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Sharks Pack DCU Center to Kick off Five Game Home Stretch

January 27, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Worcester Sharks News Release


Shark Snap Shot: The Worcester Sharks (20-17-3-1, 44pts) chomped four out of a possible eight points last week (2-2-0-0) during a busy week which featured four divisional games. The Sharks had a season long six game point streak (5-0-1-0) snapped on Friday in Manchester but returned home to the DCU Center and split a pair of games on home ice in front of 14,146 fans.

Worcester matched a season high six game point streak (5-0-1-0) in Lewiston, ME on Tuesday with a 6-3 victory over the Portland Pirates but closed out a four game road trip (2-1-1-0) with a 2-1 loss in Manchester on Friday. The Sharks fell 3-2 to the Bruins on Saturday in front of the 3rd largest crowd in franchise history at the DCU Center (9,055) to kick off a five game home stand and closed out the busy week on Sunday with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Manchester Monarchs in front of 5,091 at the DCU.

Dan DaSilva recorded his 2nd career hat trick with the Sharks and added an at the Pirates on Tuesday, had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick vs. the Bruins on Saturday, and closed out with the shootout game winner on Sunday vs. the Monarchs. Yanni Gourde continued his fine play with five points (1-4-5) and a shootout goal in four games while defensemen Matt Tennyson (3-2-5) and Sena Acolatse (2-2-4) had strong weeks offensively for Worcester. Goaltender Harri Sateri started all four games (2-2-0) and Jimmy Bonneau scored his 2nd goal of the season in his 300th AHL career game on Sunday to close out an eventful week for the Sharks.

The Worcester Sharks player of the week nominee is goaltender Dan DaSilva. The 28-year-old forward from Saskatoon, SASK recorded seven points (4-3-7), fired 15 shots, was +2, scored a game winner in the shootout, and picked up a fighting major in four games last week. DaSilva began the week by scoring his 2nd career hat trick and added an assist in the 6-3 win at the Pirates on Tuesday, had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick vs the Bruins on Saturday, and added an assist and scored the game winner in the shootout on Sunday vs. the Monarchs.

The Sharks five game home stand at the DCU Center continues with three games this week. The Sharks entertain the Binghamton Senators on Wednesday at 7pm, the Falcons on Friday at 7:30pm, and the Bruins on Saturday at 7pm.

MILESTONE ALERT:

Forward Jimmy Bonneau has skated in his 300th AHL game on Sunday vs. the Manchester Monarchs. "Bone-Saw" scored his 10th career AHL goal in the Sharks 4-3SOW in the contest.

Head Coach Roy Sommer is 23 games away from tying Frank Mathers (1256 games coached) for the most games coached in AHL history. Coach Sommer has coached 1233 AHL games - all with the SJ Sharks AHL affiliates.

PROMOTIONS: On Wednesday, the Sharks host the Binghamton Senators at 7pm. Unemployed Sharks fans can receive up to four free tickets courtesy of Sharks Charities by providing proof of unemployment and identification. Doors will open at 3:45pm for the 2nd annual High School Hockey Feud between the Worcester Wildcats and the Northbridge Rams at 4pm.

On Friday, the Sharks host the Springfield Falcons at 7:30pm on $2-$2-$2 Friday! Hotdogs, popcorn, and soda are just $2 during Friday night home games.

On Saturday, the Sharks host the Providence Bruins during the 3rd annual PINK in the RINK Night presented by Pepsi to benefit the Cup Crusaders! The Sharks will skate on PINK ice and wear a specialty PINK jersey which will be auctioned off during the game! Doors open at 3:30pm for the 8th annual High School Hockey Classic between the St. John's Pioneers and the St. Peter Guardians at 4pm. The game will be shown live on Charter TV3!

Few things to know....

* The Worcester Sharks are currently in 4th place (20-17-3-1, 44pts) in the Atlantic Division and 11th place overall in the Eastern Conference. - the Sharks trail the 8th and final playoff spot by just six points with one game in hand over the Hershey Bears.

* The San Jose Sharks currently have 14 players on their roster that have spent time in Worcester (Couture, Desjardins, Pavelski, Sheppard, Wingels, Braun, Demers, Stalock, Irwin, Vlasic, Nieto, McCarthy, Kearns, and Hayes,).

