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Sharks Look to Gronk this Weekend - Worcester Sharks Weekly

January 15, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Worcester Sharks News Release


The Sharks four game home stand continues with three games this week highlighted by a Rob Gronkowski PUCK SPIKE bobble giveaway presented by Enterprise Cleaning Corp. on Saturday

Shark Snap Shot:

The Worcester Sharks (19-15-1-2, 41pts) chomped two of a possible eight points in four games last week. The Sharks dropped a 7-3 decision in Portland on Tuesday to wrap up their four game road swing 2-2-0-0. Worcester returned home for an exciting 4-3 overtime victory over the Falcons on Friday but then fell in a 4-1 game at Albany on Saturday. The Sharks ended their four game work week and kicked off a four game home stand with a 3-1 loss to the Pirates on Sunday afternoon at the DCU Center.

The Worcester Sharks player of the week nominee is forward Brodie Reid. Brodie gathered four points (3-1-4) and 13 shots in four games last week to lead the way offensively for Worcester.

More than a few things to know....

* The Sharks are currently in 2nd place (19-15-1-2, 41pts) in the Atlantic Division and 5th place overall in the Eastern Conference.

* Eight players are currently in San Jose and participating in the SJ Sharks training camp (Sheppard, Kearns, Tennyson, Irwin, McCarthy, McLaren, Pelech, Petrecki)

* The Sharks signed former Holy Cross standout and AHL veteran Patrick Rissmiller to a PTO on Jan 9. Rissmiller played parts of four seasons with the San Jose Sharks.

* Worcester is 2-4-0-0 in the month of January.

* Worcester has a 13-7-1-1 record vs. the Atlantic Division this season. - best record within the division.

* The Sharks lead the AHL with 14 one-goal wins. Worcester is 14-5-1-2 in one goal games this season.

* The Sharks lead the AHL with 6 wins when trailing after 40 minutes of play this season (6-11-0-1). In addition the Sharks are 6-2-0-1 when tied after 40 minutes of play.

* Leading scorer Tim Kennedy has 30 points (12-18-30) in 31 games but has missed the last six games due to injury.

* Coach Roy Sommer currently ranks 4th in the AHL with 528 wins in his career (15th season) and 3rd in games coached in the AHL with 1153.

* Worcester has played 10 overtime games this season (4th most in AHL) and leads the AHL with 5 shootout victories.

* The Sharks continue their four game home stand with a 7pm start vs. the Bears on Wednesday, a 7:30pm tilt vs. the Monarchs on Friday, and a 7pm faceoff vs. the Adirondack Phantoms on Saturday.

* Unemployed fans can receive up to four tickets for their family on Wednesday vs. the Bears in partnership with the Workforce Center Career Centers.

* Friday night's game vs. the Monarchs will be the first of five home games televised live on Charter TV3.

* The first 4,000 fans on Saturday will receive a Rob Gronkowski PUCK SPIKE bobblehead presented by Enterprise Cleaning Corp. as the Sharks host the Adirondack Phantoms at 7pm.

Top 3... Last Week!

1. Defenseman Nick Petrecki scored his first goal of the season, the OT game winner at 4:18 in the Sharks 4-3 win over the Falcons on Friday!

2. Harri Sateri was superb with 38 saves in the Sharks 3-1 loss to the Portland Pirates on Sunday!

3. Denny Urban had a power play goal and an assist in his DCU Center debut in the Sharks 4-3 overtime win over the Falcons on Friday!

Last Week: (1-3-0-0) 2pts, 4gp

Tue. 1/8 L Worcester SHARKS 3 @ Portland Pirates 7

Fri. 1/11 OTW Springfield Falcons 3 @ Worcester SHARKS 4

Sat. 1/12 L Worcester SHARKS 1 @ Albany Devils 4

Sun. 1/13 L Portland Pirates 3 @ Worcester SHARKS 1

This week:

Wed. 1/16 Hershey Bears @ Worcester SHARKS - 7pm

Fri. 1/18 Manchester Monarchs @ Worcester SHARKS - 7:30pm

Sat. 1/19 Adirondack Phantoms @ Worcester SHARKS - 7pm

Rewind the Tape:

1.8.13 - Worcester 3 - Portland 7 - L - Cumberland County Civic Center

The Worcester Sharks (18-13-1-2, 39pts) led 2-0 and 3-2 but the Pirates scored the final five goals as Worcester dropped a 7-3 decision to the Portland Pirates (21-12-1-1, 44pts) on Tuesday evening in front of 2,800 fans at the Cumberland County Civic Center. The Sharks finished 2-2-0-0 on their four game road trip. Denny Urban scored his first AHL goal while James Sheppard and Jon Matsumoto each picked up two assists in the loss for Worcester. Brodie Reid scored his 6th and 7th goals of the season and Alex Stalock allowed seven goals on 39 shots as the Pirates scored the final five goals for the 7-3 win.

