it was cold… It really was a neat event to be a part of,” Jamison said. “I would love to, and our organization would love to have one. Other West Coast teams have talked about it, it is just a matter of it being so hard to control the weather.”

Jamison is correct that other West Coast teams have expressed interest, an interest that intensified in 2009 when NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins told Bloomberg News that the Las Vegas Strip, Yankee Stadium and Pasadena, California’s Rose Bowl were possible venues. While Las Vegas may have popped up due to scouting for this year’s NHL Awards Show, even the mention of a West Coast option was a little striking.

Los Angeles Times columnist Helene Elliott followed up with NHL ice guru Dan Craig. Technically it is possible to stage a game on the West Coast with the NHL’s advanced ice making technologies. Craig told the 2010 Winter Classic media horde that the NHL’s high tech ice making truck could create ice at least up to 50 degrees, and possibly into the 60’s, and that rain would not be a problem. “I will never say never,” Craig told Elliott about the possibility of a West Coast Winter Classic, “because when I started with the National Hockey League 10 years ago, nobody told me that I’d be doing a hockey rink in Wrigley Field.” It was also noted that at that time in 2009, New York, Washington, Detroit, Philadelphia and Minneapolis had made Winter Classic inquiries, no one from Southern California had made a call.

The technology may be there to pull off a game, but speculation about a Northern California Winter Classic may be a little premature. Fog rolling over the stadium at AT&T Park in San Francisco would be an incredible sight, but potential stadium locations in Santa Clara (49ers) and San Jose (A’s) are years away from being approved by the NFL and voters respectively, let alone being built. Fans in Los Angeles have created concept images of what Winter Classic setups would look like at Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl (can’t find the link), but more than likely the NHL would not move it West until other locations were exhausted.

So Tuesday’s Winter Classic announcement was watched with a little detachment. This season’s edition may create iconic blizzard covered imagery similar to 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, we may get an insipred genre-breaking marketing campaign similar to 2009, or another incredible walkoff overtime game winning goal similar to the one former Shark Marco Strum scored for Boston in January, but for the foreseeable future none of those are likely to occur as part of an outdoor game played on the West Coast.

For now, we can enjoy the break in the barren wasteland that is hockey news in the middle of summer, and enjoy watching hockey players trying to shoot pucks through football uprights: part 1, part 2, part 3. Keep an eye on that Alex Ovechkin January 1st, he–could–go–all–the–way.

[Update] NHL unveils Winter Classic plans – Pittsburgh-Post Gazette.

[Update2] From the NHL:

The NHL this season will play an outdoor regular-season game in Canada. The NHL Heritage Classic will be played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Sunday, February 20 and feature the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames. CBC and RDS will carry the game in Canada and VERSUS will telecast the outdoor match in the United States. It will be the first regular-season NHL game contested outdoors in Canada since the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium on November 22, 2003.

[Update3] Winter Classic in Pittsburgh will ‘make a statement of its own’, After the NHL unveils its plans for the Penguins-Capitals game at Heinz Field, league exec John Collins discusses the annual event, TV talks and All-Star Game ideas – Craig Custance for SportingNews.com.

Q: There’s an assumption that New York is the front-runner for the 2012 Winter Classic. Is that assumption accurate?

JC: I don’t know if there’s a front-runner. There’s a bunch of great markets we’d like to get to. New York would be one of them. Detroit would be one of them … Minneapolis, St. Louis, Denver — I’m going to start on a list and it’s going to take me five minutes to stop. Every club that has come to us that wants to host this thing has come at us with a vision that is really compelling. That why I’m saying, it’s a great opportunity but it’s also a challenge — how to keep the Winter Classic special while still getting it around to all that markets that deserve a game.

Asia League Ice Hockey’s 2009-10 season awards, Anyang Halla first Korean ALIH champions

KOREA'S ANYANG HALLA WINS 1ST ASIA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP - ALIH

PLAYOFF MVP ANYANG HALLA FORWARD BROCK RADUNSKE - ALIH

ANYANG HALLA 2009-10 REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS - ALIH

GOAL/POINTS LEADER ALEX KIM, ASSISTS/POINTS LEADER TIM SMITH - ALIH

The celebrations were a little more vibrant after the 2009-10 season ended in March for Anyang Halla of the Asia Hockey League. For the first time in the 7-year history of the ALIH, a non-Japanese team took home the championship trophy. Anyang Halla came back from a 1-0 deficit in the best-of-5 first round against the fellow Korean High 1 side, then defeated the three time champion (03-04, 06-07, 08-09) Nippon Paper Cranes 3-2 in the ALIH Finals.

“I can’t really describe the feeling in one word. Everyone worked so hard. This means a lot to Korean hockey. It fulfills a commitment to compete at the top level in Asia,” Anyang Halla’s assistant GM and spokesman Sam Kim told NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer after winning the ALIH championship. Anyang was the first non-Japanese club to finish first in the regular season last year. “There are a few good Korean players who could play in North America. I really think that scouts should come to Korea and watch some of our Asia League’s game in the future. Just like in the mid-90s in Major League Baseball, scouts can find a hockey version of Chan-Ho Park or Hideo Nomo.”

Anyang Halla, a club once named after a local refrigerator company, took home several of the year-end 2009-10 ALIH awards (PDF file). Anyang Halla forward and former Stockton Thunder left wing Brock Radunske took home playoff MVP honors for the second straight season. Radunske lead the ALIH in playoff goals (6) and overall playoff scoring (13 points). The regular season MVP went to fellow Anyang foreign import Patrick Martinec, and Anyang coach Eui-Sik Shim was named Coach of the Year. Fullerton, California-born High 1 forward Alex Kim took home the regular season scoring title with 29 goals, and tied teammate Tim Smith with 75 total points. Smith, a former WHL/ECHL/AHL veteran, lead the ALIH with 48 assists.

China Sharks goalkeeper/coach Wade Flaherty took home best goalkeeper honors after the 2008-09 season. This year Oji Eagles netminder Masahito Haruna was named the top ALIH goaltender, and also picked up an award for the best save percentage (.915). Anyang Halla’s Min Ho Cho was rookie of the year, and Brad Farynuk (Tohoku) won best offensive defenseman, Aaron Keller won best defensive defenseman (Oji), and Takeshi Saito (Oji) won best defensive forward.

This was a transitional year for the ALIH, struggling with costs and an economic recession the playoffs were reduced from a best-of-7 to best-of-5 format, the number of playoff qualifying teams was reduced from 5 to 4, and the number of foreign born imports allowed was reduced from 5 to 4. The ALIH also had to adapt after losing the 2-time ALIH champion and 13-time Japan League champion Seibu Prince Rabbits. They were replaced by the expansion Tohoku Free Blades, located in the northeast section of Honshu island. With the loss of the San Jose affiliated China Sharks, a new Chinese Ice Hockey Association affiliated China Dragon squad was born. With Belarusan head coach Andrei Kovalev and a significantly toned down use of foreign imports, the Chinese squad struggled on a massive scale. They registered a 1-35 regular season record, and a 64-218 goals for/goals against differential. In a 36-game regular season, that is a 6.05 goals allowed mark per game. Mitsuaki Inoue (33GP, 5.99GAA) and Xue Liu (11GP, 5.96GAA) saw the bulk of duty between the pipes for China.

There are video highlights up from the first game of the Halla-Cranes final here and from Game 5 here. Video highlights from the Halla-High 1 opening round playoff series are also available, game 1 here, game 2 here.

[Update] From the Korea Times:

South Korea is currently ranked 33rd in the world by the International Ice Hockey Federation, out of 48 countries. It’s the second highest-ranked Asian country trailing Japan, which is 21st.

Earlier this year, the country celebrated its biggest achievement in the sport in the miraculous run by Anyang Halla. They became the first non-Japanese club champion of the Asian league since its foundation in 2003, in a nail-biting final series against defending champions Nippon Paper Cranes.

Current IIHF Men’s and Women’s world rankings are available here.

[Related] Interview with former China Sharks GM and former San Jose Sharks color commentator Chris Collins – Sharkspage 2009.

DOH Podcast #108: Ilya Kovalchuk signs with New Jersey, 17 years for #17, NHL rejects monster contract, Simon Gagne trade, Joe Thornton contract year

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2010_0721.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana break down Ilya Kovalchuk’s monster 17-year contract with the New Jersey Devils, then they scrap the entire podcast hours later and record a second one after the NHL rejects the Kovalchuk contract, they also discuss what constitutes “circumvention of the salary cap”, the recent Simon Gagne trade, and toss around speculation regarding Joe Thornton’s performance in a contract year on the 108th 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.

