San Jose Sharks | CollegeHockeyPlayers

26Mar

Ben Guite(28) Worcester Sharks

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12th year veteran center, Worcester Sharks‘ Ben Guite(28) has missed a majority of 2011/2012 due to complications from a concussion he sustained early in the AHL season.

He recently returned to the team and is contributing in their push toward the Calder Cup Playoffs.

In 15 games this year he has 2 goals and 7 assists but despite not being a prolific goal scorer, he’s look to for his leadership and playing intensity on the ice.

He’s appeared in 175 NHL games (all but seven of them with Colorado Avalanche from 2006 – 2009) scoring 19 goals and 26 assists.

In 574 AHL games he has 101 goals and 172 assists.

He was originally picked by Montreal Canadiens in the 7th round of 1997 draft (#172 overall). The 33-year old signed a one-year, two-way deal with San Jose Sharks in the offseason.

19Mar

Sebastian Stalberg(42) Worcester Sharks

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Undrafted, Swedish-born winger Sebastian Stalberg(42) leaves college after three years, signing a 2-year entry level contract with San Jose Sharks that will kick in at the start of the 2012/2013 season.

He joins Worcester Sharks for the remainder of the season (and potentially the playoffs).

In his debut over the weekend he scored his first professional goal and looks like he can become a big offensive contributor in whatever league he officially starts his pro career with.

His brother, Viktor Stalberg is posting career highs for goals and assists in his second year (third overall) with Chicago Blackhawks.

08Mar

James Sheppard(15) Worcester Sharks

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Center James Sheppard(15) was Minnesota Wild‘s 1st round pick in 2006 (#9 overall) and played for three NHL seasons with the team but fell far short of expectations putting in only 11 goals, along with 38 assists in 224 games.

Not exactly the numbers expected from a player selected in the first round of the draft after a couple of phenomenally successful last couple years in juniors.

Then in the offseason, right before his fourth campaign he gets injured horsing around on some heavy all-terrain equipment and 2010/2011 get scrapped. It’s derailed most of this season as well as he continues to rehab but he finally appeared.

He was picked up in a low rent trade by San Jose Sharks before the start of 2011/2012 and continued to rehab. Finally set to go, he was reassigned to the AHL for the 1st time in his career on a conditioning stint, where he could very well stay in Worcester. In 4 games he has yet to get on the scoresheet, but does have 6 shots on net.

We’re sure San Jose would love to roll the dice, because they need to find a way to win or they’ll miss the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

02Mar

Mike Connolly(18) Lake Erie Monsters

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Undrafted rookie forward Mike Connolly(18) found himself strung onto a multi-player deal between his former team, San Jose Sharks and his now current club, Colorado Avalanche at the trade deadline.

He will really be shuffled from one affiliate, Worcester Sharks to another, Lake Erie Monsters.

In 40 AHL games this season he’s put up some impressive numbers (10 goals, 20 assists and +4 plus/minus).

He’s another small-sized “power” forward at 5’9″ 180 lbs. that plays a tenacious style game, sees the ice well and gets into those open spaces for good bids on net.

He has yet to appear in an NHL regular season game but that should change.

20Feb

Alex Stalock (32)

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379 days later, San Jose Sharks‘ 4th round pick in the 2005 draft (#112 overall), goalie Alex Stalock gets another AHL start in net for their affiliate Worcester Sharks.

On February 4, the back of his knee was accidentally stepped on by Manchester Monarchs‘ forward Dwight King and it caused that season to be scrapped and pretty much most of 2011/2012 to be shelved as well.

But pretty much on schedule he arrives back in Central MA after starting his rehab with their ECHL affiliate Stockton Thunder, where he went 5-1 with a 2.83 GAA and .914 SV%.

He’s ready to return to the team he’s lead for the past two seasons and get back on San Jose’s radar.

He won his debut 2-1 against what turned out to be an anemic Springfield Falcons‘ offense that managed only 16 shots, got their goal on a 5-on-3 power play and even had a penalty shot awarded to them.

He’s back!