1.11.13 - Worcester 4 - Springfield 3 - OTW - DCU Center

The Worcester Sharks (19-13-1-2, 41pts) topped the Northeast Division leading Springfield Falcons (19-9-3-3, 44pts) 4-3 in a see-saw overtime thriller on Friday evening in front of 3,663 fans at the DCU Center. Sharks defenseman Nick Petrecki (1st) delivered the knockout blow in overtime, burying the game-winner with 42 seconds remaining. The Sharks led 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and eventually won 4-3. Denny Urban (2nd), Bracken Kearns (9th), and Freddie Hamilton (5th) also scored for Worcester. Harri Sateri was great in net for the Sharks, making 25 saves on 28 shots, giving his team a chance to win as John McCarthy and Jon Matsumoto each had two assists.

1.12.13 - Worcester 1 - Albany 4 - L - Times Union Center

The Worcester Sharks (19-14-1-2, 41pts) fell 4-1 to the Albany Devils (14-12-1-6, 35pts) on Saturday evening in front of 7,321 fans at the Times Union Center. Eight healthy regulars did not dress for Worcester (Tennyson, McCarthy, McLaren, Sheppard, Kearns, Irwin, Pelech, and Petrecki) as Patrick Rissmiller made his return to the Sharks organization in the 4-1 loss. Freddie Hamilton scored in his 2nd straight game and former Sharks winger Steve Zalewski scored and added an assist for the Devils. Alex Stalock made 24 saves in the loss for Worcester.

1.13.13 - Worcester 1 - Portland 3 - L - DCU Center

The Worcester Sharks (19-15-1-2, 41pts) fell to the division rival Portland Pirates (23-12-1-1, 48pts) 3-1 on Sunday afternoon in front of 4,728 fans at the DCU Center. Harri Sateri took the loss in the game, despite turning aside 38 of the 40 shots that he faced. Brodie Reid (8th) scored the lone goal for the Sharks in the loss, with Pat Rissmiller assisting on the goal for his first point in a Worcester Sharks uniform. Brett Hextall (6th), Chris Conner (7th), and Jordan Szwarz (6th) each had a goal in the game for Portland. Conner's goal was the game-winner that came on a 3-on-3 in the second period.

Sharks in the Atlantic:

The Sharks (19-15-1-2, 41pts in 37gp) are currently in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division; which is seven points behind the 1st place Pirates (48pts in 37gp) and one point ahead the 3rd place Bruins (40pts in 35gp). The Sharks have a three point edge over the 4th place Monarchs (38pts in 37gp) and a seven point lead over the 5th place IceCaps (34pts in 38gp) to round out a very choppy Atlantic Division.

Coaching Milestones....

*1000 GAMES... With the 3-1 victory at Springfield on January 14, 2011, head coach Roy Sommer became just the 4th coach in AHL history to reach the 1,000 games plateau.

*500 WINS!.... With a 3-2 shootout victory in Hershey on February 11, 2012, head coach Roy Sommer became just the 4th coach in AHL history to reach the 500 win plateau.

AHL COACHING WINS - ALL-TIME

1. Fred "Bun" Cook 1937-56 19seasons 1,171GP 636 WINS

2. Frank Mathers 1956-85 18seasons 1,256GP 610 WINS

3. John Paddock 1981-2010 16seasons 1,125GP 589 WINS

4. Roy Sommer 1998-current 15seasons 1,153GP 528WINS

*Worcester Sharks Head Coach Roy Sommer, who plays a major role in developing players for the San Jose Sharks, is currently the longest-tenured coach (15th season) in the American Hockey League. His current regular season record is now: 528-451 -49 -48-47. (W-L-T-OTL-SOL)

*In Coach Sommer's first AHL victory.... The Kentucky Thoroughblades defeated the Albany River Rats 6-4 at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky on October 17th 1998. Coincidentally, Associate Coach David Cunniff recorded an assist as a member of the River Rats in the hockey game.