* The San Jose Sharks are currently in 2nd place in the Pacific Division and 4th place in the Western Conference with 74 points and a 34-12-6 record. - the Sharks have won six straight games!

* Defenseman Taylor Doherty was loaned back to Worcester on Jan 26 and is expected back in the Worcester Sharks lineup on Wednesday. Doherty did not appear in any games for San Jose during recall.

* Forward Dan DaSilva became just the 2nd player in franchise history to record two hat tricks (Mike Iggulden the other) with his four point performance (3-1-4) on Jan 21 at Portland. With 17pts (8-9-17) in 27 games this season, DaSilva is know tied with Mike Iggulden for 5th all-time in Worcester Sharks history with 123 points (51-72-123) in 205 games.

* Goaltender Thomas Heemskerk was released from PTO on Jan 26 and went back to Fort Wayne in the Central Hockey League as Troy Grosenick returned from injury on Sunday.

* Veteran Bracken Kearns is ranked 3rd in Worcester with 18 points (5-13-18), tops in power play points (3-7-10), and played in his 500th AHL game on Dec 28 vs. the IceCaps. Kearns was recalled by the SJ Sharks on Dec 28 and scored his 1st NHL goal in a 3-1 win over the Ducks on Dec 29. Bracken currently has three goals and an assist in 15 games with the SJ Sharks this season and is currently on recall.

* Despite missing 14 games due to injury, Daniil Tarasov leads Worcester with 22 points (11-11-22) through just 27 games. Tarasov has three game winning goals and also has a shootout game winner.

* 2nd year pro Freddie Hamilton leads the club with 12 goals, tied for 1st with 22 points (12-10-22), and tops with five 1st goals. Freddie has skated in 11 games with the SJ Sharks this season and is still looking for his 1st NHL point.

* Matt Tennyson (5-10-15 in 35gp) leads all Worcester defensemen in pts (15), goals (5), and power play points (3-6-9).

* Worcester Sharks alumni Matt Nieto (Oct 8 vs. NYR), Matt Pelech (Oct 10 at VAN), and Bracken Kearns (Dec 29 vs. ANA) each have scored their first career NHL goals for the SJ Sharks this season.

* Worcester Sharks alumni Alex Stalock is an impressive 7-2-0 with the San Jose Sharks this season with a 1.62 GAA and a .942 save %. Stalock picked up his first NHL shutout with a 24 save performance in 3-0 win at Florida on Jan 16 and followed it up with a 1-0 shutout win a 1-0 win over the Jets on Jan 23 in San Jose.

* Current SJ Sharks forward and #WorSharks alum Joe Pavelski was named to the US Olympic men's hockey team and leads the Sharks with 28 goals in 52 games.

* Coach Roy Sommer currently ranks 4th in the AHL with 550 wins in his career (16th season) and 2nd in games coached in the AHL with 1233.

Top 3... Last Week!

1. Dan DaSilva recorded four points (3-1-4) and was +4 in the Sharks 6-3 win at Portland on Tuesday!

2. Yanni Gourde racked up four assists and was +4 in the Sharks 6-3 win at Portland on Tuesday!

3. Sena Acolatse scored a goal, added an assist, and fired six shots on goal in the Sharks 3-2 loss to the Bruins on Saturday!

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

Tue. 1/21 W Worcester SHARKS 6 @ Portland Pirates 3

Fri. 1/24 L Worcester SHARKS 1 @ Manchester Monarchs 2

Sat. 1/25 L Providence Bruins 3 @ Worcester SHARKS 2

Sun. 1/26 SOW Manchester Monarchs 3 @ Worcester SHARKS 4

This week:

Wed. 1/29 Binghamton Senators @ Worcester SHARKS - 7pm

Fri. 1/31 Springfield Falcons @ Worcester SHARKS - 7:30pm

Sat. 2/1 Providence Bruins @ Worcester SHARKS - 7pm

Rewind the Tape:

1.21.14 - Portland 3 - Worcester 6 - W - Androscoggin Bank Colisee - Lewiston, ME

The Worcester Sharks (19-15-3-1, 42pts) hit the midway point of the 2013-14 season with an impressive 6-3 victory over the Portland Pirates (15-16-1-6, 37pts) in front of 1,623 fans at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Tuesday evening. Dan DaSilva (3-1-4), Yanni Gourde (0-4-4), Travis Oleksuk (1-2-3), and Matt Tennyson (1-2-3) all had big games offensively for Worcester while Harri Sateri was solid in goal with 25 saves as the Sharks extended their point streak to six games (5-0-1-0) with the victory. Worcester fired a season high 47 shots on goal which included seven shots from defenseman Sena Acolatse who also added a goal and an assist in the win over the Pirates.

