( Mirco Mueller signs his contract, photo San Jose Sharks)
As we enter the second half of the hockey season and the injuries to the big clubs mount, the trickle down effect begins. Minor League affiliates start sending up players to fill the roster and the affiliates of the minor leagues in turn are called upon to replenish the lines. In the ECHL, change and flux are something a fan has to expect, you can never become too attached. While we want all players to make it to the show, sometimes it is bittersweet. That top scorer for your ECHL team won’t be there that long, he’ll get the Call-Up. He may be back and you secretly hope he will, but in your heart you hope he stays up and gets one step closer to Living the Dream.
Tracking all the transactions that take place with a minor league team is a daily game of catch-up and understanding all the lingo that goes along with player movement can be a bit tricky. Here is a sample conversation you could walk into:
“Hey, did you hear, Joe Bucky got the call-up to Almost Big Club”
“Oh that is great for him! Did he get a PTO with them?”
“Ya, I think so, I’m hoping it will turn into a SPC for him later though.”
If you want to follow the minor leagues and not feel lost when your friends get together to talk hockey shop, becoming familiar with the transaction sheets and the basics of player contracts will make you the life of the party.
Let’s start with a few essential links, these are the pages I visit everyday (yes, I do!) and new transactions are always listed by 4:30pm EST
The AHL Transactions page
The ECHL Transactions page
Here is a what they look like and these will be helpful as we work through the different terms as a reference.
ECHL Daily Transactions
AHL Daily Transactions
Player Contracts
If you want to know all the ins and outs of player contracts and enjoy reading legal-eze, you will have hours of fun pouring through the NHLPA CBA. This was what was the sticking point in contract negotiations last year and why half the season was missed.
I am really happy the players have this meaty document that is conveniently available as a PDF, but let’s get down to the essence. Litter Box Cats has a cut to the bone detail of the Waiver process for the NHL, which I found very useful for understanding why a team might put a player like now former Minnesota Wild Zenon Konopka on waivers and how he then ended up with the Buffalo Sabres.
The Basic Contracts are as follows:
ATO- this is an Amateur Try-Out agreement, and is for players who are coming in from college and have never played at the professional level. These type of contracts are common at the end of the season as many players try to break in to the pro leagues after the college or junior season is over. The ECHL, AHL and NHL all use ATOs.
PTO-this is a Professional Try-Out agreement and is only found in the AHL, it is very common for a player at the ECHL level to get a PTO with the AHL affiliate. There is a limit to the number of games played at 25 and a player can only sign two PTOs per season.
SPC- this is a Standard Player Contract and is a contract with either the AHL or ECHL team
Many players have what is called a two-way contract, which means that if for instance they have an ECHL/AHL contract then when they play for the ECHL club they receive ECHL salary, when they play up at the AHL, they receive the AHL salary. This also works between the AHL/NHL.
If a player has a one-way contract, it means that no matter what league they play at, they receive the same salary, pretty straightforward.
Transaction Terms
When wading through the Daily Transactions from the ECHL and AHL, there are several terms that might need sorting out.
Recall- this means a player has a contract with the AHL team and after playing for the ECHL affiliate, is brought back up to play at the higher level.
On Loan- generally this is seen when an ECHL player is brought up to an AHL team and is allowed to play for a limited amount of games while still under contract with his “home” team. It can also work where an AHL contracted player is loaned to the lower league affiliate.
Reserve- a player on reserve sits out of the game and may be in effect for just one game or for several. A coach at the ECHL level can only have a limited number of players on the active roster so a coach generally will try to keep a couple players on reserve in case of injury to other players. Sometimes a player on reserve has a minor injury that they are rehabbing.
21-day IR- twenty one day injured reserve, this can be done retroactively but once a player is put on the 21 day IR they cannot be brought back into the lineup until the time has expired. This allows a coach to bring in another player without going over their player allotment.
Suspended by team- this one looks scary, but when it is found on the “Transactions” page and not the “Fines and Suspensions” page it means the player has broken their contract with their ECHL team in order to pursue another opportunity. It usually means they have signed with an overseas league, or moved to a different minor league i.e. CHL, SPHL.
Goaltenders
Emergency backup goaltenders (EBUGs) are frequently seen at the ECHL level. A team is required to carry two goaltenders into a game but if the AHL affiliate needs one of the goaltenders, the lower team is left in a bit of a scramble. Emergency backup goaltenders can come in for 1 game or for a series and they are usually a local guy who may have played at an elite level when they were younger. They may help the team during a morning skate and will be there for warm-ups but won’t enter the game unless the starting goaltender is injured during the course of the game.
A good background on EBUGs can be found in a New York Times article “Emergency Backups to the Stars” by Matt Caputo.
Some backups have a rather colorful life, such as Las Vegas based Backup Goaltender Jay White, who is also a Neil Diamond impersonator. You can read up on him in Greg Wyshynski’s Puck Daddy piece.