*Associate Coach David Cunniff has joined Coach Sommer in 373 of the 528 victories (71%).

*ECHL... Coach Sommer also has 176 wins in the ECHL coaching in five seasons with Roanoke Valley and Richmond.

Shark Bites:

*Captains for the 2012-13 season: John McCarthy was named the Sharks 5th captain in team history on October 11, 2012. Alternate captains for this season: Home: Danny Groulx and Bracken Kearns. Away: Matt Pelech and Tim Kennedy.... Jimmy Bonneau, Brandon Mashinter, James Livingston, and Jon Matsumoto have also all worn the "A" this season.

*From east to west..... Eight Worcester Sharks players are currently participating in the San Jose Sharks NHL training camp which began on Sunday. (Sheppard, Kearns, Tennyson, Irwin, McCarthy, McLaren, Pelech, Petrecki)

*January by the numbers... The Sharks are 2-4-0-0 (4pts in 6gp) in January with 11 GF and 21 GA. PP is 3-25 (12.0%), opponents PP is 5-27 (18.5%) and the Sharks have four fighting majors this month.

*Streakers... no current streakers for Worcester.

*Rissmiller back with Sharks organization!.... the Sharks signed the veteran to a PTO on Jan 9. Rissmiller, a 34-year-old Belmont, MA native and Holy Cross alum has played 523 AHL games for Cleveland, Hartford, Grand Rapids, Chicago, Lake Erie, and Rochester where he accumulated 352 points (125-227-352). He has also played 192 games in the NHL with San Jose, New York Rangers, Atlanta, and Florida recording 46 points (18-28-46) and 60 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-4, 220lb forward had his best NHL season with the San Jose Sharks in 2006-07 as he amassed 22 points (7-15-22) in 79 games. He played four seasons under coach Roy Sommer in Cleveland.

*Wilson back with Worcester!.... Wilson, a 25-year-old North Vancouver, BC native returns to the Sharks blue line where he spent two seasons for the Sharks through 2008-10 recording 20 points (6-14-20) in 85 games. The 6-foot-1, 190 lbs defenseman has played 36 games with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) this season where he recorded 23 points (2-21-23) and 28 penalty minutes.

*Other New faces... the Sharks have signed several players over the last few weeks due to injury and the end of the NHL Lockout. New player snap shot:

Defenseman Denny Urban... the Pittsburgh, PA native and Robert Morris alum has been impressive in his first AHL action with the Sharks as he has five points (2-3-5) in eight games with Worcester... Urban was named an ECHL All-Star starter as he scored 13 goals with the Reading Royals at the time of his signing with the Sharks to a PTO.

o Daniil Tarasov and Mikael Tam both returned from San Francisco in the ECHL.

o Defenseman Sacha Guimond was signed to a PTO from San Francisco (ECHL) and has played two games with Worcester (0-0-0).

o Forward Andy Bohmbach (Trenton ECHL) was signed to a PTO on Jan 13 and played one game with the Sharks and released on Jan 14.

o In addition forward Michael Pelech (Cincinnati ECHL) and defenseman William Wrenn (Alaska ECHL) were signed to PTO's on Jan 15. Michael Pelech is the younger brother of Matt Pelech.

*Score first... the Sharks have scored FIRST 19 times in 37 games last season with a 11-7-0-1 record in those games. (Tim Kennedy 4, Yanni Gourde 1, Freddie Hamilton 2, John McCarthy 1, Brodie Reid 2, Travis Oleksuk 1, Matt Tennyson 2, Jon Matsumoto 2, James Livingston 2, and James Sheppard 1, and Denny Urban 1)

*AHL Player of the Week!.... for the 3rd time in franchise history the Sharks had the AHL's player of the week awarded on Dec 3 . Tim Kennedy was named the AHL's POW (joining Thomas Greiss and Tommy Wingels) after posting five goals (5-0-5), +5, and a shootout score in three games for the Sharks. Kennedy currently leads the Sharks with 30 points (12-18-30) but has missed the last six games due to injury.

*Pro Debut: Forward Daniil Tarasov made his professional debut on Nov 4 vs. the Monarchs. The 21-year-old became the first player born in Russia (Moscow) to suit up for the Worcester Sharks. Daniil scored 47 goals in 60 games last year for the Indiana Ice of the USHL. Tarasov has 14 points (3-11-14) in 17 games with San Francisco in the ECHL and one assist in four games with Worcester.