1.24.14 - Manchester 2 - Worcester 1 - L - Verizon Wireless Arena

The Worcester Sharks (19-16-3-1, 42pts) had their season long point streak snapped at six games and concluded their four game road trip with a 2-1 loss to the Manchester Monarchs (27-12-2-4, 60pts) in front of 4,507 fans at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday evening. Matt Tennyson scored a power play goal in the third period while Harri Sateri was solid in goal with 25 saves as the Sharks six game point streak came to an end. Brian O'Neill and Zach O'Brien each scored for Manchester while JF Berube made 32 saves in net for the victory for the Monarchs.

1.25.14 - Providence 3 - Worcester 2 - L - DCU Center

The Worcester Sharks (19-17-3-1, 42pts) fell to the Providence Bruins (22-16-1-5, 50pts) by the score of 3-2 before a season high 9,055 fans at the DCU Center on Saturday evening to kick off a five game home stand. Dan DaSilva and Sena Acolatse each netted a power play goal while Harri Sateri was solid in goal with 24 saves as the Sharks four game home winning streak came to an end. Nick Johnson scored twice, with rookie Alexander Khokhlachev scoring for Providence for the game winner in the third period, while Malcolm Subban made 28 saves in net for the Bruins' victory.

1.26.14 - Manchester 3 - Worcester 4 - SOW - DCU Center

The Worcester Sharks (20-17-3-1, 44pts) defeated the Manchester Monarchs (28-12-2-5, 63pts) in the shootout by the score of 4-3 in front of 5,091 fans at the DCU Center on Sunday afternoon. Jimmy Bonneau, Matt Tennyson, and Yanni Gourde scored within a 6:57 span in the second period to charge Worcester out to a 3-0 advantage before the Monarchs rattled off three straight of their own to force overtime. Yanni Gourde and Dan DaSilva scored in the shootout while Harri Sateri stopped 4-of-5 shooters to secure the 4-3 victory.

Sharks in the Atlantic:

The Sharks (20-17-3-1, 44pts in 41gp) are currently in 4th place in the Atlantic Division; which is 19 points behind the 1st place Monarchs (63pts in 47gp), 7 points behind the 2nd place IceCaps (51pts in 43gp), 6 points behind the 3rd place Bruins (50pts in 45gp), and three points ahead of the 5th place Pirates (41pts in 41gp) 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.

*1200 GAMES... With the 5-1 loss in Lewiston, ME vs. the Pirates on November 8, 2013, head coach Roy Sommer became just the 2nd coach in AHL history to reach the 1,200 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.

*400 WINS.... With a 4-3 victory over the Portland Pirates on Jan 12, 2014, associate coach David Cunniff picked up his 400th win an assistant/associate coach with the SJ Sharks top AHL affiliates.

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 16seasons 1,233GP 560 WINS

*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 (16th season) in the American Hockey League. His current regular season record is now: 560-517-48-55-53. (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 403 of the 560 victories (72%).

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

Shark Bites:

*Captains for the 2013-14 season: Rob Davison was named the Sharks 6th captain in team history on October 12, 2013. Alternate captains for this season: Bracken Kearns and Jimmy Bonneau. - Brodie Reid, Marek Viedensky, Freddie Hamilton, Sena Acolatse, Dan DaSilva, and Taylor Doherty have also worn the A this season.

*From east to west..... The Worcester Sharks have already had seven players (14 call-ups) receive at least one call up to the San Jose Sharks already this season. (Pelech, McCarthy, Kearns, Hamilton, Nieto, Hayes, and Tennyson)

*Breaking down October... The Sharks had a 2-3-0-0 (4pts in 5gp) record in October with 12 GF and 14 GA. PP was 5-27 (18.5%); opponents PP was 2-for-22 (9.0%), and the Sharks had 10 fighting majors in October.