Hockey Notes – July 21st

– Worcester Sharks intern Bobby DeMarco posted a 2009-10 player rewind video for goaltender Alex Stalock. Three Stalock stats courtesy of DeMarco — 3534 minutes played (2nd in AHL), 1522 saves (4th in AHL), 39 wins (1st in AHL, most ever by rookie). DeMarco also compares Stalock to NHL veteran (and former Worcester goaltender) Dwayne Roloson: “Roloson’s 2000-2001 campaign in Worcester: 32-15-5, 2.17 GAA, .929SV%,
Stalock’s 2009-2010 Shark rookie campaign: 39-19-2, 2.63 GAA, .908 SV%”. He notes that Roloson had NHL and AHL stints prior to his season with the Worcester Icecats.

– No news on the status of the San Jose Sharks and unrestriced free agents Devin Setoguchi, Derek Joslin, or Steven Zalewski. Setoguchi’s agent, Paul Krepelka of the Orr Hockey Group, declined to discuss ongoing negotiations. “We are hopeful that we will be able to work something out with the San Jose Sharks,” Krepelka said.

– Full list of player arbitration dates via the NHLPA. From the Pacific Division: Brad Richardson LA 7-23, Fabian Brunnstrom Dallas 7-23, James Wisniewski Anaheim 8-03.

– Ominous article by the Denver Post’s Adrian Dater as he turns his inscrutable speculation towards a possible 2012-13 NHL labor impasse, Donald Fehr taking more of a leadership role with the NHLPA, player escrow, and how much of an impact the NHL’s next television broadcast contract with have on the league (HUUUUUGE): Is it too soon to worry about another NHL lockout? If Comcast’s acquisition of NBC is approved, an NBC/Versus/CSN bid becomes all the more important. Not just for the dollars involved, but for the prominence the NHL may receive on a Comcast-partnered channel. Dater speculates the NHL received as much as $135M from Versus and NBC television contracts this year (NBC’s deal included no up front rights fee), and that Gary Bettman may be asking for $250M up front for the next contract negotiation to broadcast the 2011-12 season. “$250 million a year would allow the league to sustain its weaker revenue, smaller-market teams for the foreseeable future,” Dater said.

– There were reports earlier this month that the Sharks expressed interest in hard nosed Philadelphia Flyer grinder Arron Asham. After word surfaced that the Flyers were no longer an option, apparently the Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers and Los Angeles Kings contacted him according to blogger and former NYI media relations VP Chris Botta. Asham is a 20 point, 100PIM player in his prime. If he was looking for a contract similar to the one the Flyers gave Jody Shelley (3 years, $1.1M), then he may have priced himself out of the pervue of the back-to-back Western Conference champs. The latest report via CSNPhilly.com is that the Flyers have re-opened talks with Asham. After speaking with his agent, CSN Philly belives he will sign with the Flyers by the end of the week.

– Modano wants to be sure he is ready to dedicate himself to another season – Mike Heika Dallas Morning News Stars blog.

“I don’t want to do this thing halfway, I really want to be committed to it, so I need to take this time and see exactly how I feel,” he said. “I’m enjoying the off-season stuff, but there is a certain feeling to skating, to waking up in the morning and going to your job. I need to know how I feel when I get into that routine, whether I think I can do it for a whole year or not. That’s what this is all about.”

Modano said there still are times when he has doubt, and he needs to make sure that’s not there. Modano said he and representatives from Octagon Sports have had conversations with management from Minnesota and San Jose, but that they have not set up any visits or meetings with the Wild or Sharks.

Modano has straight up torched the San Jose Sharks over the years, but it is worth remembering when he became the alltime American-born scoring leader he received a standing ovation from the fans at HP Pavilion in San Jose. Then they went back to booing themselves hoarse. Modano would be a solid addition to a Sharks third line and/or second power play unit, but unless a player was moved out or he took a Malhotra-type deal, he would be difficult to fit in the salary structure moving forward. He said he would make his decision after he starts skating on August 5th.

– Interesting anecdote on occasional local radio host Ted Robinson and John McEnroe from former Globe and Mail reporter William Houston:

We sometimes get the impression that the U.S. sports media has no real interest in the NHL — that the sport’s appeal is limited to a very small group of hard core fans.

But consider this story: During the French Open, NBC’s tennis announcer Ted Robinson did some promos for network’s coverage of Stanley Cup final. During the men’s final telecast two weeks ago, Robinson suggested on the air to John McEnroe they visit a Canadian bar he knew in Paris to watch Philadelphia-Chicago Game 5 that night. It started at 2 a.m. local time. It turned out 20 technicians, production staff and on air people showed up at The Great Canadian Pub at Quai des Grands Augustins. They watched the game until it was over at 5 a.m. and then headed to the airport to catch their Monday morning flight home.

– More San Jose Sharks related notes: Prior to opening the 2010-11 NHL regular season with a pair of games against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Stockholm, Sweden, the Sharks announced last week that they will face the Deutscher Eishockey Liga’s (DEL) Adler Mannheim franchise for an exhibtion October 2nd at SAP Arena in Germany. Other NHL Compuware Challenge exhibition games will feature the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Evgeni Nabokov and Ska St. Petersburg, the Phoenix Coyotes vs. Dinamo Riga in Latvia (Arturs Irbe’s former team), and possibly another NHL exhibition in Belfast, Ireland (birthplace of former Sharks captain Owen Nolan). “We’re excited to be a part of the Premier program and to build the NHL brand around Europe… Visiting Mannheim lets us put the NHL footprint in yet another region.” San Jose Sharks President and CEO Greg Jamison said of the exhibtion meeting. The Sharks are already the home to more German drafted and developed players than any other team in the NHL. San Jose drafted Marco Sturm (Dingolfing, Germany), Marcel Goc (Calw, Germany), Christian Ehrhoff (Moers, Germany), Dimitri Patzold (born in Kazakhstan, moved to Germany), Patrick Ehelechner (Rosenheim, Germany), Kai Hospelt (Koln, Germany), Thomas Greiss (Koln, Germany), Timo Pielmeier (Deggendorf, Germany), Dominik Bielke (Berlin, Germany) and 2010 6th round draft selection Konrad Abeltshauser (Bad Tolz, Germany).

The Sharks signed 6-foot-0, 190-pound AHL defenseman Sean Sullivan to a 2-way contract earlier this month. The Braintree, Mass. native registered 12 goals and 37 assists with the San Antonio Rampage last season, 7th best in the AHL. “They’ve pretty much led the league in call-ups the past few years,” the 26-year old Sullivan told the Patriot Ledger. “That definitely was a factor in signing with them.” The AHL allstar could definitley get a look from the Sharks staff in training camp, but if he is sent to Worcester he could fill the vacancy left by Eddie Shore Award winning defenseman Danny Groulx who signed with the KHL. The Sharks also re-signed Worcester’s leading goal scorer, left wing T.J. Trevelyan. Even after missing 7 weeks with a broken jaw, Sharkspage’s AHL correspondant Darryl Hunt gave Trevelyan a B when grading him for the 2009-10 season. “A pure goal scorer, Trevelyan is a threat to light the lamp every time he touches the puck,” Hunt said.

The Sharks prospect camp has been closed to the media and to the public, but there are reports on SJsharks.com. The latest details a few of the invitees who attended: Drew Daniels, Justin Daniels, Benn Ferriero, 2010 draft selection Cody Ferriero, Tony Lucia, Frazer McLaren, 2010 first round draft pick Charlie Coyle, Taylor Doherty, Scott Pavelski, Brandon Mashinter, Ben Paulides and Tommy Wingels among others.

[Update] Paulides skates with Sharks prospects – Vindy.com.

Forty-eight hours after the most grueling workout of his 18 years, Youngstown Phantoms defenseman Ben Paulides said participating in the San Jose Sharks’ development camp was one of the best experiences of his hockey career.

“Yesterday, everything felt pretty bad, everything was super sore,” said Paulides of the camp’s final day which featured a workout at Moffett Field, a nearby military base in Santa Clara, Calif.

The Sharks prospects apparently worked out on the final day with paratroopers at Moffet Field in Mountain View. There is an excellent paved trail that passes alongside the Moffet airbase and curves around the bay marshlands. With a regular 15-20 mph head wind, it makes for great resistance training on blades or a mountain bike. Prior to the 1997 Allstar game in San Jose, the NHL held a party at the blimp hangar at Moffet Field.

[Update2] VIDEO: Raising California – Elite prospects in the Golden State – TheHockeyNews.com.

[Update3] Via the Atlanata Journal Constitution’s twitter feed, “spoke to Slava Kozlov. He’s still hoping to find NHL team. If none, still intends to play in Russia.” If it comes down to a choice between Modano and Kozlov, it is hard not to pull the trigger on Slava Kozlov. He is six months older than me, so he is ancient, but he is younger than Modano, he is a quiet leader on the ice, and he has consistently put up bigger numbers since the lockout on a weaker Thrashers team (Kozlov 104G/190A, Modano 99G/154A). Kozlov is versatile and skilled enough to fit on any of the Sharks top three lines.