Hopefully, after this brief rundown, the world of Hockey Transactions and contracts is a less scary place and the following will now make a whole lot more sense:
After coming over from a trade with the Idaho Steelheads, San Francisco points-leader Tyler Gron was called up to the Worcester Sharks and entered into a two way ECHL/AHL contract. Yanni Gourde has been loaned to the Worcester Sharks from the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) and has signed a PTO. San Francisco Bulls Forward Mark Lee has been suspended by the team and signed a tryout with the Schwenninger Wild Wings of the German Elite League.
Got all that! Time to Wow your friends.
By Rochelle Bergman
Happy New Year to all!
Well readers, I have hit on some important news from Team Canada’s Junior Team. Is it life turning? Not really. I hope you are sitting down for this!
I read an article about the player’s favorite music on their iPods! I know, I felt that way too! I knew that I was missing something important about the players but, for the life of me I wasn’t sure what it was till now! My head is spinning with excitement!
In under 2 minutes I found out that Curtis Lazar has a girlfriend and he went to his first concert. I also heard from Felix Girard, who I think likes Taylor Swift, then there was Kerby Rychel and Nic Petan. They all look like they are under 15 years old! Nope, it is not me getting older at all!! Most of the players still have acne! (that can be a give-away!)
It must have been a very slow minute in the season for this article to appear on my computer. I must be missing something because I would have asked them important questions, like what they put on their hot dogs or if they prefer whole wheat bread to white? Never mind asking hockey questions or questions relating to the game.
Now that I found this out, I feel a bit closer to these players. I also bet that all the girls who are pre-teenagers also do!
Six players from the LA Kings have been named to Olympic rosters representing four countries. Unsurprisingly, Slava Voynov will help host country Russia try win on home ice; Anze Kopitar will center the top line for Slovenia; Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick will help the US try to improve from the disappointment of silver; and Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter will help Canada defend its gold.
The most surprising name on the list is Jeff Carter. This is not a knock on Jeff Carter who is an excellent 2-way player with great speed and great hands. (Seriously, don’t give him a breakaway. He’s more than likely to put it in the back of the net.) Personally, I like it because I think Carter is a great player and deserves to be named to Team Canada’s Olympic roster. However, taking him over Giroux or Martin St. Louis is a curious thing. Again, not a knock on Carter. Canada just has an embarrassment of riches and people were bound to be disappointed.
Following the announcement of the Canadian Olympic roster, Vancouver, B.C. native Willie Mitchell had this to say about his teammates and a couple of his friends:
And then he outdid himself with this gem:
That’s right, Drew Doughty was chosen over Jeff Carter as a model for Team Canada’s Olympic gear.
Image: Canadian Olympic Committee / Hudson’s Bay Company
I mean, there’s nothing wrong with Doughty; he’s a good looking guy when his hair is done and the facial hair is kept to a minimum (sorry, I don’t think he looks good with a beard but I’m not much of a beard person) and the lighting is right… Let’s compare to Jeff Carter just for funsies, though.
From reddit
Nope.
Nope.
Closer, but still nope.
Photo: Alba Legacy
Nailed it.
Photo: John Varvatos
Photo: John Varvatos
From tumblr
Sorry, what were we talking about again?
Congratulations to all six men who will be fighting for gold at Sochi. Good luck to everyone and please do not come home broken.
2014 US Presswire
In Other News…
If you have some time to kill, catch up on all your Kings news with these links below.
In the waning hours following their morning skate before to the Saturday night matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, GM Dean Lombardi announced that the team had traded Daniel Carcillo to the New York Rangers for a (conditional?) 7th round pick in the 2014 draft. [Note: Some places said it was a conditional 7th round, but did not say what the condition was. The Kings’ official press release did not call it conditional, though.]
Jonathan Quick was supposed to have a brief rehab session with the Monarchs but due to inclement weather, plans were canceled. Management also declined the option of sending him to local ECHL affiliate (about 60 miles from Staples Center) Ontario Reign for a conditioning assignment. So plans were made for Quick to return to action, pending how he felt after warm ups. Trading Daniel Carcillo allowed the Kings to hold on to rookie goaltender Martin Jones for a few extra hours to see how things played out with Quick.
He led the team onto the ice for warm ups with Scrivens serving in his familiar spot as backup and Martin Jones was a healthy scratch.
Following Quick’s successful return from injury after being out for seven weeks with a Grade 2 groin strain, Martin Jones was sent back to Manchester the following day. Scrivens would have had to be placed on waivers and with his very cap-friendly hit of half a million dollars and stellar play in net during the early stages of Quick’s absence, he more than likely would’ve been claimed. (Plus, in my personal opinion, it’s wiser to send Jones back. Sure, you could gamble and risk losing Scrivens for nothing to keep Jones up. However, Jones’s biggest criticism prior to his call up was his consistency; yes, he played extremely well in the 11 games he was up but now you see how he handles going back and see if he can keep up his excellence throughout the rest of the season. But that’s my opinion.)