*Breaking down November... The Sharks had a 6-5-1-0 (13pts in 12gp) record in November with 26 GF and 35 GA. PP went 7-for-51 (13.7%); opponents PP went 11-for-60 (18.3%), and the Sharks had 18 fighting majors in November.

*Breaking down December... The Sharks had a 5-5-1-1 (12pts in 12gp) record in December with 29 GF and 33 GA. PP went 6-for-54 (11.1%); opponents PP went 8-for-48 (16.7%), and the Sharks had 10 fighting majors in December.

*Breaking down January.... The Sharks have a 7-4-1-0 (15pts in 12gp) record in January with 33 GF and 30 GA. PP is 12-44 (27.3%); opponents PP is 10-47 (21.3%) and the Sharks have six fighting majors in January.

*What a crowd (s)!.... the Sharks welcomed 9,055 fans at the newly renovated DCU Center on Jan 25th in a 3-2 loss to the Bruins. - it was the 3rd largest crowd in franchise history! In addition, another 5,091 fans came the very next day to cheer the Sharks to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Monarchs. 14,146 fans enjoyed the two Sharks games on Jan 25 and 26!

*New Faces.... the Sharks signed Yanni Gourde (PTO) and Tyler Gron (AHL/ECHL) to contracts on Jan 6....

break down on the two below:

*Yanni Gourde returns for his second tour of duty with the Worcester Sharks as the 22-year-old from St. Narcisse, QC ranked 7th in the ECHL in scoring with 34 points (15-19-34) and was 2nd in the ECHL with 112 shots on goal in 30 games as of Jan 6. The second year pro played 54 games with the Worcester Sharks last year and recorded 14 points (8-6-14) in 54 games. Yanni has been on FIRE with the Sharks this season with 11points (3-8-11) in nine games.

*Tyler Gron, 24, was second in the ECHL with 17 goals, led the SF Bulls with 29 points (17-12-29) in 31 games, and was recently named the ECHL Runner-Up Player of the Month for December. Last season Gron produced 32 points (21-11-32) in 34 games with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) and 35 points (21-14-35) in 31 games for the Bloomington Blaze (CHL). The Spruce Grove, Alberta native played three games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers after completing four seasons at Northern Michigan University in 2012. Gron became the 14th Sharks player to score in his debut on Jan 10 and has two points (1-1-2) in nine games for Worcester.

*Power Surge... Worcester has a power play goal in 10 of their last 11 games (12-for-42, 28.6%).

*Nice Sharks.... Worcester was whistled for just 17 penalty minutes (6 minors, 1 major) in their last three games (Jan 24-26).

*3-in-3 Sweep... the Sharks swept a 3-in-3 weekend on Jan 10-12 (3-1W vs HFD, 5-1W vs. NOR, 4-3W vs. POR) - it was the first six point weekend since April 11-13 of 2010!

*Shutout Streak.... The Sharks went a franchise record of 163:12 without scoring a goal but broke the streak in the 2nd period on Dec 27- and then the Sharks scored three goals in a 3:16 spell late in the second period vs. the St. John's IceCaps.

*Can't solve the Bruins....Worcester is 0-5-0-1 vs. the Bruins this season and have been outscored 9-26 in the process. The two teams will play six more times this season including a 7pm start on Saturday vs. the Bruins.

*Sharks like the IceCaps.... Worcester is 4-0-1-0 vs. the IceCaps this season and have outscored them 15-9 in the process. The two teams play five more times this season.

*3 is the magic number.... The Sharks are 17-2-0-1 when they score at least three goals in a hockey game....BUT.... the Sharks are 3-15-2-1 when they allow three or more goals in a hockey game.

*Sharks win close games... Worcester is 11-6-3-1 in 1-goal games this season. - the Sharks have played three straight one goal games and six of their last seven have been decided by a single goal.

*More Goals Late.... the Sharks have scored 22 goals in the 1st, 32 in the 2nd, and 40 goals in the 3rd period this season... the Sharks have allowed 28 goals in the 1st, 38 in the 3rd, and 44 goals in the 3rd.

*Wow... despite scoring just 42 goals in 22 games (1.91 goals per game) on the road this season, the Sharks are somehow 10-9-3-0 away from the DCU Center this season.

*Battling Back... four of the 20 wins for the Sharks this season have occurred when the team was trailing after 40 minutes of play.