*5 National Champions... The Sharks have five players that have won the NCAA Division 1 Championship.... Travis Oleksuk with University Minnesota Duluth in 2011... John McCarthy was co-captain for Boston University in 2009... Nick Petrecki and Mike Brennan with Boston College in 2008... and Tim Kennedy with Michigan State in 2007.

*5 years and counting... Sharks forward Jon Matsumoto has recorded at least 20+ goals (20,29,30,20,23) in five straight seasons in the AHL heading into his first season with Worcester in 2012-13. Jon has 9 goals through 31 games this season for Worcester and current leads the team with three game winning goals.

*OT? The Worcester Sharks have played ten games in OT this season with a .700 point % (4th in AHL) in those games. The Sharks are 2-1 in overtime and 5-2 in the shootout.

*Keeping your hat on (Thanks Ballou)... Worcester has gone 220 games since one of its players recorded a hat trick. That is easily the longest active streak in the AHL. The Sharks' last hat trick belongs to Dan DaSilva, who scored three times in Portland during a 5-2 Worcester victory in Portland on Feb. 14, 2010. No Worcester player has recorded a hat trick on home ice in more than three years, or since P.J. Fenton had one on Feb. 28, 2009 in the Sharks' 7-3 victory over Springfield. The home-ice drought has lasted for 141 games. In the meantime, Worcester has had 44 two-goal games, including five each by Benn Ferriero, Brandon Mashinter and T.J. Trevelyan. In all, Worcester players have recorded hat tricks only seven times in the franchise's 513 games. The Sharks are 7-0 in those games and 1-11-3 in the 15 games in which the opposition has had a hat trick.

*Shootout scorers.... The Sharks rank 13th in the AHL with a .324 scoring percentage (11-for-34) in the shootout. (McCarthy 2-for-4, Sheppard 4-for-7, Matsumoto 3-for-6, Tim Kennedy 1-for-6, Sebastian Stalberg 0-for-2, Travis Oleksuk 0-for-4, Brandon Mashinter 1-for-2, Brodie Reid 0-for-3)... Sheppard leads the AHL with 4 shootout goals and 2 game winning shootout goals this season.

*Leaders among us... James Sheppard leads the AHL with four shootout goals and two game winning shootout goals... Matt Tennyson is 2nd among AHL rookies with 11 power play assists...Matt Pelech ranks 2nd among AHL defensemen with 133 penalty minutes.

*Nice Crowd... The Sharks have welcomed five crowds over 5,000 fans during the 2012-13 season (6,659 on Oct 20 - 5,098 on Nov 17 - 6,621 on Deb 8, 5,008 on Dec 28, and 6,503 on Dec 29)

*1,000,000th fan... The Sharks welcomed their 1,000,000th fan (season ticket holder Peter West) through the DCU Center turnstiles on Oct 28. Currently, the Sharks have had 1,053,644 fans attend a regular season game in the 6+ years in Worcester. (4,148 average in 254 home games).

*Worcester/Manchester Rivalry... the Sharks and Monarchs combined for 567 penalty minutes in the 12 games (275WOR, 292 MCH) and 25 sets of fighting major penalties in 2011-12. Worcester went 3-6-2-1 vs. Manchester last season and the series featured a pre game brawl in the series final at the DCU Center on April 10. The Sharks are 5-2-0-0 vs. Manchester this season with seven sets of fighting majors. The two teams battle on Jan 18 at the DCU Center.

*Sharks/Pirates Rivalry... the Sharks and the Pirates had a bench clearing brawl in Portland on April 7, 2012 after the 12th and final meeting between the two teams. The bad blood has carried over this season with the Sharks holding a 3-5-0-0 record so far in the season series that has seen 31 fighting majors penalties and 409 total penalty minutes (200 WOR, 209 POR). The two teams combined for 15 fighting majors and 143 penalty minutes in a 5-1 Sharks victory on Nov 24 at the DCU Center. The two teams meet again on Feb 1 at Portland.

*Crazy 8's - the Sharks set a home ice Worcester hockey record with eight fighting majors vs. the Pirates in a 5-1 win on Nov 24 at the DCU center.