The Hockey News/XM Home Ice 204 Podcast: Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher, Flyers agitator Daniel Carcillo

[audio:http://rstorage.filemobile.com/storage/3000365/31.mp3]

The Hockey News may be the most recognized hockey publication in North America, but THN’s podcast and video roundtables are quickly becoming must-view material. Sharkspage obtained permission to post The Hockey News podcast with senior THN writer Adam Proteau and veteran tv/radio host Scott Laughlin.

This week on The Hockey News Radio Show with Adam Proteau and Scott Laughlin on XM Satellite Radio Home Ice Channel 204: After a one-show absence, Scott rejoins Adam in Toronto for a biweekly, off-season edition of THN Radio. In the opening segment, Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher calls in and discusses his team’s contract extension with Mikko Koivu, the future of center Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and the oddities of the NHL’s free agent market. In the second segment, Philadelphia Flyers winger Daniel Carcillo joins the show to talk about his new contract, and an extended Ask Adam Q&A deals with questions on the Canucks’ Cup chances and Willie Mitchell’s potential destinations. In the final block, Ask Adam continues and focuses on why teams buy out players rather than demote them to the AHL; Kevin Lowe and Don Waddell getting promoted despite their teams’ record; and the Carolina Hurricanes’ search for a forward.

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

Ryane Clowe and Jody Shelley in contention for HockeyFights.com 2009-10 year-end awards

SHARKS LW #29 RYANE CLOWE NOMINATED FOR MOST SKILLED FIGHTER

HockeyFights.com editor David Singer, along with contributors Jon Porus and Merlin401, released the latest nominees for the 2009-10 HockeyFights.com year-end awards. One current Shark and one former Shark were each nominated for multiple categories. Newfoundland’s own Ryane Clowe was nominated for the Cam Neely Most Skilled Fighter and Most Improved Fighter categories, and 6-foot-3, 230-pound former Shark, former Ranger, and current Philadelphia Flyer enforcer Jody Shelley was nominated for multiple categories.

Ryane Clowe was the odds on favorite for the 2009-10 Cam Neely Most Skilled Fighter Award. “Ryane Clowe had the best combination of skill and fighting ability this year,” said author Merlin401. Clowe struggled with only 4 points in 14 games during October, but he produced at a sustained pace for the rest of the season. Clowe registered career bests with 38 assists, 57 points, 131PIMs and 11 fighting majors. His play in the last quarter of the regular season deserves note for several monster puck possession shifts, manhandling defenseman while still being able to turn the corner and score a goal or set up a linemate.

The award entry for Clowe:

Ryane Clowe – San Jose Sharks: Clowe had a special year, putting up career highs in points, fights, and penalty minutes. Clowe set a career high by netting 57 points, including 19 goals. Meanwhile, he fought 11 times and didn’t record a clear loss while stepping up to even take on some heavyweights including George Parros. He was able to also record victories against Tim Jackman, Sheldon Brookbank, and a bloody smashing of Michael Blunden. Clowe also was something of an iron man, suiting up for all 82 games of the Sharks season.

The last sentence deserves bolding. Clowe has missed significant ice time with a pair of lower leg injuries. He rebounded by registering 71 and 82 starts in his last 2 seasons, ending any questions about his durability. Clowe was also nominated for the Most Improved Fighter category. The rugged left wing is one of a pair of teammates who serve dual duty on the Sharks. 6-foot-3, 240-pound defenseman Douglas Murray, widely regarded as one of the heaviest hitters in the game, also will drop the gloves to regulate when appropriate. Past-winners of the Cam Neely Award are Jarome Iginla in 2007-08, and Milan Lucic in 2008-09.

A month and a half after suffering a brutal KO loss to then-San Jose Shark Jody Shelley (video above), Toronto’s Colton Orr dropped all pretense of a regular shift and stalked Shelley around the ice April 7th after he was traded to the New York Rangers. Orr landed a number of right hands, but it was not enough to exact revenge for Shelley’s enormous overhand right that knocked him flat February 8th at Toronto. The first Shelley-Orr fight was nominated for KO of the year, but it trails Evander Kane’s devestating KO of Matt Cooke by a wide margin.

The Manitoba native is also an option for the 2009-10 People’s Choice award for fighter of the year, and is in the lead for 2009-10 Best Mid-Season Tough Guy Pickup. Shelley was traded from San Jose to the New York Rangers on February 12th for a conditional 6th round draft pick.

At the start of free agency July 1st, Jody Shelley signed a 3-year, $3.3M contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers finished the regular season as the second most penalized team in the NHL with 1,350 PIMs. 187th on the all-time register with 1,347 PIMs, Shelley needs one minor penalty to catch former Shark Gary Suter (185th), and one major penalty to catch former Shark Ron Sutter (184th).

After the trade of Shelley to New York, and Brad Staubitz this offseason to Minnesota, the role of enforcer on San Jose could be open in training camp. 6-foot-4, 235-pound left wing Frazer McLaren or 6-foot-3, 225-pound left wing Brandon Mashinter could be options, and McLaren has contributed on the penalty kill at the AHL level. San Jose head coach Todd McLellan and his coaching staff could also go with an all-agitator fourth line. Scott Nichol could split between AHL “Crazed Rat” line member Andrew Desjardins and April college free agent signee Cam MacIntyre. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound MacIntyre was a point a game player his sophomore season at Princeton, but struggled with injuries as a junior and senior. A prospect in the power forward mould, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said this summer that he would be surprised if MacIntyre did not make the 2010-11 NHL roster. There were reportedly 20 NHL teams vying for MacIntyre’s services before he chose San Jose.

[Update] Video: Honoring the best in 2009-10 hockey pugilism – Sean Leahy for Yahoo’s Puck Daddy.

Top 5 soccer games in the Bay Area this summer to fight post-World Cup withdrawl

CLUB AMERICA MEETS REAL MADRID AUG 4TH IN SF - PHOTO JON SWENSON

Casual soccer fans in the Bay Area may be coming off a World Cup high after a strong showing by the U.S. Men’s National Team in South Africa. A blunder through the hands of English goalkeepr Robert Green, a late volley by Michael Bradley in the 82nd minute to tie the game with Slovenia, former San Jose Earthquake Landon Donovan going top shelf (where momma hides the cookies) in extra time to down Algeria, all of these created indelible memories and built up huge momentum for a Quarterfinal meeting with Ghana. Defeats can be as memorable as victories, if not moreso among many grizzled soccer fans, but the U.S. went out the way they played all tournament, with guns blazing.

The viewing audience for the World Cup was enormous. On ABC, Ghana vs. United States drew 14.8 million viewers, the Spanish language broadcast on Univision drew a then record 4.5 million viewers. Online broadcasts at ESPN3.com were also strong, generating 7.7 million unique viewers for the World Cup. The U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer are hoping to build off the interest in the World Cup, but attention spans are short among casual fans and demands for entertainment are high. Below are five local soccer games to fight the post-World Cup withdrawl, all of them guaranteed to be at least partially vuvuzela free.

[GAME 1 Tottenham Hotspur vs San Jose Earthquakes, July 17th, 1PM, Buck Shawk Stadium, Santa Clara, ESPN]

Nearly 1,000 fans at the Nutrilite Training Facility got a treat yesterday as the Earthquakes and international partner Tottenham Hotspur held an open training session in San Jose. It was a semi-lighthearted affair, with San Francisco 49er quarterback Alex Smith and lineman/hockey fan Joe Staley joining in towards the end according to CenterLineSoccer.com. “I think the (MLS) has certainly grown. It helps when you’ve got the U.S.A. in the World Cup. They had a decent tournament and they’ve got some good players there so I think over the years it’s just going to keep growing,” Tottenham striker and Irish national team captain Robbie Keane told CLS. Tottenham shocked the English Premiere League this year, earning a top four finish and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League tournament for the first time. Soccer guru Cardillo at Thats on Point believes the Spurs will have trouble repeating their top four effort, new additions and the development of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric withstanding. It will be the first appearance on ESPN for the Earthquakes this season, who at 6-4-4 are off to their best start since returning as an expansion franchise in 2008. If Saturday’s broadcast is similar to past broadcasts on ESPN, expect a small but animated crowd in San Jose to make their presence felt.