With an available spot on the roster, naturally the thing to do was call up another kid from Manchester! Welcome back, Tanner Pearson.
Jon Rosen wrote a feature for LAKings.com about GM Dean Lombardi’s evaluation of the team through the first half of the season. Warning: It contains quotes from Lombardi so be prepared for a long read.
Anyone who follows Willie Mitchell knows he is much more than a hockey player. He’s a passionate environmentalist Fishing Crusader, as well.
Anze Kopitar is the Pride of A Nation and sat down with NHL.com’s Kathryn Tappen in the latest installment of “Tapped In” to talk about how he blazed a trail from a tiny European country to becoming a Stanley Cup Champion in the NHL.
Did you really think I’d go without plugging Jewels from the Crown? Well, you’re wrong. John Carroll has a nice recap about a week that finally didn’t suck as the Kings managed to snap their 5 game losing skid. Expectations are high, yo; this fan base has a hard time with losing games in a row after seeing how high the team can set the bar (it’s their own damn fault for finally being a good team).
Also from JFTC, Nick gave his grades and analysis for the Canucks game. Two words: Utter dominance. Despite the score, the Kings pretty much steamrolled the Canucks and a very impressive performance from Roberto Luongo following his return from injury (it was a theme that night as the goalies put on a clinic) kept the score as close as it was.
On the heels of the Tanner Pearson recall, JFTC wants your opinion about where he should go. The Top Six (where he’s projected to play eventually) is pretty full as Dwight King is having a surprising career year and pretty much just dominating the opposition on the first line. Join the debate and let everyone know why you’re right.
Kings don’t know what the L is going on in this ridiculous ad for Staples. It’s um… I have nothing to say about this.
In case you missed it, Ben Scrivens was trending in Los Angeles on Tuesday night due to his epic video bomb. Yes, he is staring into your soul and judging it. No, you are not worthy of continued existence.
As of Wednesday afternoon, he was still trending, prompting this funny tweet from his wife.
Back to Oylmpic talk, Darren Granger, Head Equipment Manager of the Los Angeles Kings was named Head Equipment Manager for Team Canada, which is really nifty.
As was to be expected, Drew Doughty spoke to the media about being named an Olympian for a second time in his young old youngish (this is his 6th NHL season. Is that old or young? It’s not really “young” anymore, is it?) career (and just in case anyone forgot, Doughty is only 24) so you can go check that out.
Jeff Carter didn’t want to discuss the Olympics before their game Tuesday evening so he gave a quote (see Doughty link) and spoke more candidly following the game.
From tumblr
Up next for the Kings
On Thursday, January 9th, Olympic heros Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter will square off against fellow Olympic Hero Patrice Bergeron and the rest of the Stanley Cup Finalist Boston Bruins, the second best defensive team in the league, and wrap things up at home with the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
(Credit: Hockey Canada)
On Tuesday, January 7, 2014, Hockey Canada, along with executive director Steve Yzerman and the members of Canada’s National Men’s Team management group, announced the 25-man hockey team roster they will ice during the 2014 Olympic Winter Games to take place in Sochi, Russia, February 7-23.
While there may be some players that individual fans feel were overlooked, the team itself is solid in many areas necessary to play the international level of hockey. This roster includes some alumni from the Gold Medal-winning team from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Three goalies, eight defensemen and 14 forwards will don the maple leaf crested jerseys to play for their country and try to bring another gold medal to what many consider the home of hockey.