*Firsts of the Year.... Tyler Gron scored his 1st AHL goal in his 1st Sharks game on Jan 10 vs. Hartford.... Yanni Gourde scored his 1st goal this season on Jan 11 vs. Norfolk.... Lane Scheidl scored his 1st goal of the year on Jan 12 vs. Portland.... Taylor Doherty scored his 1st professional game winning goal on Jan 12 vs. Portland.... Travis Oleksuk scored his 1st professional power play goal on Jan 12 vs. Portland.... Chris Crane picked up his first AHL point (assist) on Jan 26 vs. Manchester.

*Barely outshot... Worcester has only been outshot ten times this season... the fewest in the AHL this season.

*8 Goal Explosion!... the Worcester Sharks scored eight goals vs. the Portland Pirates on Dec 6 - setting a franchise record for most goals scored at the DCU Center! - heading into that game (18th game), the Sharks had not scored more than three goals in a game!

*Monster Night.... The line of Freddie Hamilton (2-1-3), Matt Nieto (2-3-5), and Daniil Tarasov (1-2-3) combined for 11 points, 18 shots, and a combined +12 in the Sharks 8-2 win over the Pirates on Dec 6.

*Monster Night Take 2....The line of Travis Oleksuk (1-2-3), Dan DaSilva (3-1-4), and Yanni Gourde (0-4-4) combined for 11 points, 13 shots, and a combined +11 in the Sharks 6-3 win at Portland on Jan 21

*Allowing 8... the Sharks allowed eight goals in a 8-2 loss in Providence on Jan 5 - tying a franchise record for most goals allowed in a game.

*Multi-Point Game....Tough Guy Jimmy Bonneau had two assists in the Sharks 8-2 win over the Portland Pirates on Dec 6... his 1st multi point game as a member of the Sharks in game #88.

*Welcome Back... Dan DaSilva returned to the Worcester Sharks on Nov 20 after leading the ECHL with 26 points (7-19-26) in just 14 games for the Ontario Reign and was recently named the ECHL Player of the Week for Nov 11-17. DaSilva currently ranks 5th all-time in Worcester Sharks history with 123 points (51-72-123) in 205 games (Iggulden is 5th with 123pts) for Team Teal and is the franchise leader in playoff points with 18 (5-13-18) in 23 Calder Cup playoff games. A member of the original Crazed Rats Line with John McCarthy and Andrew Desjardins; DaSilva had his best professional season with the Sharks in 2010-11 as he set career highs in points (53), goals (21), assists (32), and was +23 as the Sharks won the regular season Atlantic Division title with a 49-25-0-6 record. DaSilva was signed to a standard player AHL contract on Dec 12 for the rest of the season.

*Shooting %... the Sharks as a team have a 7.0% shooting percentage which is 30th in the AHL.

*Strange but true... the Sharks have more fighting majors (25) than goals (22) in the first period this season... the 22 goals scored are the fewest in the AHL.

*Thanks Ballou... despite being 7-1 in the shootout this season, the Sharks are just 28W-44L overall (38.9%)

*Shootout Success... the Sharks are 7-1 in the shootout this season with a 41% scoring percentage (5th) and a 79.5% saves percentage (4th). Dan DaSilva is 4-for-6 in the shootout with two game winners while Yanni Gourde is 2-for-2 this season!

*Home shutout... the 27 save shutout by Troy Grosenick on Nov 2 vs. the St. John's IceCaps at the DCU Center was the 1st shutout on home ice for the Sharks in almost a year. Alex Stalock had the last shutout on Nov 4, 2012 vs. the Manchester Monarchs in a 1-0SOW. Coincidentally, Stalock also made 27 saves in the victory.

*Score first... the Sharks have scored FIRST 18 times in 41 games this season (13-3-1-1) - Freddie Hamilton 5, Daniil Tarasov 2, Rylan Schwartz 1, Brodie Reid 1, Bracken Kearns 1, Eriah Hayes 1, Dan DaSilva 3, Lane Scheidl 2, and Jimmy Bonneau 1.

*Just like in college.... Sharks rookie forward Eriah Hayes led the NCAA last season with 186 shots on goal with Minnesota State - Mankato... Hayes is 2nd on the Sharks with 81 shots on goal through 29 games this season and is currently on recall to the SJ Sharks. Hayes has no points and 12 shots in 10 games for the SJ Sharks this season.