[GAME 2 Club America vs Real Madrid, August 4th, 8PM, Candlestick Park, San Francisco]

Primera Division powerhouse Club America returns to the Bay Area for its third international friendly in four years to the delight of its enormous latin fanbase. In 2007 America lost to EPL’s Chelsea FC 2-1 in the Disney Friendship Cup, in 2009 the “home” Club America team downed Inter Milan 5-4 on penalty kicks as part of the World Football Challenge, both games were held under the baking summer sun at Stanford stadium. Backup goaltender Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa and midfield stalwart Pavel Pardo were members of the MNT that finished second in Group A, and eventually fell in the round of 16 for the fifth straight World Cup. Real Madrid, the most successful team in La Liga with 31 titles and 2 EUFA Cups, is one of the beneficiaries of the slight shift in power from the English Premiere League to La Liga and elsewhere in Europe. They will field an astonishing assemblage of talent that includes the highest paid footballer in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, flamboyant midfielder and former FIFA Player of the Year Kaka, Olympic gold medal game winning goal scorer for Argentina Angel di Maria, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos among several others (possibly not including Raul or Guti). Newly appointed head coach Jose Mourinho’s quest to deliver a Champions League title begins immediately, and he has the firepower on hand to put it through. “This will undoubtedly be the biggest club soccer match in the history of Northern California,” San Jose-based Marquez Brothers President/CEO Gustavo Marquez said. For more information visit ElMexicanoPresents.com or call 408-960-2828.

[GAME 3 San Jose Earthquakes vs Los Angeles Galaxy, August 21st, 1PM, Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara]

The Earthquakes have sacrificed continuity for establishing a foundation since returning to the MLS as an expansion franchise in 2008. A revamped defense/midfield and several key additions have put San Jose in a position to battle for a playoff berth. An August 21st meeting with first place Los Angeles Galaxy at Buck Shaw stadium will have playoff implications. U.S. World Cup representatives Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan lead the Galaxy and the MLS in goals (10) and assists (10) respectively. MLS Commissioner Don Garber recently made it known that the league would not accept transfer offers from international clubs for Donovan’s services. The Galaxy will face a San Jose side on more solid footing this year. A blistering 5 goals by Chris Wondolowski and a .750 save percentage and 5 shutouts by goalkeeper Joe Cannon helped power the Earthquakes to a 2-1-1 record in April, and a 3-1-1 record in May. Wondolowski scored only once, and Arturo Alvarez potted 3 goals during a 0-1-2 slump in June, and 1-0-1 mark in July. The Quakes picked up 2004 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year finalist and 2008 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Jon Busch on the waiver wire March 28th to platoon with franchise cornerstone and 2-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Joe Cannon (2002, 2004). In 3 games, Busch has allowed 2 goals on 11 shots, with 1 clean sheet. The Earthquakes will also face Los Angeles Thursday, July 22nd at the Home Depot Center.

[GAME 4 FC Gold Pride vs Philadelphia Independence, September 11th, 5:30PM, Pioneer Stadium, CSU East Bay, Hayward]

The first place FC Gold Pride will finish the 2010 WPS regular season at home against the second place Philadelphia Independance. 4-time FIFA Womens Player of the Year Marta leads the Gold Pride and the WPS in scoring with 10 goals, and forward Christine Sinclair leads the team and the MLS with 5 assists. Marta scored twice, including one goal off a penalty kick, as the Pride held on for a 3-2 win over the Washington Freedom last Sunday. “We play them three times this season, and we have to figure out their strengths and weaknesses and prepare accordingly. I have challenged [our] players to raise their level, and we will make several changes from our last game,” Philadelphia head coach Paul Riley said of the FC Gold Pride, which they face for the second time July 17th after a 3-1 loss in June. Member of the 2008 Olympic gold medal winning U.S. team, and 1st overall 2009 WPS draft pick Amy Rodriguez, leads Philly in scoring and is second in the league with 7 goals. She was also named WPS Player of the Month for June after registering 5 goals and 2 assists. Attendance is an issue for the Gold Pride, who have averaged 3122 fans a game over 7 home dates at Pioneer Stadium in Hayward and Castro Valley Stadium in Castro Valley. “We’re still trying to build our brand,” Gold Pride GM Ilisa Kessler told the Mercury News.

[GAME 5 Bay Area Classic – Stanford University vs. Santa Clara Univeristy, September 19th, 6PM, Stanford University]

The Bay Area has been home to World Cup soccer, Olympic soccer, major international friendlies, MLS Championships, WUSA Championships, NCAA Championships, and strong developmental and youth programs dating back a number of years. If you are not plugged in to the latest in collegiate soccer, a great way to get a handle on local teams is to simply watch them play. September 19th in the second game of the Bay Area Classic, 2-time NCAA runner up Stanford will host 2-time NCAA runner up and the one-time co-champion Santa Clara Broncos on one of the most beautiful soccer locales in the Bay Area. Stanford junior Bobby Warshaw lead the team in scoring for the third consecutive season in 2009, and became the only Cardinal to be named a NSCAA first team All American since 2002. As a freshman, Beaverton, Oregon native Erik Hurtado led the Santa Clara Broncos in almost every offensive category. He finished first in goals (7), points (16), scored three game winning goals, and lead the shot totals by a wide margin with 42. He was named All-WCC Second Team player, and scored the game winner over USF November 6th on a Fox Soccer Channel televised ‘Game of the Week’.

[Note] Photo of Club America vs Inter Milan from July 2009 above features America’s Paragauyan striker Salvador Cabanas. Very tough on the ball, good in traffic with a heavy foot, Cabanas is on long term injured reserve after suffering a gunshot wound to the head January 25th in Mexico City. His recovery has been described as “tremendous”, but a return to football is not assured. He was not able to participate on a Paragauyan national team that lost to eventual winner Spain 1-0 in the 2010 World Cup Quarterfinals. According to the New York Times, drug baron Edgar Valdez Villarreal was arrested in the shooting of Cabanas.

[Update] Saturday’s football match between San Jose and Tottenham will be streamed online at ESPN3.com for those with compatable internet access.

Jeremey Roenick discusses Playoffs, Evgeni Nabokov, Rob Blake, Patrick Marleau, Hjalmarsson and golf on CSNBA

ROENICK FROM THE SAND IN TAHOE - TAHOECELEBRITYGOLF.COM

Thursday’s edition of Chronicle Live, the hourlong sportstalk program on CSNBA, was one of the strongest lineups they have had all year. After a roundtable discussion of the sale of the Golden State Warriors to an investment group lead by Joseph Lacob and Peter Guber, proffering the question several times of how Oracle CEO Larry Ellison could have missed this opportunity to buy the team, substitute host Dave Benz also interviewed former 49er and Raider Jerry Rice, and former Shark Jeremy Roenick.

Rice discussed his pending induction into the football hall of fame and his participation in this weekend’s American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe. Jeremy Roenick covered a number of topics including the Flyers-Blackhawks Stanley Cup Final, the San Jose Sharks recent postseason effort, the retirement of Rob Blake, Evgeni Nabokov moving to the KHL, how Patrick Marleau was the best player in the postseason after the first round, and several other topics.

A partial transcript:

(You are one of the favorites to win the American Century golf tournament, something like 7-1, how do you like your odds?)

[JR] I think that is a little high. I think I should be more like a 4-1, I placed third last year and had a chance to win it. I think I got a little undercut. It was a long way from where I was finishing 4 or 5 years ago, I was 40-1 or 50-1 to win this thing.

(How interesting were these Stanley Cup Playoffs for you to watch, not only having the Sharks play the Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals, but you had the Flyers and the Blackhawks in the Finals, you played for all three teams, that must have been an emotional wreck for you?)

[JR] I can’t even tell you the emotional roller coaster I went through. I wanted the San Jose Sharks to win most of all, because obviously I am closer with all of the guys on that team. Doug Wilson is probably the most inspirational, the greatest person I have met in hockey. What he gave me, and what the San Jose Sharks fans gave me for the last 2 years of my career was fantastic. My glory years in Chicago, where I made a name for myself, and Philadelphia fans who brought me in as one of their own. It was difficult in terms of an emotional attachment to all three. I would have liked to have seen San Jose win, Chicago won, I think I win no matter what.

(What do you think about the moves Doug Wilson has made this offseason, the biggest of course parting ways with Evgeni Nabokov?)

[JR] When you don’t win a championship, and it has been year after year, and you have a goaltender that has been there year after year, and somehow he just does not get over the hump, regardless of whether you want to blame the goaltender or not, it is always the goaltender that wins championships. That is the most important person when it comes to the playoffs. After you have gone so many years, and just come that much short of getting to the dance, usually first it is the coach, then it is the GM, then it is the goaltender. It didn’t surprise me that it happened. I love Nabby, he is a very good friend of mine. I think he is going to do great over in Russia. It was time for a change, and I think Doug Wilson understood that. That is why Doug is one of the best GM’s in the league, because he understands where the changes need to be made, and what guys need to be signed.

Now they signed Patrick Marleau. I really think Patrick Marleau was the best player in the playoffs after the first round. He really came through, maybe because I ripped him a little bit. He was non-existant in the first round. He was definitley the best player on the Sharks from then on. Joe Pavelski, who I think is going to be the captain, they signed him up. They have the tools and the keys to get this thing done.

The goaltender they brought in, Niittymaki, I played with him. I think he is very, very talented, and he can do the job. With a team like the San Jose Sharks in front of him, I really think he is going to climb to another level than what he was in Tampa and in Philly. I like the moves that Doug is making. I think he is improving the team, even more than what it was last year. I look for them to be another powerhouse favorite next year.