*PP Specialist...Matt Irwin's 15 career power-play goals have put him in good position to set some team records, but he is not there yet. He tied the record for most power-play goals in a season by a Sharks defenseman with nine in 2011-12, also done by Garrett Stafford in 2006-07. The career record is 16, done by Derek Joslin.... Irwin is currently at San Jose Sharks training camp.

*Tallest Shark.... Worcester Sharks rookie defenseman Taylor Doherty is the tallest player in team history standing at 6'7" 235lbs.... Doherty scored his first professional goal in game #70 and added an assist in the Sharks 3-2OTL to the IceCaps on Nov 3. Doherty has missed the last 17 games with a leg injury.

*Penalty Shot!.... Brandon Mashinter was denied on a penalty shot late in the 3rd period at Hershey on Dec 15 as Braden Holtby made the save... the Sharks are 3-for-10 in penalty shot situations in franchise history with Mash as the only player ever to take more than one (0-for-2).

*First Pro Goals this season... Travis Oleksuk and Taylor Doherty each scored their first professional goals on Nov 3... Freddie Hamilton scored his first on Nov 9.

*Sharks in the Atlantic... Worcester is 13-7-1-1 in divisional games in 2012-13 - best record within the division.

*Super Sunday.... the Sharks are 6-3-0-0 on Sunday afternoons this season and perfect on the road 4-0-0-0!

*3rd period Heroes... Worcester is 6-11-0-1 when trailing after two periods of play this season. (6 wins most in AHL).... the Sharks were 5-44-4-7 in that situation the last two seasons combined.

*20 goal scorers?... The Sharks have four players that have scored at least 20+ goals in a season in the AHL... John McCarthy scored 20 goals last year for Worcester, Jon Matsumoto has score 20+ goals in AHL in each of the last five seasons, Bracken Kearns has scored 20+ goals in each of the last two seasons, and Brandon Mashinter scored 22 goals with Worcester in 2009-10.

*These Sharks have teeth Take 2?.... Worcester finished 1st in the AHL in penalty minutes averaging 21.32 penalty minutes per game and were 1st with 120 fighting major penalties in 2011-12. Worcester ranks 5th with 22.14 penalty minutes per game this season and 3rd with 45 fighting majors.

*90 PIMS... the Sharks recorded an AHL high 90 penalty minutes in Worcester's 5-4 win at Providence on Dec 21. (15 minors, 2 majors, 3 misconducts, 2 game misconducts)

*Welcome back Groulx... Defensemen Danny Groulx is back with the Sharks after spending the last two seasons in the KHL. With Worcester in 2009-10, Groulx was named the Best Defensemen in the AHL (Eddie Shore Award) and First Team AHL All-Star as he racked up 66 points (14-52-55) in 80 games. Groulx has 8 points (2-6-8) in 16 games this season. Groulx has missed the last 18 games due to injury.

*Yanni scores shorthanded.... Finally!... Sharks rookie forward Yanni Gourde scored the first Sharks shorthanded goal of the season on Dec 2 in Providence. The Sharks had not scored a shorthanded goal in their previous 70 games spanning 306 shorthanded opportunities.

*Sherriff McLaren... Sharks tough guy Frazer McLaren ranks 1st all-time in Worcester Sharks history with 577 penalty minutes (54 FM) in 217 games. Frazer had an AHL single game high this season with 37 penalty minutes on Dec 21 at Providence. Watch Frazer's marathon fight vs. Joel Rechlicz from Jan 8 by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?veJhIFfNb-n4

*Tennyson chipping in... rookie defenseman Matt Tennyson has been impressive from the blue line this season! The Minneapolis, MN native and former SJ Jr. Shark has 17 points (3-14-17) through 34 games this season. Tennyson has 13 power play points (2-11-13).

*Massachusetts!... the Sharks have two player that hail from Massachusetts that suited up for the team this season (John McCarthy - Andover and Patrick Rissmiller - Belmont) In addition, associate coach David Cunniff hails from South Boston.

*Hockey East Alumni!... the Worcester Sharks have seven players from Hockey East Schools (Irwin - UMass-Amherst, McCarthy - BU, Reid - NU, Petrecki and Brennan - BC, Stalberg - Vermont, Banwell - UMaine)

*BC leading the way.... The Sharks signed BC alum Mike Brennan to a PTO on Nov 27. Brennan became the 5th former BC defensemen and 6th player overall that has suited up for the Sharks over the last seven seasons. Brennan has three points (0-3-3) in 19 games for the Sharks and 2 fighting majors.