Goalies:
- Robert Luongo of Montreal, Quebec (Vancouver Canucks, NHL)
- Carey Price of Anahim Lake, British Columbia (Montreal Canadiens, NHL)
- Mike Smith of Kingston, Ontario (Phoenix Coyotes, NHL)
Defensemen:
- Jay Bouwmeester of Edmonton, Alberta (St. Louis Blues, NHL)
- Drew Doughty of London, Ontario (Los Angeles Kings, NHL)
- Dan Hamhuis of Smithers, British Columbia (Vancouver Canucks, NHL)
- Duncan Keith of Penticton, British Columbia (Chicago Blackhawks, NHL)
- Alex Pietrangelo of King City, Ontario (St. Louis Blues, NHL)
- P.K. Subban of Toronto, Ontario (Montreal Canadiens, NHL)
- Marc-Édouard Vlasic of Montreal, Quebec (San Jose Sharks, NHL)
- Shea Weber of Sicamous, British Columbia (Nashville Predators, NHL)
Forwards:
- Jamie Benn of Victoria, British Columbia (Dallas Stars, NHL)
- Patrice Bergeron of Sillery, Quebec (Boston Bruins, NHL)
- Jeff Carter of London, Ontario (Los Angeles Kings, NHL)
- Sidney Crosby of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia (Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL)
- Matt Duchene of Haliburton, Ontario (Colorado Avalanche, NHL)
- Ryan Getzlaf of Regina, Saskatchewan (Anaheim Ducks, NHL)
- Chris Kunitz of Regina, Saskatchewan (Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL)
- Patrick Marleau of Aneroid, Saskatchewan (San Jose Sharks, NHL)
- Rick Nash of Brampton, Ontario (New York Rangers, NHL)
- Corey Perry of Peterborough, Ontario (Anaheim Ducks, NHL)
- Patrick Sharp of Thunder Bay, Ontario (Chicago Blackhawks, NHL)
- Steven Stamkos of Unionville, Ontario (Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL)
- John Tavares of Oakville, Ontario (New York Islanders, NHL)
- Jonathan Toews of Winnipeg, Manitoba (Chicago Blackhawks, NHL)
“I would like to congratulate the 25 players nominated today to Canada’s Olympic Team,” said Yzerman. “With the depth of talent in Canada, these players should be very proud of their nomination today and excited about the opportunity that we all have to represent our country in Sochi in February.”
The men’s Olympic hockey tournament begins Wednesday, February 12, with Canada’s first game on Thursday, February 13 against Norway. The tournament culminates with the gold medal game on February 23. In the Olympic preliminary round, Canada also faces off against Austria on Friday, February 14 and Finland on Sunday, February 16. All of these games take place at the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi.
On Saturday, the Boston Bruins called up Justin Florek from their AHL affiliated Providence Bruins, for their game against the Winnipeg Jets. During the game, Florek was slotted into the Bruins “Merlot” Line (their fourth line) with Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille. While on that line, Florek was a big part of Torey Krug’s goal, by simply screening the Jets goalie, Ondre Pavalec, during the second period.
During the interviews after the game, Florek was asked about the information that has been imparted by those who have gone up and returned to Providence. He responded that it was helpful knowing that those who had previously been called up had been effective. And that left a positive mentality when a recall came for another player.
Florek ended up having 14 shifts for a total ice time of 10:14, which was a pretty good introduction to the NHL. And without blinking, Florek was back in Providence on Sunday playing against the Worcester Sharks with the rest of the Bruins, and his confidence was definitely amped.
Although Florek is tall at 6’5”, it was clear that he was standing a little extra tall on Sunday, as he radiated confidence when the game began. And what a game it turned out to be. Many games are close, some are barn burners and Sunday’s game was a blow out in favor of the Providence Bruins, with the end result that the Bruins won 8-2 and Florek added two points to his totals and a plus 1 to his plus/minus.
After the game he spoke with The Pink Puck, who asked him how his experience with the Boston Bruins affected his play in Providence on Sunday.
“Mostly it was confidence just knowing that you can play at the NHL level and playing at the AHL level and just having a little more confidence out there,” Florek responded. “You know, be a little stronger on the puck, because that was one of the things up there just being strong on the puck so just translating that to my game down here was a big part of today.”
On Sunday afternoon, Florek was still waiting to hear if he would be traveling with the Boston Bruins on the three-game road trip to play against the teams in California. However, as he told The Pink Puck, “I’ve got my fingers crossed.”
It must have worked, because on Monday he was indeed recalled to travel with the team, where he will play against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night. Though in truth, it was his impressive play that earned him another look during the road trip.
Another of Florek’s teammates who was feeling confident was goalie Malcolm Subban, who during Friday’s game against the Worcester Sharks had a shut out. That confidence clearly transferred to the next game he played on Sunday, as there were some instances where the Sharks were putting a lot of shots on net and Subban came up big. But perhaps the most amazing save was when Subban came all the way out passed the hash marks almost to the tops of the face off circles where he made an impressive poke check.
When asked about what was going through his mind, he commented on the aggressive play that the Shark was making, and pointed out that if the player had turned a different way, it would have been a much different story.
Subban looks at the first minute of play and stopping that first puck as his first milestone in a game, and then works each period as it comes to him. And while the score of Sunday’s game may have looked like the Sharks weren’t putting much on the Bruins’ net, in the end the shots were almost even and some of those shots could have easily gone in without the confidence of Subban between the pipes.
Confidence affects players in all positions on a hockey team, and when Sunday’s game was over, there were quite a few players on the Providence Bruins feeling confidence, as eight players had multi-point games. When the number of recalls to Boston are factored in, what Providence has been doing of late proves the confidence that they are channeling as they work their way up in the statistics.
Jeff Carter, a borderline pick in the eyes of many, is one of many Stanley Cup Champions on Team Canada
Photo credit: Autostraddle.com
By Jake Shoemaker
The Canadian Men’s Hockey team will, once again, be the favorite to win the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Regardless of what has been said about the chances of the Swedes, Americans and Russians, Team Canada exceeds all others when it comes to talent.