*Streakers... Dan DaSilva has a two game point streak (1-2-3)....Harri Sateri has made six straight starts in goal (3-3-0).

*Pro Debuts: Konrad Abeltshauser (Oct 12 at SPR) and Troy Grosenick (Oct 20 vs. WBS).

*3-for-3!...veteran defenseman Rob Davison became the second player (Jonathan Cheechoo is the other) to play for the SJ Sharks AHL affiliate in three different cities after his game for Worcester on Oct 12 at Springfield. Davison played 72 games for the Kentucky Thoroughblades in 2000-01 and 112 games for the Cleveland Barons in 2001-03! Davison has played 710 games in his professional career.

*3 National Champions... The Sharks have three 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... and Nick Petrecki with Boston College in 2008. *Memorial Cup... rookie defenseman Konrad Abeltshauser won the Memorial Cup in 2013 with the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) and was named to the 2013 Memorial Cup All-Star Team.

*Young Guns... the Sharks have dressed eight rookies already this season. (Troy Grosenick, Konrad Abeltshauser, Eriah Hayes, Rylan Schwartz, Riley Brace, Dylan Demelo, Tyler Gron, and Lane Scheidl)

*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, 2012. Doherty has four goals in 143 games with the Worcester Sharks.... Doherty is 2nd on Worcester with 85 penalty minutes and 3rd with five fighting majors.... Doherty scored his 1st professional game winning goal in the 4-3W vs. Portland on Jan 10 and received his 1st NHL recall on Jan 21 and did not dress in two games for the SJ Sharks before getting assigned back to Worcester on Jan 26.

*Four straight seasons with 20?.... Forward Bracken Kearns scored his 21 goals last season and hit the 20 goal plateau for the third straight season having scored 20 and 22 goals the previous two seasons with San Antonio.... Bracken has five goals and 13 assists in 27 games this season. Kearns played in his 500th AHL game in the Sharks 5-2 win vs. St. John's on Dec 27 and then scored his 1st NHL goal in the SJ Sharks 3-1 win vs. Anaheim Ducks on Dec 29. - Kearns has three goals in the NHL this season in 15 games.

*First Pro Goals this season... Konrad Abeltshauser scored his 1st pro goal (JF Berube) in 2-1SOW at Manchester on Dec 8....Dylan Demelo scored his 1st (Malcolm Subban) in 8-2L at Providence on Jan 5.

*Sharks in the Atlantic... Worcester went 19-14-3-4 in the Atlantic Division in 2012-13 and is 12-12-1-1 vs. the Atlantic this season.

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

*Hockey East Alumni!... the Worcester Sharks had four players from Hockey East Schools; (McCarthy - BU, Reid - NU, Petrecki - BC, Stalberg - Vermont)

*I'll take a draft... Ten Worcester Sharks players were drafted by the San Jose Sharks. (Abeltshauser, Davison, Hamilton, Doherty, McCarthy, Nieto, Petrecki, Sateri, Viedensky, and Crane)

*NHL Experience.... The Sharks have eight players on their roster with NHL experience led by Rob Davison with 219.... Breaking down the rest....John McCarthy 82, Matt Pelech 13, Bracken Kearns 20, Matt Tennyson 4, Freddie Hamilton 11, Matt Nieto 40, Nick Petrecki 1, Eriah Hayes 10.

*Keeping your hat on (Thanks Ballou)... Worcester had gone 263 games without one of its players recording a hat trick before Daniil Tarasov scored three goals in Springfield on Oct 26. That was easily the longest active streak in the AHL. The Sharks' last hat trick had belonged to Dan DaSilva, who scored three times in Manchester during a 5-2 Worcester victory in Manchester 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 183 games. In all, Worcester players have recorded hat tricks only nine times in the franchise's 560 games. The Sharks are 9-0 in those games and 1-12-3 in the 16 games in which the opposition has had a hat trick.

* Brothers... Sebastian Stalberg is the younger brother of Viktor Stalberg, who currently plays with the Nashville Predators.... Freddie Hamilton is the older brother of Dougie Hamilton, who currently plays with the Boston Bruins.... Rylan Schwartz is the younger brother of Jayden Schwartz, who currently plays for the St. Louis Blues.