*Rookies... the Sharks have dressed 10 rookies already this season. (Travis Oleksuk, Sebastian Stalberg, Matt Tennyson, Freddie Hamilton, Yanni Gourde, Mikael Tam, Daniil Tarasov, Mike Banwell, Denny Urban, Sacha Guimond, and Andy Bohmbach)

*I'll take a draft... Eight Worcester Sharks players were drafted by the San Jose Sharks. (McLaren, Hamilton, Stalock, Doherty, McCarthy, Petrecki, Sateri, and Viedensky,)

*NHL Experience.... The Sharks have had ten players on their roster with NHL experience led by James Sheppard with 224.... Breaking down the rest....Patrick Rissmiller 192, Tim Kennedy 112, John McCarthy 51, Frazer McLaren 39, Jon Matsumoto 14, Bracken Kearns 5, Matt Pelech 5, Brandon Mashinter 13, and Alex Stalock 1.

*Franchise player?... Sharks forward Brandon Mashinter ranks in the top 10 in many of the Worcester Sharks all-time records.... Mash ranks 4th all time in goals (54), 2nd in games played (236), 7th in points (108), 6th in penalty minutes (320) and 4th in fighting majors with 34.... Brandon is also the only Sharks player to record two seasons of double digits in goals and fighting major penalties (2009-10 and 2010-11).

*50 saves... Harri Sateri made an AHL high 50 saves in the Sharks 3-2SOW at Providence on Dec 2. Sateri also went 5-for-5 in the shootout in the victory. The 50 saves was the 2nd most ever by a Sharks netminder. Thomas Greiss holds the record with 51 saves in a 4-1 win vs. Hartford on April 6, 2007.

*First Rounders... the Sharks have three players that were drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft... James Sheppard was the 9th overall pick by Minnesota in 2006, Matt Pelech was the 26th overall pick by Calgary in 2005, and Nick Petrecki was the 28th pick overall by San Jose in 2007.

*Sheppard in AHL... with 224 NHL games under his belt before an AHL conditioning stint for four games last year with Worcester, Sharks forward James Sheppard signed an AHL contract at the start of the 2012-13 season. The 9th overall draft selection by the Wild in 2006, has 23 points (8-15-23) and an AHL high 4 shootout goals in 34 games with the Sharks this season. Sheppard is currently at the San Jose Sharks training camp.

*Closing in on Greiss.... Sharks netminder Alex Stalock has 71 career wins with Worcester, trailing only Thomas Greiss (74) for the most in franchise history.

*200 games... Sharks defensemen Nick Petrecki is 5th in Sharks history with 216 games played... Nick also ranks 4th in penalty minutes with 395.... Nick is currently at the San Jose Sharks training camp.

*Younger Brother... Sebastian Stalberg joined Worcester on March 15, 2012 after he signed an NHL contract with San Jose and finished his junior season at the University of Vermont. Sebastian is the younger brother of Viktor Stalberg, who currently plays with the Chicago Blackhawks. Sebastian has 10 points (6-4-10) in 32 games with the Sharks this season. The native of Gothenburg, Sweden finished with 27 goals in 106 games with Vermont.

*Older Brother... Sharks forward Freddie Hamilton made his professional debut with the Sharks on Friday in Norfolk. Freddie recorded 86 points (35-51-86) with Niagara (OHL) in 61 games last season. Freddie is the older brother of the Dougie Hamilton who was drafted by the Boston Bruins with the 9th pick overall in 2011. Dougie is currently attending the Boston Bruins training camp. Freddie has 13 points (6-7-13) in 37 games this season. Freddie is the only skater to appear in all 37 games this season for Worcester.

*Like Father, Like Son... Rookie Curt Gogol finished 3rd on the Sharks with 167 penalty minutes and 2nd with 19 fighting majors through 53 games in 2011-12... his father Brent racked up 892 penalty minutes in 157 professional games in the IHL, CHL, EHL, and the AHL including 380 pims in 1978-79 in 57 games with the Flint Generals. Curt has 4 fighting majors, 80 penalty minutes, and 3 goals through 23 games this season.

*Piling up the PIMS with Pelech... Defenseman Matt Pelech played in his 300th AHL game on Oct 20 vs. the Devils. The 6-foot-5 bruising defenseman from Toronto, ONT has accumulated 888 penalty minutes and 68 fighting majors in 320 AHL games. "Pelly" leads the Sharks with 133 penalty minutes this season in 27 games. Pelech has been suspended twice by the AHL this season totaling 7 games. Matt is currently at the San Jose Sharks training camp.