Since the roster has been unveiled, countless news outlets have highlighted the “snubs” for the roster – the athletes who “should have” made the squad. But, the fact of the matter is that nobody was snubbed from Team Canada – the talent pool is just that good. When the word “snub” gets tossed around, analysts often refuse to acknowledge the fact that if you put one athlete on the roster, you have to take one off.
Take, for example, a man left off Canada’s roster, Martin St. Louis – a phenomenal playmaker, a Stanley Cup Champion, a veteran leader. I am sure that Canada’s Executive Director, Steve Yzerman, a man who also happens to be the General Manager of Martin St. Louis’ NHL team, could come up with every argument in the world to get “his” player on Team Canada. However, at the same time, I am sure it is easy for Yzerman to drum up arguments for why he wants Matt Duchene, a young, electrifying forward, Rick Nash, an Olympic Gold Medalist and proven goal scoring sniper, and Jeff Carter, a physical Stanley Cup champion, on his roster.
Critics may also point to Claude Giroux and scream snub. But, Yzerman could quickly point to his inconsistency at the start of the season as a reason to keep him off the roster. Perhaps the name of Yzerman’s game is “consistency” and not maximum potential. Although, cold streak and all, nobody would have clamored for Yzerman’s head if he had included Giroux, a 93 point scorer during the 2011-2012 campaign, on his roster.
And consider this hypothetical: Imagine if Alexander Ovechkin had been born Canadian. The Russian superstar is widely considered one of the greatest players in the world, but I have my doubts as to whether or not Yzerman would have taken a player like Ovechkin onto Team Canada because of his abismal -17 rating this season. World class goal scorers are a dime a dozen in Canada. Just ask “snub” James Neal. However, nobody would have faulted Yzerman for electing him solely for his goal scoring and power play prowess while ignoring his defensive liabilities.
So, the ultimate point is this: Team Canada was, most likely, chosen by a group of hockey masterminds who created what they thought would be the best 4 forward line pairings and the best 3 defensive pairings out all of the great Canadian talent available. They did not rank the players, ultimately choosing the top 25, with the hopes that the team would gel and that all gaps would be filled. They chose great face-off guys. They chose great goal scorers. They chose players who play a three-zone game. They chose leaders. They chose a well-rounded team. They envisioned the line pairings well before the players will even get a chance to skate together. They chose a team with their guts and only time will tell if they made the right moves.
Team Canada is the favorite to win Olympic Gold, even if there are 20 “snubs” sitting on the couch watching their fellow countrymen in February.
Well, the rosters are out and the tallies are in: we have our Olympic teams. Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, center forward Artem Anisimov, defensemen Nikita Nikitin and Fedor Tyutin were named to the Russian National Men’s Ice Hockey Team, to compete this February.
Bobrovsky took home the Vezina last season and, despite a shaky start and a long injury, has among of the best statistics of Russian goalies currently playing in the NHL with .910 SV% and 2.72 GAA. This will be his first Olympic tournament, though he represented Russian at the IIHF World Junior Championships (bronze) in 2008 and the 2007 Super Series.
Anisimov has registered 12-8-20 in 43 games this season and ranks second in goals for the Blue Jackets. He also played for Russia in the 2007 and 2008 IIHF World Junior Championships, as well as U18 in 2006.
Nikitin leads the Blue Jackets with a +9 plus/minus rating; he has registered 2-9-11 and 12 penalty minutes in 36 games this season. Nikitin won a gold medal with Russia at the 2012 IIHF World Championships and silver in the 2006 World Juniors.
Tyutin has represented Russia in the last two Olympic games, first in Italy in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010.
Despite a broken collarbone, three-time All-Star Marian Gaborik was also selected for the Slovakian team. Gaborik has collected 5-7-12 in 18 games this season.
General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen will serve as assistant general manager for Team Finland and Head Coach Todd Richards will act as assistant coach for Team USA under Dan Bylsma.
The weekend Home and Home series began on painted ice at the Stockton Arena for the Thunder and the San Francisco Bulls. The previous weekend kids, parents and players came out and added their artistic flair to the rink for “Kids Take Over” and then sealed over for the Friday night matchup between the two rival teams. The “We Paint” promotion received national media attention for the Stockton Thunder and was dubbed the “Painted Classic.”
Many were worried how the players would be able to track the puck on such a surface. The Thunder had a bit of a heads-up as they spent the week practicing on the painted ice. In the end, the media and those watching over America One Sports had a harder time keeping track of the puck movement than those on the ice. Thunder Head Coach Rich Kromm commented, “It didn’t seem to affect the players. Both goalies seemed to be fine and that was our biggest worry, was how it would affect the goaltenders.”