*Franchise Player... Sharks defensemen Nick Petrecki is 1st in Sharks history with 265 games played (surpassed Mike Moore on Dec 8 at MCH)... Nick also ranks 2nd in penalty minutes with 498 (Frazer McLaren had 577).... Nick made his NHL debut in San Jose's 3-2SOW over the Anaheim Ducks on 1/29/13 and played 11:58... the 216 games before his first NHL game was the most of any Worcester Sharks graduate to San Jose.

*200/50.... John McCarthy played in his 200th game for the Sharks on Jan 26, 2013... J-Mac scored his 50th goal as a member of the Worcester Sharks joining Riley Armstrong, Mike Iggulden, Graham Mink, and Brandon Mashinter as the only five players to score 50+ goals as a member of the Worcester Sharks... JMac is currently on recall with the San Jose Sharks and has played 33 games (0-1-1).

*Like Father, Like Son... Rookie Curt Gogol finished 2nd on the Sharks with 139 penalty minutes in just 38 games in 2012-13... 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.... Gogol has 9 fighting majors, 3 goals, and a team high 147 penalty minutes in 37 games this season.

*Piling up the PIMS with Pelech... Forward/Defenseman Matt Pelech played in his 300th AHL game on Oct 20, 2012 vs. the Devils. The 6-foot-4 bruising defenseman turned forward from Toronto, ONT has accumulated 1,045 penalty minutes and 82 fighting majors in 363 AHL games. "Pelly" led the Sharks with 238 penalty minutes last season in 58 games. #23 is only the 2nd player in Worcester Sharks history to hit the 200 pim plateau (Evans 211 in 2007-08). Matt led the Worcester Sharks with 17 fighting majors and had one fighting major (Jared Boll) in two games last year with the SJ Sharks in 2012-13... Pelech has 22 penalty minutes and his 1st NHL goal in six games with San Jose this season.... With his two game suspension this season by the AHL, Pelech has missed 19 games due to suspension in the last 25 months with the Worcester Sharks. Pelech has missed the last 11 games due to a broken hand suffered in a fight with Bobby Robins on Jan 3.

*Major Bonneau... Worcester Sharks tough guy Jimmy Bonneau has racked up 41 fighting majors in 105 games for the Worcester Sharks. Bonneau has set the Worcester Sharks record for most fighting majors in a season in 2011-12 with 22, surpassing Frazer McLaren (21 in 2008-09). Jimmy has 113 fighting majors in 300 AHL games along with 862 penalty minutes.... Jimmy has 8 fighting majors and 60 penalty minutes through 25 games this season.... Bonneau scored his 2nd goal of the season in his 300th AHL game in the Sharks 4-3SOW vs. Manchester on Jan 26.

*Five for fighting... The Sharks have 45 fighting majors through 41 games and rank 11th in the AHL (Kearns 3, Bonneau 8, Davison 3, Gogol 9, Doherty 5, Pelech 5, Tarasov 2, Hayes 1, Demelo 1, Brace 1, Tennyson 1, Viedensky 1, Acolatse 3, and DaSilva 1). The Sharks had 84 fighting majors in 2012-13, 120 fighting majors in 2011-12 (1st in AHL), 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.

*The East is Tough... the top 9 teams in the AHL in fighting majors all hail from the Eastern Conference. Lake Erie ranks 10th with 46 fights this season.

Season by the numbers... Record: 20-17-3-1, 44 points - 4th in Atlantic Win percentage: .537% - 17th in AHL, 10th in East Home Record: 10-8-0-1 Away Record: 10-9-3-0 Attendance: 72,499 through 19 games this season - 3,816 average - 21st in AHL Goals Scored: 101, 2.46 goals per game, 26th in AHL Goals Allowed: 114, 2.78 goals against per game, 16th in AHL Shots per game: 32.88 - 4th in AHL Shots allowed per game: 27.71 - 3rd in AHL Score 1st: 13-3-1-1 when scoring first (.778%) 1 goal games: 11-6-3-1 in one goal games PP: 16.9%, 19th in AHL (30-177) PK: 82.2%, 14th in AHL (31-174) SHG - 4 shorthanded goals scored SHGA - 7 shorthanded goals allowed PIMS - 19.76 penalty minutes per game, 9th in AHL Fighting Majors: 45 - 11th in AHL OT Games - 11 - (0-3 record in OT) SO Games - 8 - (7-1 record in SO) Roster Players - the Sharks have used 29 players this season Goalies - the Sharks have used 2 goaltenders this season Players receiving call-ups to San Jose - 7 NHL debuts - 2 Worcester Sharks alumni making their NHL debuts this season Call-ups to San Jose - 15 different call-ups to San Jose this season