*Major Bonneau... Worcester Sharks tough guy Jimmy Bonneau racked up 22 fighting majors in 54 games in 2011-12 for the Sharks. Bonneau has set the Worcester Sharks record for most fighting majors in a season surpassing Frazer McLaren (21 in 2008-09). Jimmy has 96 fighting majors in 260 AHL games along with 743 penalty minutes.... Jimmy has 4 fighting majors and 22 penalty minutes through 11 games this season.

*Acolatse can throw... Worcester Sharks rookie defenseman Sena Acolatse has been quite impressive in his first eight professional hockey fights this season. The 5-11, 205 pounder and native of Hayward, CA native fought Richard Clune, Brett Hextall, Dane Byers, Stephane Veilleux, Andre Deveaux, J.D. Watt, and Garth Murray in 2011-12. Sena led the Prince George Cougars in WHL with 15 fighting majors in 66 games in 2010-11, and also added 15 goals. Acolatse added eight goals from the blue line for Worcester in 2011-12. Sena has 4 fights (Hanson, Lane, Louis, Andreoff) this season through 27 games. Sena has missed the last seven games due to a broken jaw.

*Acolatse can score!..... Dating back to last season, Sena has 10 goals in his last 37 game played; including four goals in 27 games this season!

*Five for fighting... The Sharks finished with 120 fighting majors in 2011-12 (franchise record) good for 1st in the AHL... this season, the Sharks have 45 fighting majors through 37 games and rank 3rd in the AHL (Pelech 9, Kearns 4, Bonneau 4, McLaren 7, Banwell 1, Gogol 4, Mashinter 4, Acolatse 4, Reid 1, Gourde 1, Brennan 2, Livingston 2, Tam 1, Petrecki 1). The Sharks had 81 fighting majors in 2010-11, 73 fighting majors in 2009-10, 78 fighting majors in 2008-09, 68 fighting majors in 2007-08 and 54 in 2006-07.

Season by the numbers...

Record: 19-15-1-2, 41 points - 2nd in Atlantic and 5th in Eastern Conference

Win percentage: .554% - 14th in AHL

Home Record: 8-6-1-1

Away Record: 11-9-0-1

Attendance: 62,930 through 16 games (3,933 average)

Goals Scored: 97, 2.62 goals per game, 21st in AHL

Goals Allowed: 110, 2.97 goals against per game, 20th in AHL

Shots per game: 29.46 - 21st in AHL

Shots allowed per game: 30.84 - 17th in AHL

Score 1st: 11-7-0-1 when scoring first (.605%)

1 goal games: 14-5-1-2 in one goal games -14 wins most in AHL

PP: 16.8%, 16th in AHL (30-179)

PK: 81.7%, 21st in AHL (31-169)

SHG - 1 shorthanded goals scored

SHGA - 4 shorthanded goals allowed

PIMS - 22.14 penalty minutes per game, 5th in AHL

Fighting Majors: 45 - 3rd in AHL

OT Games - 10 - (2-1 record in OT) - Hamilton and Petrecki OTG

SO Games - 7 - (5-2 record in SO)

Roster Players - the Sharks have used 34 players this season

Goalies - the Sharks have used 2 goaltenders this season

Players receiving call-ups to San Jose - 6

NHL debuts - 0 Worcester players made their NHL debuts this season

Call-ups to San Jose - 6 different call-ups to San Jose this season

Coming and goings from the Shark Tank:

Date Player Team Transaction

01/15/2013 William Wrenn (D) Worcester ADD Signed to PTO

01/14/2013 Andy Bohmbach (LW) Worcester DEL Released from PTO

01/14/2013 Michael Pelech (C) Worcester ADD Signed to PTO

01/13/2013 Andy Bohmbach (LW) Worcester ADD Signed to PTO

01/13/2013 Bracken Kearns (C) Worcester DEL Recalled from loan by San Jose (NHL)

01/13/2013 Frazer McLaren (LW) Worcester DEL Recalled from loan by San Jose (NHL)

01/13/2013 John McCarthy (LW) Worcester DEL Recalled from loan by San Jose (NHL)

01/13/2013 Matt Irwin (D) Worcester DEL Recalled from loan by San Jose (NHL)