Thunder Defenceman Mike Dalhuisen said, “Honestly, I didn’t even notice it out there. The first few practices it was a bit different but for us we got used to it and when the adrenaline starts going, you just forget about it.”
Eriks Sevcenko Celebrates his Power Play Goal
The San Francisco Bulls took the first game of the series on the Painted Ice in what was a close game. The Bulls opened the scoring in the first with Tyler Gron scoring off a beauty of a rebound off the pads of Thunder netminder Brian Foster. Thunder forward Matt Bergland followed up with a shot on Beskorowany from the high slot off a feed from Hunt up the wall. The game remained tied 1-1 through the relatively calm second period.
The Thunder then found themselves deep in penalty trouble. Three penalties piled on top of each other put the Bulls on a 5 on 3 Power play for an extended period of time and new Bulls defenceman Eriks Sevcenko took full advantage scoring 2 goals in the extended power play. San Francisco took the lead 3-1 and Thunder defenceman Landon Oslanski made a comeback bid for Stockton firing a shot from the point that slipped through Beskorowany but it wasn’t enough, the Bulls taking the game 3-2.
“We have to be a little bit smarter with penalties,” said defenseman Mike Dalhuisen. “We lost it on the penalty kill with some dumb penalties with the slashes. They were frustration penalties and you never like to see those.”
The two Captains Langdon and Hunt battle in front of netminder JP Anderson
The final contest in the 5 game series between the two rivals returned to the Cow Palace where it began. The Thunder took the Bulls by the horns with netminder Parker Milner getting his first professional shutout of his career, blanking San Francisco 5-0. The Thunder, heeding their own advice, did a good job staying out of the penalty box. The Bulls, however, spent most of the second period mired in penalties, taking 5 penalties in the frame, the Thunder power play getting to work. Lee Baldwin tipped in a shot over Bulls netminder J.P. Anderson on the power play after James Henry and Greg Miller got the first two Thunder goals, Baldwin’s made it 3-0 at the end of the second period.
“In Greenville I was quarterbacking the power play at the top of the zone, but here I’ve been looking to get to the back post,” Baldwin said. “I like going back door, and it’s worked out for me so far. Martin made a nice pass to me and I was able to put it behind the goalie.”
The forward line of Mitch Bruijsten, Greg Miller, and Joey Martin continues to showcase their talent for the Thunder. The line generated 2 goals and numerous scoring opportunities throughout the game, continuing their chemistry and momentum they began in last weekend’s 3 game series.
Parker Milner garnered his first professional shutout, making some key saves as the Bulls applied the pressure. He was nothing short of spot on for the Thunder.
“You’re definitely ready for anything against a team like them because they’re always cheating towards the offensive zone and they love to play on the rush,” Milner said. “You just have to be sharp and the biggest thing is getting in the game early, getting your eyes adjusted and playing a good sixty minutes.”
The Bulls came out of the contest the worse for wear with several forwards leaving the game due to injury. Forward Jordan Morrison left after the first period after hitting the boards hard and getting shaken up. Dean Ouellet left during the second period, sustaining an injury to his left arm and Brett Findlay, hobbled off the ice in the third after taking a shot to the groin. Kris Belan wasn’t seen on the ice for the weekend series, having broken his fingers during a fight with Thunder Captain Garet Hunt the previous weekend. San Francisco went into their Sunday game against the Ontario Reign with just 14 skaters, with two defencemen Scott Langdon and Kyle Bigos skating up at forward.
The Stockton Thunder head out on the road to face the Utah Grizzlies for a two game series next weekend while the San Francisco Bulls remain at home to face the Alaska Aces for a three game series beginning on Thursday January 9th.
Have you ever experienced a moment of complete serendipity? It can come in many forms, but for me personally, it came by way of a wrong turn on an early morning snowy walk with my dog, Ryder. It’s amazing how one “mistake” can completely change the course of your day and your mood.
There are a million amazing feelings in life, but the moment you turn the corner on a lightly traveled path in the middle of the woods and you see a glimmer of ice, that moment sits upon the top of the list. In winter, I, like many a player, see the prospect of what could be. A frozen parking lot, a pond on the side of the road, a small brook down behind the local gas station… all perfect bodies of water, that when frozen act as an oyster for the lover of ice. I would skate on a puddle if the opportunity presented itself. It’s what being a hockey player is all about, finding ice and taking advantage of it.
Pure beauty.
But this morning, in the middle of the woods, a serendipitous moment occurred — before my eyes, on an old mill pond, an outdoor rink appeared. A perfectly shoveled rectangle with a small skate way off the edge of the rarely traveled path. You better believe I took advantage of it.
While many people have an emergency kit loaded into their car, mine consists of something slightly different, two pucks, four sticks, skates, and a bag of hats and mittens. Because, in the middle of winter in New England, you never know when the opportunity to play puck will arise.