(Did you have any discussions with Rob Blake before his decision to retire?)

[JR] No I didn’t. He had a fantastic career. Rob Blake, I respect him so much, he was one of my favorite players that I have played with. I just admired him for his career, and what he has done. I was really proud to have played with him, and to have known him as my friend. It is nice to know that Doug Wilson knew he had to replace a guy like that, and he went and made an offer sheet to Hjalmarsson from Chicago, who I think was one of the better players on Chicago for the whole entire playoffs…

Visit RoenickLife.com for more on all things Roenick. Archive photo of Jeremy Roenick at the American Century celebrity golf tournament used with permission.

[Update] A link to video of the Chronicle Live video interview with Jeremy Roenick is available on csnbayarea.com.

[Update2] Jeremy Roenick, Jack Wagner lead in Tahoe – ESPN.

DOH Podcast #107: Chicago matches offer sheet, Ilya Kovalchuk, defensive roulette

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2010_0713.mp3]

If you can get through two comedy skits (they can’t all be Jody Shelley singing show tunes), Mike Peattie and Doug Santana break down Chicago matching San Jose’s offer sheet for Niklas Hjalmarsson, discuss possible defenseman GM Doug Wilson could target via free agency or the trade market, discuss unsigned San Jose RFA Devin Setoguchi and Ilya Kovalchuk’s modern interpretation of Homer’s The Illiad, predict third and fourth forward line combinations for next season in addition to which prospects might be in the mix on the 107th 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.

Blackhawks match offer sheet to Niklas Hjalmarsson, tough roster decisions loom

C PATRICK SHARP MAY BE CHICAGO CAP CASUALTY - PHOTO JON SWENSON

The Chicago Blackhawks matched the 4-year, $14M offer sheet defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson signed with the San Jose Sharks. Instead of waiting the full seven days to make an announcement, Chicago GM Stan Bowman made the decision public after the final day of the prospect camp on Monday. “Niklas was a big part of our success last year, and he is a part of our core that will be together for a long time,” Bowman told the assembled media. “He is a quiet leader among our defensive group. I think he gets overshadowed because we have some other superstars there,” Bowman said referencing Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell.

The Sharks targeted the versatile 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman not just as a replacement for retired captain Rob Blake, but to add youth and mobility to defensive corps that took a small step back last season. “”We appreciate Niklas’ interest in coming to San Jose and we respect the process as it has unfolded. We will continue preparing our team as we head towards the start of the 2010-11 season,” San Jose Sharks GM/EVP Doug Wilson said via a statement on SJsharks.com.

It was a bold move to put the screws to a Conference rival in the midst of an unprecedented salary cap crisis. After winning a Stanley Cup championship and incurring over $4 million in overage penalties, GM Stan Bowman shed quality depth in Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel, John Madden (UFA), Colin Fraser and Adam Burish. The production from those eight roster players alone equals 30% of the second best offense in the Western Conference, but more roster decisions will have to be made.

It is almost unthinkable the Blackhakws could move off of rookie (not technically) goaltender Antti Niemi. After carrying Chicago through several rounds of the playoffs and outlasting Philadelphia in the Finals, Niemi should be a part of the young core of the team referenced by Bowman. If, as expected, backup goaltender Cristobal Huet is sent to the minors to clear up $5.625M in cap space, the Blackhawks would still need to make a decision on Niemi either before or after his arbitration ruling. Could Niemi garner something along the lines of the 4-year, $15M contract St. Louis offered Jaroslav Halak (3.75M/yr), a more expected ruling in the $3M range, a $2M a year offer in the range of what San Jose signed Antero Niittymaki for, still nearly a 250% pay raise.

The decision may come down to cutting loose Niemi or center Patrick Sharp ($3.9M salary), or trying to find a taker on the trade market for flamboyant offensive defenseman Brian Campbell ($7.143M salary). Melissa Isaacson of ESPN Chicago writes that the Blackhawks offseason facelift is getting painful. “The whimpering has temporarily stopped at my house after the initial Blackhawks’ purge. Frankly, it was becoming unbearable,” Isaacson wrote. If Campbell had to be moved, then all pretense of this being a roster adjustment or tweak evaporates. This would become a full blown firesale. It would be similar to then-New Orleans coach Mike Ditka trading 8 draft picks, including two first rounders in 1999 and 2000, to select Ricky Williams. In short, a massive directional change for an organization.

If Patrick Sharp has to be moved, then nearly 38% of the offense is gone less than two months after raising the Stanley Cup. Sharp is a versatile 2-way forward that scored 25 goals and a career high 66 points in 2009-10. He finished tied with Marian Hossa for a team high +24, registered 16 points on the power play and 4 game winning goals. In the playoffs he finished third in scoring with 11 goals and 11 assists. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Dustin Byfuglien get a majority of the pub up front, but Sharp is a significant part of the offensive engine that powered the Hawks to their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years.

The San Jose Sharks will have played a small part in Chicago’s situation, not just with the offer sheet to Hjalmarsson, but the 2-year contract offered to Antero Niittymaki to replace Evgeni Nabokov could come up in arbitration as well. GM Doug Wilson noted he will continue to look for ways to improve his team, and the move involving Hjalmarsson may indicate he is focused on improving the blueline first. 23-year old RFA Devin Setoguchi did not file for salary arbitration at the deadline. He adds a speed and physical element that would dramatically impact the Sharks if he does not return.

San Jose may kick the tires on Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa or Willie Mitchell (although concussion symptoms limited Mitchell to 48 games last season), New York Rangers defensive RFA Marc Staal, or 5-foot-10, 195-pound Calgary RFA defenseman Ian White. Doug Wilson may be priced out of the ongoing Tomas Kaberle sweepstakes in Toronto. With the current Sharks configuration, despite improved rosters in Vancouver and Los Angeles it is still difficult to project San Jose to miss the playoffs. Wilson has the benefit of time and experience. Boyle-Murray, Vlasic-Wallin, Huskins-Demers is a servicable blueline with experience on every pair, if Marc-Edouard Vlasic can take a greater role with this team on both sides of the ice then the blueline is even more steady. Jay Leach, and/or unsigned RFA Derek Joslin (among other prospects), could serve as an effective 7th if the Worcester shuttle is not in full effect.

The offer sheet Wilson made to Niklas Hjalmarsson was a long shot, since the lockout only one has not been matched, and the media uproar that followed was a deterrent of sorts in and of itself. Wilson can address the loss of Manny Malhotra, address the need for a more physical element with the departure of Shelley and Staubitz, create a competition on the third and fourth lines in training camp for two possibly three roster spots, and create a competition in goal among Antero Niittymaki and Thomas Greiss for starts. Any additions on the blue line more than likely will be made on the trade market, but the front office in San Jose has almost made a policy of being unpredictable.

A couple of other Shark notes around the web, according to Sharks equipment manager Mike Aldrich goaltender Antero Niittymaki will wear #30 next season, USA Today took a look at the facebook reach of each professional sport and the NHL and UFC finished surprisingly well (NBA – 3,180,826, UFC – 2,269,450… NHL – 574,112, NFL – 508,906… MLB – 105,495… Strikeforce – 77,943… MLS – 40,688, WSOP – 23,869), the San Jose Sharks prospect camp is underway at Sharks Ice in San Jose, “Not all of them will play for (us), but we feel we have a responsibility to try and make all of the individuals here better,” head coach Todd McLellan told the team website, “I came out here a couple of summers, learned a lot, and tried to use that back (with Miami). I felt this was the right time (to turn pro)” San Jose Sharks 2008 sixth round draft pick Tommy Wingels told radio play-by-play host Dan Rusanowsky, out of 30 NHL teams, only the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars do not have scheduled prospect camps, although Dallas did hold a small workout, the Sharks were the only team to hold theirs in private without fans or media, with several years of late round draft picks the Sharks have been very active on the free agent market to stock the development ranks, opening up the prospect camp to the media may make that less successful, the Calgary Flames (July 25th) and Florida Panthers are the only teams yet to hold their prospect camps, the largest newspaper in the Bay Area (SF Chronicle) lost their regular hockey/sports columnist Ray Ratto to CSN Bay Area, when asked by Chronicle Live host Greg Papa if he would still cover hockey Ratto replied that the Sharks were still the Bay Area’s most interesting sports franchise, Sharkspage’s Max Giese was at the second to last day of the Blackhawks prospect camp in Chicago, it looks like Day 15 of the Ilya Kovalchuk free agency saga will pass without a resolution.

[Update] The Chicago Blackhawks are completely screwed – Noah Love for the National Post’s Posted Sports blog.

Here are some of the highlights of Chicago’s enumerating disaster:

Two non-star players, backup goaltender Cristobal Huet and defenceman Brian Campbell, are making a combined $12.7-million for the next two seasons. After that, Huet comes off the books, but Campbell’s $7.1-million annual figure runs for another four years.

