San Jose Sharks Sign Irwin, Stalock, Groulx and Kearns
Published on July 2, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Worcester Sharks News Release
SAN JOSE - San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has re-signed defenseman Matt Irwin to a one-year contract. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In 2011-12, Irwin played 71 games for the Worcester Sharks, posting 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) and 48 penalty minutes. He finished the season first on the team in shots on goal (209), assists (31), power play goals (9) and power play points (24), and second on the team in points (42).
Amongst all AHL defenseman, Irwin finished the 2011-2012 season first in power play goals, first in shots on goal, tied for ninth in goals and tied for ninth in points. He was named to the 2012 AHL All-Star game where he played for the Eastern Conference.
The six-foot-two, 210-pound native of Victoria, British Columbia was signed by San Jose as a free agent on March 23, 2010.
SHARKS RE-SIGN GOALTENDER ALEX STALOCK
SAN JOSE - San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has re-signed goaltender Alex Stalock to a one-year contract. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Stalock missed the majority of the 2011-12 season due to injury, returning to game action on Jan. 21, 2012 with the Stockton Thunder. In six games with Stockton, he posted a 5-1-0 record with a 2.83 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. After being recalled to the American Hockey League, he appeared in five total games between Worcester and Peoria. At the AHL level, he combined to post a 3-1-0 record with a 1.87 goals against average, a .932 save percentage and one shutout.
In 2010-2011, Stalock posted a 2.63 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 41 games played with Worcester. He also made his NHL debut, earning a relief win on Feb. 2 vs. Phoenix stopping all nine shots that he faced.
During the 2009-10 season, he was an AHL All-Star, named to the AHL-All Rookie Team, and recognized as the Worcester Sharks Team MVP.
The six-foot, 180-pound native of St. Paul, MN was selected by San Jose in the fourth round (112th overall) in the 2005 NHL Draft.
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SHARKS SIGN DEFENSEMAN DANNY GROULX
SAN JOSE - San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the team has signed defenseman Danny Groulx to a one-year contract. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Groulx, 31, spent the last two seasons playing in the KHL. He split the 2011-12 season between Minsk and Khanty-Mansiysk, where he combined to play in 24 games and posted two assists and 22 penalty minutes.
In his last season prior to competing in Russia, Groulx won the Eddie Shore Award, given to the AHL's best defenseman, and was named to the AHL First All Star Team as a member of the Worcester Sharks, San Jose's top development affiliate. That season, he led the league in points by a defenseman (14-5266), which also led Worcester overall.
Since entering the professional ranks in 2002-03, Groulx has spent seven of those seasons in the American Hockey League playing for Grand Rapids, Manitoba, Hamilton, Rockford and Worcester totaling 495 regular season games played and 196 points (38-158196). Aside from his time in Russia, he also spent the 2005-06 season playing for Kassel of the German Elite League.
The six-foot, 205-pound native of LaSalle, Quebec was originally signed as free agent by Detroit on Aug. 12, 2002.
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SHARKS SIGN FORWARD BRACKEN KEARNS
SAN JOSE - San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has signed forward Bracken Kearns to a one-year contract. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In 2011-12, Kearns made his NHL debut, appearing in five games for Florida and amassing 10 penalty minutes. He finished tied for second on San Antonio (AHL) in points (22-3052), tied for third in goals and fourth in penalty minutes (58) in 69 games played. He added seven points (2-57) in 10 Calder Cup Playoff games as well.
Kearns, 31, has appeared in 407 career American Hockey League games with Cleveland, Milwaukee, Norfolk, Rockford and San Antonio registering 220 points (89-131220) and 423 penalty minutes.
The six-foot-one, 205-pound native of Vancouver, BC signed his first NHL contract with Phoenix on July 6, 2010.
American Hockey League Stories from July 2, 2012
- The "Wooo" Returning to IceHogs - Rockford IceHogs
- Bears Sign Defenseman Steve Oleksy - Hershey Bears
- Bears Sign Forward Jon Disalvatore - Hershey Bears
- Bears Sign Forward Jeff Taffe - Hershey Bears
- Bears Sign Forward Alex Berry to One-Year Contract - Hershey Bears
- Jeff Woywitka Returns to Blues/Rivermen - Peoria Rivermen
- Defazio & McDonald Agree to Terms - Bridgeport Islanders
- San Jose Sharks Sign Irwin, Stalock, Groulx and Kearns - Worcester Sharks
- Dallas Stars Sign Toby Petersen and Antoine Roussel to Two-Year Contracts - Texas Stars
- Crunchman Returns in Newly Unveiled Syracuse Crunch Logo - Syracuse Crunch
- DeFazio Agrees to Terms on One-Year Deal - Bridgeport Islanders
- Rivermen Announce Jersey Design Contest - Peoria Rivermen
- Defenseman Garrett Stafford Signed for 2012-2013 - Hershey Bears
- Defenseman Kevin Marshall Returns for 2012-2013 - Hershey Bears
- Anaheim Ducks Sign Jordan Hendry to One-Year Contract - Norfolk Admirals
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