Coming and goings from the Shark Tank: Date

Player

Team

Transaction

01/26/2014

Taylor Doherty (D)

Worcester

ADD Returned on loan from San Jose (NHL)

01/26/2014

Thomas Heemskerk (G)

Worcester

DEL Released from PTO

01/22/2014

Chris Crane (RW)

Worcester

ADD Reassigned by San Jose (NHL) from San Francisco (ECHL)

01/21/2014

Taylor Doherty (D)

Worcester

DEL Recalled from loan by San Jose (NHL)

Top Worcester Sharks: o Goals Hamilton (12) o Game Winners Tarasov (3) o Assists Kearns (13) o Points Tarasov (11-11-22) and Hamilton (12-10-22) o Power play Points Kearns (3-7-10) and Tarasov (5-5-10) o Shots Livingston (97) o PIM Gogol (147) - 6th in AHL o Fighting Pen. Gogol (9) o Plus/Minus Gourde (+4) o Wins Sateri (12) o G.A.A. Grosenick (2.14) - 5th in AHL o Save % Grosenick (.919) o Shutouts Grosenick (1)

Sharks in the NHL:

The San Jose Sharks are currently in 2nd place in the Pacific Division and 4th place in the Western Conference with 74 points and a 33-12-6 record. - the Sharks have won six straight games!

Worcester Sharks alumni include: Logan Couture, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Tommy Wingels, Jason Demers, Matt Nieto, Matt Irwin, Andrew Desjardins, Justin Braun, James Sheppard, John McCarthy, Alex Stalock, Bracken Kearns, and Eriah Hayes.

Week ahead for the SJ Sharks;

Mon. Jan 27 at 10:30pm (EST) vs. Los Angeles

Wed. Jan 29 at 9:30pm (EST) at Edmonton

Thu. Jan 30 at 9pm (EST) at Calgary

Sat. Feb 1 at 10:30pm (EST) vs. Chicago

Coming Up for the Worcester Sharks:

The Sharks five game home stand continues with three home games this week at the DCU Center!

On Wednesday, the Sharks host the Binghamton Senators at 7pm. Unemployed Sharks fans can receive up to four free tickets courtesy of Sharks Charities by providing proof of unemployment and identification. Doors will open at 3:45pm for the 2nd annual High School Hockey Feud between the Worcester Wildcats and the Northbridge Rams at 4pm.

On Friday, the Sharks host the Springfield Falcons at 7:30pm on $2-$2-$2 Friday! Hotdogs, popcorn, and soda are just $2 during Friday night home games.

On Saturday, the Sharks host the Providence Bruins during the 3rd annual PINK in the RINK Night presented by Pepsi to benefit the Cup Crusaders! The Sharks will skate on PINK ice and wear a specialty PINK jersey which will be auctioned off during the game! Doors open at 3:30pm for the 8th annual High School Hockey Classic between the St. John's Pioneers and the St. Peter Guardians at 4pm. The game will be shown live on Charter TV3!

Score a Family Fun Pack (4 tickets, 4 hotdogs, and 4 sodas) for any Friday, Saturday, or Sunday game starting at just $79!

2013-14 Flex ticket packages are on sale now! Score your 40 or 12 ticket flex package by contacting the 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 account executives Kristyn Galante, Erin Croce, Sean West, Amanda Perkins, Peter Kelly, Andrew Nawn, and Mike Connole today! Jump in today and save up to 40% off box office prices! Some of the exclusive benefits for full season ticket holders will include:

* Guaranteed same seat for all 38 home dates and playoff home games at the DCU Center

* Priority access to purchase tickets to other DCU Center events (subject to availability)

* Seven FREE friends and family vouchers

* Exclusive events with Sharks players

* Merchandise discounts and much, much, more!

Season ticket packages and group tickets for the 2013-14 season are on sale now by contacting the Worcester Sharks Office at 508.929.0500 or by crashing 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.



American Hockey League Stories from January 27, 2014


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