One small piece of context to add, Brian Campbell and his massive contract were added not just for his on-ice contributions, he was added to be a marquee offensive defenseman to help bring fans back to hockey in Chicago. The death of owner Bill Wirtz, son Rocky Wirtz opening up the team on local television, a back-to-the-roots marketing philosophy, bringing in Brian Campbell and Marian Hossa were elements in the revitalization of hockey in Chicago. It worked, they erased a 49-year Stanley Cup drought. They have more than just a championship to celebrate.

The Ilya Kovalchuk, hour-long Sharkspage unrestricted free agent blog special, including interviews from LA and NJ bloggers

UFA ILYA KOVALCHUK COULD MAKE A DECISION TO SIGN THIS WEEK

KOVALCHUK REGISTERED 338G, 642PTS IN 621 GAMES OVER 8 SEASONS

If unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk decides to sign with the Los Angeles Kings this week, it could become the Joe Thornton trade south for the Pacific Division. Minus the cost of three roster players, the impact of Kovalchuk in LA would alter the landscape of the Western Conference. Adding the four time 40-goal scorer and two time 50-goal scorer may change a conference that recently devolved from the Big Four (Detroit, Dallas, Colorado, San Jose) into the Big Two (Chicago, San Jose). Given significant roster changes in Chicago and San Jose, adding Kovalchuk could make Los Angeles a favorite going into 2010-11.

The drama surrounding the ‘will he sign’ or ‘won’t he sign’ coverage has been the story of the NHL this offseason, there is even a rumor of a hour-long LeBron James-esque television program to broadcast his decision in Canada. While SKA St. Petersburg and KHL president Alexander Medvedev recently told ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun that his team offered Kovalchuk a contract, it is expected that the 6-foot-2, 230-pound native of Tver, Russia wants to remain in the NHL. As the best pure goal scorer available via free agency, any team with available salary cap space is working hard massaging capologists and balance sheets trying to woo him.

Los Angeles and New Jersey are rumored to be the favorites in negotiations. Kovalchhuk was traded to New Jersey by Atlanta February 4th for defenseman Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier and a first round 2010 NHL Entry Draft selection. According to the impeccable sources of the NY Post’s Larry Brooks, the Devils made a 17-year, $100M+ offer “front-loaded so that Kovalchuk would collect $100 million over the first 10 years of the deal.” This came one day after Brooks opined that the Rangers need Kovalchuk, and ostensibly that Kovalchuk needs the Rangers, after he played off-off broadway in Atlanta, and off-broadway in New Jersey.

From the media capital of the East Coast, to the media capital of the West (albeit TMZ, Inside Edition, and Perez Hilton based). The Los Angeles Kings have been playing hardball, publicly backing out of negotiations twice after reportedly making 12 year, $63 million and 13 year, $84.5 million offers according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times. According to Elliott, the Kings backed out the second time after Ilya Kovalchuk and his agent Jay Grossman did not back off an annual average salary of $10M. “We really would love to add Kovi to our team, but not at the cost of our good young players,” AEG President and Los Angeles Kings CEO Tim Leiweke told the Times.

Former San Jose Sharks GM and current Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi has described building his roster as filling a series of boxes regarding different team needs. Kovalchuk would fill several boxes on the offensive score sheet, but Lombardi has an eye towards keeping an improving young team on an upward track. After making the playoffs for the first time in 6 seasons, 7 if you include the dark lockout year, Lombardi has to be cognizant of Norris finalist defensemen Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson coming up for new contracts next year. Steadily improving Wayne Simmonds will also be a RFA, Michael Handzus and Justin Williams will be UFA’s. Captain Dustin Brown, Ryan Smyth, and highly regarded goaltending prospect Jonathan Bernier will need new contracts down the line. Lombardi needs to fit Kovalchuk in a salary cap model he has for his team moving forward.

According to reports, Kovalchuk is in Los Angeles today to sit down with the Kings personally. “Kovalchuk is only coming here for a visit,” Kings GM Dean Lombardi told team affiliated blogger Rich Hammond at LAKingsInsider.com. “It is a great opportunity for him to meet us and us to meet him. Reports of us announcing a signing tomorrow are utterly false.” Dean Lombardi mentioned at the NHL Draft that having the league descend on downtown Los Angeles was a good thing for the team, and a good thing for the city. Like San Jose, a lot of the entertainment and nighttime activities take place outside of downtown proper. The Sharks are a major draw for downtown San Jose. The Kings need a similar draw for downtown, and Kovalchuk may just be another step towards that, an extended playoff run and a Stanley Cup Championships being the ultimate goals.

CBC reporter extraordinaire Elliotte Friedman believes that the Kovalchuk free agency is unique, noting that with 338 goals at the age of 27 he has the potential to become one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history. “There is no one available this year, or potentially next year, with his ability to impact a game,” Elliotte said. “LA is the one sun belt franchise where a marquee player makes a difference… Shaquille O’Neal, Manny Ramirez. LA loves that star power,” one source told Elliotte. Despite the fact that calling Los Angeles a “Sun Belt” franchise is about as wrong as calling San Jose a beachfront city (as happened on Canadian television recently), the notion is not far off the mark. Kovalchuk may make a dent for discretionary dollars in one of the deepest entertainment markets in North America. Los Angeles fans may be the definition of front runners, but Kovalchuk creates a marquee attraction at home, and 6 times a year for each Pacific Division rival.

Then there is Los Angeles itself. If you can get over traffic that is worse than every NHL combine drill combined, the city has become the caricature of itself it has always portrayed to outsiders. That being said, there are many, many options for one to find their nitch in the city of angels. Unless you visit for yourself, you never really realize that the Kings training facility at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo is less than 5 minutes from one of the top beaches in the country, Manhattan Beach. At times, a drive down Sunset through Hollywood and Beverly Hills can feel as if you are in a real life Quentin Tarantino movie. You are not going to get that in New Jersey, Atlanta or Alberta.

Elliotte Friedman also writes:

There are reports that Kings GM Dean Lombardi doesn’t really want to go in this direction; that the Kovalchuk pursuit is the brainchild of CEO Tim Leiweke. This would not be the first time Leiweke’s been accused of this. I was once told a story that Teemu Selanne was ready to sign with the Kings in 2005, only to be turned down in favour of Valeri Bure. It was claimed that Leiweke was more interested in Bure, because of wife Candace Cameron, the onetime Full House star.

Tough to comment on. The Kings offered a steadfast denial, and this would be unconscionable to post on a blog unless there were sources willing to put their name to the story. Tim Leiweke is loathed in San Jose for pressing the eject button on the MLS San Jose Earthquakes franchise. After the Earthquakes moved to Houston and won back-to-back MLS championships in their first two seasons, AEG is known in San Jose as the anti-Earthquakes group. Dean Lombardi is the source of one of the top three posts ever in the 12-year history of this blog, a simple recap of moves made during his tenure in San Jose after he was let go in 2003. If the Kings have a problem with the quote above, you have to take them at their word.

Elliotte Friedman also points to the issue of Kovalchuk being out to obtain as much money as possible, the implication being to the detriment of the team that signs him. That is not really born out by what has happened in the past. A little over a year after being named captain, Kovalchuk did not accept offers of seven years, $70M and twelve years, $101M contracts reportedly made by Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell. Kovalchuk never really capitalized on hopes to establish hockey firmly in the Atlanta market, but he was a standup member of the community and a participant in many off-ice endeavors to promote the game. Kovalchuk did not accept a rumored 3 year, $42M contract from SKA St. Petersburgh this offseason, which would have been a $14M a year average (not including extensive perks and a far lower tax rate in Russia). Elliott himself also reported a rumored 10 year, $100M offer from the New York Islanders.

If it was soley about the money, Kovalchuk could have accepted any one of those offers and retired as one of the most successful stars financially ever to play the sport. “I want to be an example on the ice,” Kovalchuk told the Atlanta Journal Constitution upon being named Thrashers captian January 11th, 2009. “I’m not going to be one of those guys who’s going to scream and yell in the locker room. When I have to say something, I will for sure.” After Bobbly Holik left for New Jersey in 2008, Kovalchuk was one of five rotating captains until all four alternates requested that he wear the lone ‘C’. Replacing an injured Alexey Morozov, Kovalchuk was also named captain of the Team Russia’s 2010 World Champion squad. When asked about being named captain, Kovalchuk said that Morozov was still the team’s leader, and that in his absence “to win the gold you must have 22 captains on the team.”

A look at Kovalchuk, how he fits with prospective LA or NJ teams, and his impact on and off the ice from local bloggers in Los Angeles and New Jersey will be posted soon. Ilya Kovalchuk’s agent Jay Grossman declined to make a statement for this post.