Of course, practicing safety is always a good idea. I was walking Ryder, as I often do, alone — the dog is so protective that it’s never an issue. Luckily, I’m blessed with a family that understands my love of the game, perhaps they don’t understand it, but they respect it. So, when I rang home to request someone come make sure I didn’t fall through the ice in the middle of the woods, they answered. Trudging back through the sizeable amounts of snow to get my skates and stick, my sister greeted me at the car, armed with hot chocolate and a smile.
It’s amazing how one small discovery can change your outlook on many things, clear your mind and bring joy to your day. My morning was filled with serenity, beauty, laughter and love… all because of one wrong turn.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, perhaps an outdoor rink of happiness will await on the other side of the bend.
How many of us can say that we get a second chance at something that we love? Probably not many because second chances do not come around every day, but when they do, you have to take advantage of them. You have to be ready.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native Dan DaSilva got a second chance to return to the AHL with a team he had a lot of success with. During the 2008-2009 season, DaSilva split time between the AHL with the Worcester Sharks and the ECHL. Then, for the next two seasons, he was with Worcester full time. Those have been the most successful seasons of his professional career and this season, he’s back with his old team.
“I always kind of had a special place in my heart for Worcester because I had a couple good years here. I always liked my time here. I met a lot of good people, including players, coaches, and trainers,” DaSilva remembered. “It’s kind of funny that the coaches are the same but only a couple guys I used to play with are still here. Some stuff has changed and some is the same but it’s good to be back.”
He started the season in the ECHL with the Ontario Reign. When he found out that Worcester wanted to bring him back on a professional tryout contract, he was not sure that it would be easy to go back. This was a team that had let him go after the 2010-2011 season and that was something he was not sure he could forget. But then he remembered what a great opportunity this was.
“At first I wasn’t sure I could come back because I thought that they let me go but then I thought, maybe that’s a good thing,” he said. “They know who I am and they know what to expect of me. Not many people get a second chance in hockey or in life. You want to make the most of that.”
Coaches and players alike are certainly familiar with him in Worcester. When he was around the last time, he was part of a line dubbed “The Crazed Rats” with forwards John McCarthy and Andrew Desjardins, both of whom are in the NHL with San Jose at the moment. In their Worcester Sharks days, they were a third line known for their energy and unusual awareness of the ice. During that season, they combined for an impressive 55 goals.
“We clicked right off the bat. There was one preseason game I remember in Springfield that we were all minus-3 or something like that. After that, we went on to have a really successful season,” he remembered. “I feel like we all worked hard and meshed together well. It didn’t matter who was doing the passing or scoring or forecheck, we all supported each other. That’s the biggest key to success, getting comfortable with your linemates and getting to play together all year long. You get used to where people are going to be.”
Now, he has new linemates with his old Sharks linemates being in the NHL. But he seems to be adjusting. He went his first nine games with his former team without a goal. Over the past eight games, he has three goals and really seems to be finding his stride. His role is a lot different from the first time around, though.
“With Desjardins and McCarthy we were kind of considered the third line even though we did good with producing. Now, I’m kind of playing more of a first line role. I’m expected to score more than when I was here before,” he said. “It hasn’t been too hard of an adjustment. Hockey guys are all kind of the same. We’re all kind of bred the same way.”
Prior to rejoining the Worcester Sharks for this second chance, DaSilva had gone back to the Ontario Reign in the ECHL for his second season. He seemed to be off to a strong season, registering 7 goals and 19 assists during the first 14 games. That was probably what got him the notice in the AHL. Sharks fans have the coaching staff with the Reign to thank for having this fan favorite back at all, though.
“The biggest reason I went back to the Reign is the coaching staff. They did a lot for my career. I don’t know if I would honestly still be playing hockey if it weren’t for those guys. It’s tough to keep playing and being away from family at times,” he said. “The guys in Ontario persuaded me to come there and I’m glad I did. They pushed us every single day to work hard. They’re supportive and helped me better myself as a player. I credit being back in the AHL to them because they really helped me. They pushed me every day.”
Although some players and fans might not understand the importance of playing in the ECHL, DaSilva is not one of them. He credits them, at least partially, with his second chance in Worcester. For him, it’s more than that, though. He took a shot and went overseas to play in the KHL. But for someone looking to get even just that one game of NHL experience, he understands it’s important to hold off going overseas.
“I went overseas the year after I left Worcester the first time. I feel like if you’re interested in making the NHL, I don’t think the ECHL is a bad place to be. You play there and work on things. As long as you go in with the right attitude, it’s not a bad thing at all,” he said. “I think some of the younger guys don’t realize that. They think it’s a bad thing to get sent down to the ECHL. I thought the same thing when I was younger. But you realize that you always need to be working on your game because if you’re not, somebody else is. They’re going to pass you and take the spot that could have been yours.”