01/13/2013 Matt Pelech (D) Worcester DEL Recalled from loan by San Jose (NHL)

01/13/2013 Matt Tennyson (D) Worcester DEL Recalled from loan by San Jose (NHL)

01/12/2013 Sacha Guimond (D) Worcester ADD Signed to PTO

01/09/2013 Patrick Rissmiller (LW) Worcester ADD Signed to PTO

01/08/2013 Daniil Tarasov (RW) Worcester ADD Recalled from loan to San Francisco (ECHL)

01/08/2013 Michael Wilson (D) Worcester ADD Signed to PTO

01/08/2013 Mikael Tam (D) Worcester ADD Recalled from loan to San Francisco (ECHL)

Top Worcester Sharks:

o Goals Kennedy (12)

o Game Winners Matsumoto (3)

o Assists Kennedy (18)

o Points Kennedy (12-18-30)

o Power Play Points Kennedy (4-9-13) and Tennyson (2-11-13)

o Shots Irwin (84 shots)

o PIM Pelech (133)

o Fighting Pen. Pelech (9)

o Plus/Minus Kennedy (+5)

o Wins Stalock (12)

o G.A.A. Stalock (2.78)

o Save % Sateri (.909)

o Shutouts Stalock (1)

Sharks in the ECHL:

The San Francisco Bulls are 13-19-1-4 (31pts in 37gp) and currently in 4th place in the Pacific Division.

Sharks players under an AHL contract currently playing in San Francisco include:

* G Taylor Nelson (2-6-2 record) with a 4.11 GAA and a .865 save %.

* G Thomas Heemskerk (11-12-1 record) with a 3.26 GAA and a .899 save %.

* F Marek Viedensky has 16 points (7-9-16) in 16 games played.

Week ahead for the Bulls:

* Fri. Jan 18 at 10:30pm (EST) at Stockton

* Sat. Jan 19 at 10:15pm (EST) vs. Stockton

* Sun. Jan 20 at 7:05pm (EST) at Stockton

Coming Up for the Worcester Sharks:

On Wednesday, the Sharks host the Hersey Bears at 7pm. Price Chopper Advantage Rewards Card holders can purchase tickets for just $11. Doors open at 3:45pm for the 1st annual Frozen Feud Hockey Clash between the Worcester Wildcats and the Northbridge Rams. Catch two great hockey games for the price of one! Also, it's the first of four Wednesday night home games where unemployed Sharks fans can receive up to four free tickets to the game. For more details please visit SharksAHL.com.

On Friday, the Sharks host the Manchester Monarchs at 7:30pm on another $2-$2-$2 Friday with $2 hot dogs, pop corn and soda app night long! The game will be shown live on Charter TV3 with coverage beginning at 7:30pm.

On Saturday, the Sharks host the Adirondack Phantoms at 7pm. The first 4,000 fans will receive a Rob Gronkowski PUCK SPIKE bobblehead brought to you by Enterprise Cleaning Corp. Doors open at 3:30pm for the 3rd annual high school hockey faceoff between Auburn and Wachusett! Catch two great hockey games for the price of one!

Score a family fun pack today for only $79! Four tickets, four hot dogs, and four sodas for a portion of the price! Available only through the Sharks front office for every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday games this season! Click HERE to purchase today!

2012-13 Flex ticket packages are on sale now! Score your 40 or 10 ticket flex package by contacting the Worcester Sharks front office at 508-929-0500. You decide how many tickets and how many games YOU want to attend while saving $$$ off box office pricing! It is that EASY!

Bring a group to sing the national anthem, book a fundraising event, host a birthday party, or have a blast in the high fin tunnel.... secure your personalized Sharks experience today!

Contact Worcester Sharks ticket representatives Jason Jones, Jonathan Forsberg, Kristyn Galante, Sarah Farley, and Ben Masse for your customized ticket package today! Jump in today and save up to 45% off box office prices!

Call the Sharks front office at 508.929.0500 or crash the net at www.SharksAHL.com.

Socialize with the Worcester Sharks all year long! Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WorcesterSharks, follow us on Twitter @WorcesterSharks, and download the Worcester Sharks App for free on your Droid or iPhone today!

All games can be heard live on 580AM and 94.9FM WTAG, as well as online through AHL Live, by following the link on the Sharks website at www.SharksAHL.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 15, 2013


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