Q-and-A with Battle of California blogger (Los Angeles Division) Rudy Kelley:

[Q] As the best pure goal scorer available as a UFA, how will Kovalchuk fit into the Los Angeles Kings system long-term? Who do you see him playing with, what roles would he fill, how would the increased goal support help the improved goaltending?

[RK] Kovalchuk does not fit into the Kings’ system. The Kings play a tight system that relies on their left winger to pinch in low along the boards, while the right winger usually floats near the top and looks for the breakout. Kovalchuk’s not pinching in low. If anything, the Kings may just invert their system or maybe even throw Kovy on the right wing. Whatever, the guy’s a goal scorer and he’ll get opportunity to do that.

Kovy will most likely play with Anze Kopitar and probably Justin Williams on the top line. Kovy and Kopitar should work well together; Kopitar’s developed his goal scoring and his play off the puck in recent years so they could both potentially be 40-40 threats every season. Kovy’s 27, Kopitar’s 23. They’ll play together for a long time.

[Q] Speculation about contract negotiations has been constant. The LA Times reported recent offers of 12 years, $63 million ($5.25M cap hit) and 13 years, $84.5 million ($6.5M cap hit), after which the Kings allegedly backed out of negotiations a second time. There were rumored 17 year, $100M and 7 year, $60M offers from New Jersey. Kovalchuk allegedly turned down 12-year, $101 million and seven-year, $70 million contracts to stay in Atlanta. Who knows what SKA St. Petersburg may offer in the KHL.

With Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Wayne Simmonds coming up for new contracts next season, and Dustin Brown, Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier needing new deals down the line, what could Los Angeles feasibly offer Kovalchuk and keep the rising team together in your opinion? Already publically backing out twice, how do you think LA is handling the negotiation process so far?

[RK] I think the Kings could feasibly get as high as $7 million and still afford someone of Kovalchuk’s caliber. They’d lose someone but I think we all know that they can’t keep everyone. It’s a fool’s errand to try. The Kings’ core would be Ilya Kovalchuk, Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar; I think
that’s a core that stands up to anyone else’s. It’d be nice to keep everyone else but only if they fit. The Kings would probably lose someone like Jack Johnson or Jonathan Quick or (God forbid) Wayne Simmonds, but… oh well? That’s why you have a farm system.

[Q] A 4-time 40-goal scorer, and 2-time 50-goal scorer, what kind of marquee value would Kovalchuk bring to downtown Los Angeles. LA likes winners, likes a spectacle, likes a bandwagon or an event. What kind of impact would he have with the media in the media capital of the West Coast?

[RK] Honestly? Probably not as much impact as you’d think. He’s a great hockey player, but he’s still a hockey player. The Kings will draw more fans by winning than they will by having a guy like Kovalchuk. The real superstar on the team will be Drew Doughty, anyway.

[Q] Last question, what kind of impact do you think Kovalchuk would have on the Pacific Division. On the ice, it makes the Kings that much more competitive in an already tight division. Off the ice, he possibly adds a marquee attraction at home and on the road 6 times a year for each Pac Division team.

[RK] The Kings are probably considered the 2nd best team in the Pacific Division without Kovalchuk. With Kovalchuk, I think they start to give San Jose a run for their money. The Kings would have a better defense, a more settled goaltending situation, and Kovalchuk would (match) the Sharks’ firepower. The Kings’ best shot for a while is next season; after they lose Michal Handzus and re-sign Doughty, Johnson and Simmonds they’ll take a small step back. But only a small one. If the Kings sign Kovalchuk, they’ll be contenders for a very long time. For me, it’d be a dream come true.

Q-and-A with New Jersey Devils blogger at In Lou We Trust John Fischer:

[Q] What did you see from Kovalchuk in his brief regular season and playoff tenure in New Jersey that would lead Lou Lamoriello to lock him up for the rest of his career. How will he fit into the Devils system long-term?

[JF] What I saw from Kovalchuk was a player who doesn’t deserve all of the bad rap he has. The common criticisms is that he can’t backcheck, he’s too selfish, he hasn’t won anything, etc. No doubt the move in conjunction with a poor Olympics, while awaiting the birth of his third child, affected his game somewhat. Who wouldn’t be bothered by such big events at the same time? On top of that, his incredible 17% shooting percentage from Atlanta dropped to reality in a harsh way, all the way down to 9% – leading to a season shooting percentage closer to his career average (~14%). He wasn’t the goal scoring machine he was as a Thrasher and he didn’t make the power play immediately better.

Yet, in spite all of this, he still managed to put up a point per game pace, he was clearly noticeable all over the ice, and he even was put out in empty net situations defending 1 goal leads at the end of games. He wasn’t the sieve or the floater people claimed. He didn’t get into the corners on defense, he stayed more at the point and the circle; but again, that’s where you want your all-world sniper with crazy speed up to be anyway on counter attacks. As far as the lack of “big games,” he was one of the few bright spots of the 2010 Devils Playoff “run.”

I think his talents can definitely fit in NJ. With a new head coach in John MacLean, I’m sure he’ll try to manage Kovalchuk better than Jacques Lemaire, who gave him an essentially “free role” on offense (not a bad thing to try given the Devils need for offense at the time) and especially on the PP. As a Devil, whatever defensive shortcomings he has can be improved by playing with responsible teammates (take your pick on NJ) and his own work ethic is certainly Devils-quality. The larger issue with Kovalchuk has more to do with how much cap space he may take up and what you do on the roster given that he’s a left wing and the Devils already have two top-end LWs in Zach Parise and Patrik Elias. Those are the long-term obstacles in the way as opposed to what Kovalchuk does on the ice.

[Q] Many in the Western Conference still see New Jersey as playing a defense first, trapping, shot blocking system with solid goaltending. While there has been adjustments, the Devils still allowed the fewest goals against in the league (191), and the fewest NJ goals against in 5 seasons. Are those assumptions about a conservative, trapping, defense first system, even with the additions of Volchenkov and Tallinder, still accurate?

[JF] I think this is about as accurate as people who claim San Jose always chokes in the playoffs. That is, it’s not fully true, but it’s a meme that will persist. Do the Devils stress defensive responsibility? Certainly. Do the Devils have the personnel on the backend to play up tempo all the time? Not really. Do the Devils have a legendary goaltender? You bet, his name is Martin Brodeur.

Yet, the Devils have not trapped any more than any other team I’ve seen play since the lockout. Jacques Lemaire and Brent Sutter before him had the Devils be more aggressive on offense (both at even strength and on the power play), with defensemen being encouraged to jump up on the play when able and PP units featuring 4 or 5 forwards in a non-desperate situation. That the Devils signed Volchenkov and Tallinder would indicate that the defense certainly won’t be more offensive, however, this will not mean the Devils are going to revert to playing like they did in 1995 – much to the dismay of critics.

[Q] In the current salary cap situation, what kind of Kovalchuk contract offer do you think is healthy for the team, and what kind of figure do you think might handicap the team moving forward? If he is signed, which players might have to be moved to get back to 59.4M?

[JF] Well, in a perfect world, Kovalchuk would do what Kariya did for a season and sign a really low contract for one year and hope it takes him to the promised land. But seriously, the Devils have roughly 4 million in cap space; Rod Pelley was signed, but contract details haven’t come out yet, so it’s less than the 4.7 million listed on CapGeek. The bonus cushion allows the Devils to go up to 9.9 million but they need to dump players regardless. So Kovalchuk signing just at the same salary as he made on his last contract would put the Devils in a difficult spot.

The most likely guys to be dumped in a trade would be Bryce Salvador and Dainius Zubrus. As useful as they are, they each make a solid amount of money more than what they have done: 2.9 for Salvador, 3.8 for Zubrus. While Devils fans would happily flip over Brian Rolston being moved, he’s got a NTC and 2 more years on his $5 million, 35+ year signed contract that won’t go away. Moving him would be incredibly difficult to pull off without the Devils giving away important assets. Ergo, Salvador and Zubrus could be the first choices as players who are moved to make space for Kovalchuk or other players.

[Q] What are the Devils’ needs this offseason?

[JF] The Devils needs positionally would be a two-way/offensive defenseman who’s good on the puck and can make a good first pass and a third line-caliber center who can play the checking role. There are a lot of wingers both at the NHL and AHL level, so there’s not a lot of room unless it’s a winger prospect with some serious offensive skills. Scoring is always a need, but again, if the Devils are able to cram Kovalchuk under the cap, then it may not be so big of an issue.

This blog special was not sponsored by LeBron James.

[Update] Behind the Net Hockey’s Gabriel Desjardins broke down the play of UFA Ilya Kovalchuk by 5-on-5 time on ice, quality of competition, zone starts and CORSI. The comparisons to Vincent Lecavalier, himself struggling under the weight of a milestone contract, are not favorable. One area where Kovalchuk excels according to Desjardins is shooting percentage and PDO, consistently exceeding the league average. In a poll of BTN readers, a salary range of 6-7 million was voted most acceptable for a UFA Kovalchuk.