Not only does DaSilva understand the importance of hard work, he knows that the best way to get better is to get out there and work on things. You cannot do that just by going through team practices. Sometimes there is a part of your game that just needs that extra bit of work beyond just practices. If you’re not getting into games in the AHL, there is no harm in getting to play in the ECHL for actual game experience.
“How much better can you get just in practice? If you’re not playing in the games, that’s not developing. The games are where you develop. In practice, you can work your hardest but it’s that game experience that matters most,” he said. “Practice isn’t going to get you to the next level. If you’re not playing in games, nobody can notice you. If you get sent down to the ECHL, you can work on whatever you need to work on and that builds your game. You’re that much better.”
This is something that DaSilva believes and knows all too well, having spent time in the ECHL and AHL over the course of his professional career. He wants what every professional hockey player in the minor league wants: that shot at even just one NHL game. He has a dream and it’s not one that he’s ready to let go.
“I’ve definitely put my time in for both leagues and I’m still going because I still want to make it. I’m still chasing the dream,” he said. “I almost shut it down but here I am, back in Worcester and it’s a good second opportunity. I don’t want to let it pass by.”
“I’m hoping for the best. I feel like I put myself in a good position coming back to Worcester. I still want to chase the NHL dream and I won’t be happy without that,” he said. “I’m hoping that if I play well, next year I can get an NHL deal. Then I could get that NHL game like I’ve been dreaming. That’s what I’ve been striving for during the last 9 or so years of my professional hockey career. That would be something special.”
So far, DaSilva seems to be in good position. He knows that despite coming in on a PTO, he will be in Worcester for the rest of the season. He seems more important than ever, given that the team has suffered a number of call-ups and injuries lately. In their recent games, they have only had just enough healthy players to put enough guys out on the ice.
Despite crediting the Reign coaching staff for keeping him in hockey, he also has the type of personality that he does not want to give up. He wants to keep pushing himself to be better and he wants to keep chasing the NHL dream. He still hopes that one day fans will see a reunion of him with Desjardins and McCarthy.
“I’m definitely not willing to give up. I’m still kicking for a reason. The give up thought has crossed by mind, it just doesn’t sit well with me. It’s just in my blood to keep on trying,” he said.
Over his seasons as a professional hockey player, DaSilva has learned a lot about himself. He knows that there are things that he needs to work on still but also that over the years he’s continued to improve his game. He’s in his ninth season of professional hockey and has taken a lot of lessons learned with him over the years. The most noticeable would have to be his incredible work ethic.
“I think my strengths are that I have the ability to read the ice and see the play developing. I think that lets me make smart plays. I think I’m a good passer. I’ve been trying to improve my skating, which used to be kind of slow,” DaSilva said. “I was kind of a liability earlier in my career because I wasn’t strong enough in my defensive zone but I’ve been working on that over the years.”
“The biggest thing I can’t stress enough is don’t get too comfortable, even if it’s something you notice during a game. You might see you missed a chance in a game and have to think that it’s something you’re going to work on in practice,” he said. “I always try to find something from the last game or two I’ve played that I can work on before the next game. Then, if I’m in that situation again, I’ll be able to improve on it.”
Throughout his career, DaSilva has always heard people tell him that he did not have what it takes. After juniors, he went undrafted. That was not something that he ever let get to him, though. He just took that as a cue to work harder and make people notice him. He has earned every chance he has ever gotten. It has been his hard work and dedication that have impressed people along the way and made them want to give him a chance.
“I’ve had naysayers my whole life and it was always the skating thing when I was younger. Every time I’ve moved from one level to the next, I’ve heard that I wouldn’t be able to make it past that level,” he remembered. “They thought I was too slow. Then I would get there and I would surprise people. I worked on my game and got better and was able to excel in juniors. BREAK “The same went for being undrafted. I went to Colorado camp as an undrafted free agent and just went on a tryout. I was able to get a contract out of that. Everywhere I’ve gone it’s been on a tryout. I’ve never just been given anything,” he said. “Even when I went to the KHL three years ago, it was a tryout. I’ve had to go everywhere and earn my spot. I seem to impress people when I go new places and I’m able to get a shot. I don’t know why that is but I don’t know that I’d want it any other way. I’ve been able to work for everything I’ve gotten and nothing has been given to me.”
With an attitude and work ethic like that, it is easy to see why DaSilva impresses wherever he goes. It would definitely be great to see him reunited with his old Worcester Sharks linemates. Even if he does not get that dream, he deserves to have his shot at an NHL game. He is dedicated and hard working, a fact that people do not seem to miss when they give him a chance.
DaSilva wants to have to work for his chances. All he needs is just one NHL team to give him a shot and he can do the rest. Every league that he’s played for professionally so far, he has come in on a tryout and earned a spot to stay. It will certainly be interesting to see what the rest of this season and the off-season bring for this fan favorite.
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