[Update2] Kovalchuk, Kings taking smart approach to NHL marriage – Eric Duhatschek for the Globe and Mail.

[Update3] Is Ilya Kovalchuk moving closer to signing with Los Angeles Kings? – Rich Chere for the New Jersey Star-Ledger.

Massive NARCh Roller Hockey Finals descends on San Jose July 16th-August 1st, could hit over 400+ teams

NARCH ALUMNI AND CURRENT ANAHEIM DUCKS WINGER BOBBY RYAN

Less than 2 years after a record 435 teams competed in the 2008 NARCh Finals at the Silvercreek Sportsplex in San Jose, the North American Roller Hockey Championship returns with a 2010 edition that again could feature more than 400 teams. “Foreign teams have been an important part of the NARCh Finals and we expect more than ever this year,” NARCh president Daryn Goodwin told California Rubber Magazine last month. “Since California has a bigger base of teams than any other state, we expect a large turnout for the Finals this year.”

Founded in 1994 by Paul Chapey and Jeff Mason during a boom in the sport, Daryn Goodwin took over as NARCh’s sole owner in 2002. It has since grown into the largest roller hockey tournament in the world, and has become one of the largest youth sporting events held indoors. In an email to Sharkspage, Goodwin noted that the tournament features top North American and international teams, and also showcases hockey talent on the West Coast. Three players who played in a June regional event in San Diego, Beau Bennett, Tyler Aronson, and Jason Zucker, where selected last month at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles. 15 NARCh alumni have went on to play in the NHL including Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan, Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler, and Colorado’s Paul Stastney.

The Summer 2010 issue of California Rubber Magazine (PDF file) features a NARCh preview article by Phillip Brentz. According to Brenz, teams to watch are the LA Pama Cyclones (after winning East and West Pro Division Winternationals), Silicon Valley Quakes (winning 4 divisions in the first Norcal regional), the Huntington Beach Ducks (winning 5 divisions in the Socal regional), a powerhouse Team OC/Barron Hockey mite team, and several strong San Diego based Bantam teams. Players to watch according to Brenz are Silicon Valley Quakes atom goaltender Nicholas Payne, Pacific Storm Peewee goaltender Geoffrey Grimm, and Irvine top scorer in the Pro/Platinum division Juaguin Chavtra among many others.

Teams are seeded into Platinum, Gold, Silver and Club tiers according to how they finished in the regional qualifiers, and the tournament is furthur broken down into several age categories (atom, mite, squirt, peewee, bantam, midget, junior, Division 1, Men’s, Women’s, Girls, High School, College, 35+ and NARCh Pro). According to the league, 15% of the NARCh teams competing in the Finals are from outside the U.S. “Approximately 25 are from Canada, 6 from France, 6 from Columbia, 3 from Mexico, 2 from England, and 1 from Brazil and Japan.”

This will be the fourth NARCh event held at the Silvercreek Sportsplex in San Jose this year after the Winternationals in January, and a pair of regional qualifiers. The modern 3-rink facility was created by former San Jose Shark Dave Maley in 2006, and has been described as one of the top inline facilities in North America. It also serves as home to three AIHL professional inline teams, the San Jose Pirates, Northern California Mustangs, and the expansion Norcal Riot.

For more information visit narch.com, the tournament host Silvercreek Sportsplex, or calirubber.com. Thanks for the link by Paul Kukla.

TSN’s Gord Miller reports San Jose signed a 4-year, $14M offer sheet for Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson

REPORT SHARKS MADE 4YR OFFER SHEET TO CHI DEFENSEMAN HJALMARSSON

HJALMARSSON STEPS IN FRONT OF A PUCK, GAME 2 2010 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

According to Bob McKenzie via twitter, TSN’s Gord Miller is reporting that the San Jose Sharks have signed a 4-year, $15M offer sheet to 23-year old Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound native of Eksjo, Sweden registered 17 points in 77 games played for the Blackhawks last season.

Chicago, with 14 players under contract and $3,613,410 in cap space according to Capgeek.com, have 7 days to match the offer sheet. If they do not, the Blackhawks would receive San Jose’s first and third round draft picks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft as compensation. In the last 9 years, only 5 players have received offer sheets (Ryan Kesler, Thomas Vanek, David Backes, Steve Bernier, Dustin Penner). Only the offer sheet made to Dustin Penner was not matched by his original team, the Anaheim Ducks.

It is a great move by the San Jose Sharks and GM Doug Wilson to put the screws to a financially strapped Blackhawks franchise. After winning a Stanley Cup Championship and having several players hit peformance bonuses, the Blackhawks lead the NHL with a 2010-11 salary cap penalty of $4.15 million due to overages. In a series of salary cap moves meant to allievate pressure, Chicago has been forced to move left wing Andrew Ladd, right wing Kris Versteeg, Shark killer Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager and defenseman Brent Sopel among others.

San Jose GM/EVP Doug Wilson made a comment on the offer sheet to NHL.com. “We feel Niklas is a top-three defenseman in the National Hockey League,” he said. “We saw his abilities first-hand in the playoffs last season and he was an important piece of a Stanley Cup-winning team. He is a solid player that would be a good fit on our team now and in the future.”

The Sharks are trying to make offseason adjustments after losing captain Rob Blake to retirement, starting goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to the KHL, and veteran defensive forward Manny Malhotra to Vancouver. The team has yet to re-sign RFA forward Devin Setoguchi, who did not file for salary arbitration by the deadline, but Hjalmarsson could fill a vital role for the Sharks 2010-11 roster moving forward. A possible anchor with Dan Boyle on the first defensive unit, or on a second pair with Marc-Edouard Vlasic, he is a mobile, shutdown defenseman. He would significantly boost a Sharks transition game that has struggled a little with the departure of Christian Ehrhoff two years ago.

While specifics have not been released, a $3.5M average for Hjalmarsson would leave the Sharks with approximately $3.1M in cap space with 9 forwards and 7 defenseman under contract (not including Jay Leach, who recently signed a 2-way contract). The Sharks excel at promoting quality prospects from within the organization, but even with an injection of youth there almost certainly will be more roster turnover if this offer sheet is put through. The organization may have to take a hard look at a Torrey Mitchell or a Kent Husins, and try to balance the salary cap scales moving forward.

A reaction from Second City Hockey’s Sam Fels:

Oh no, panic time! The Sharks have signed Hammer to an offer sheet of four years, 14 million! In all honesty, I really don’t think that’s going to make the Hawks blink. For those who can’t count it breaks down to 3.5 a year, which is obviously high, but not ridiculously so. I got the impression the Hawks were trying to get Hammer in for about 2.5, 2 was always a pipe dream, and this is only 1 million more. Frankly, I’ll be shocked if Hammer isn’t matched. That would probably grease Niemi’s wheels out of town, but I know which one I’d rather have.

Niemi or Hjalmarsson is certainly a much different scenario than the Sharks faced with Marleau vs Nabokov, but with San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson forcing the issue it will limit Chicago’s options. Comment via the Globe and Mail’s David Shoalts, “Win Cup then die the death of 1,000 cuts.”

In other Sharks news, the annual prospect camp reportedly begins today. The Sharks prefer to hold the camp privately with no media or fans in attendance. It has also been reported that the annual “State of the Sharks” question and answer session with season ticket holders is still a go for this summer. The date has not been set. In addition to the rumor the Sharks were the other “major suitor” in on the Jaroslav Halak discussions, the Chronicle also recently reported the Sharks were in on the talks for former Nashville defenseman Dan Hamhuis. An RFA, Hamhuis was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers but ultimately signed as a UFA with the Vancouver Canucks. Also via ESPN’s Alvin Chang, GM Doug Wilson said the Sharks will not pursue UFA goaltender Marty Turco. Also via ESPN Dallas, San Jose and Minnesota have joined Detroit in talking to 40-year old UFA Mike Modano. Local SBN Sharks blog Fear the Fin will host an online call-in show today at 6PM (PT).

[Update] Sharks go after Chicago’s UFA defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson with four-year, $14 million offer – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

[Update2] Sharks Reach Out To RFA Hjalmarsson, Chicago Has Seven Days To Respond To Offer Sheet – SJsharks.com.

[Update3] Sharks sign Hjalmarsson to offer sheet – Jesse Rogers for ESPNChicago.com.

The San Jose Sharks signed Chicago Blackhawks restricted free agent Niklas Hjalmarsson to a four-year, $14 million offer sheet… It’s the first offer sheet to an NHL restricted free agent this year.

“Teams realize Chicago’s position with the salary cap, and Niklas is a good, young player on the rise,” Hjalmarsson’s agent, Kevin Epp, said.

[Update4] Sharks sign Hawks defenceman Hjalmarsson to offer sheet – Eric Duhatschek for the Globe and Mail.

[Update5] Hawks can match Hjalmarsson offer from Sharks – Chicago Tribune.