19Feb

Josh Hennessy(9) Vaxjo Lakers

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Originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2003 draft (#43 overall) forward Josh Hennessy(11) only spent one season in their system with Cleveland Barons before he was involved in a big trade that sent him to Ottawa Senators.

He stayed with the team for four seasons playing mostly in Binghamton and appeared in his only NHL games in each of those years (20 games, 1 goal, no assists).

Falling off their depth chart, he became an unrestricted free agent in 2010 and decided to sign with HC Lugano of the Swiss Elite League.

For the 2011/2012 season, he was offered the opportunity to come home (he’s originally from Brockton, MA) and signed a one-year, two-way deal with Boston Bruins.

He was recently recalled to the NHL for the first time in a couple of years and skated 7:54 in his first game (an unfortunate 4-2 loss) with 2 penalty minutes for roughing.

Look for him to get another chance as the Bruins continue to fight off the injury bug.

In 5 AHL seasons, he scored 20 or more goals per campaign. This year with Providence Bruins he has 15 goals and 15 assists in 49 games.

18Feb

Ty Wishart(6) New York Islanders

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Former 2006 1st round draft pick (#16 overall) defenseman Ty Wishart(6) finally got his first NHL call up by New York Islanders.

He appeared in 20 games with them last season after being acquired from Tampa Bay Lightning and put up a goal and 4 assists with a +5 plus/minus, which was no easy feat on what was a bottom feeding team.

He played a total of 17:16 and was even +/- and played some shorthanded time in the 5-1 loss against St. Louis Blues.

Currently in his fourth season, the sizable 6’4″ 218 lbs. 23-year old may be taking a bit more time to catch on as a full-time NHL-er and considering he’s hits restricted free agent status at the end of this year, he might be dangled as bait for shopping.

14Feb

Andrew Murray(44) Worcester Sharks

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Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 8th round pick in the 2001 draft (#242 overall), 30-year old center Andrew Murray(44) hasn’t played in an AHL game in almost four seasons. Recently he was reassigned by San Jose Sharks to Worcester to pick up some increased playing time as the parent club shifts some of their younger guys in the system through the lineup to see where they stand with them before the NHL trade deadline at the end of the month.

He’s been rightfully given the assistant captain nod on the Worcester team and got his first goal (an empty-netter) in the league since the 2007/2008 season where he split time with the Blue Jackets and Syracuse Crunch. He did it while wearing this pink jersey the whole team donned for “Pink In The Rink” to benefit the Cup Crusaders.

He has 220 NHL games to his credit, scoring 24 goals and 16 assists as mostly a fourth line contributor.

San Jose management says they fully intend to recall him but that won’t likely happen until around March 1.

11Feb

Kevin Henderson(47) Milwaukee Admirals

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After his two-year entry level contract with San Jose Sharks was up last season, undrafted left wing Kevin Henderson(47) found himself without any takers for 2011/2012.

He played two full seasons with Worcester Sharks with his scoring totals improving over the second year of his deal but not quite enough for them to offer him another shot.

Now past the leagues All-Star breaks, he finally signed a deal to play with Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. After all of two games played with them, he instantly gets loaned and signs a pto with their AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.

How long he sticks probably depends on how quick is to make his mark on the scoring sheet.

The 3rd year pro is fairly big at 6’03” 210 lbs. but needs to put a little more Lucic into his game.

01Feb

Steve Bernier(25) New Jersey Devils

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7th year winger, originally a 1st round pick of San Jose Sharks in 2003 (#16 overall), Steve Bernier(25) signed an AHL contract with Albany Devils in late October.

Before this season he only ever played 59 games in the minors as a rookie and in his 3rd year.

He’s skated 385 NHL games (76 goals and 83 assists) with the Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks and in 2010/2011 with Florida Panthers.

Not exactly the best totals for a former high draft selection.

At 6’3″ and 220 lbs., you got to think the 26-year old has plenty left to use that big frame and blossom into the power forward he was always pegged to become.

New Jersey Devils just stepped in and turned his contract into a big league one-year, two-way deal.

He made his 2012 NHL debut as the league reconvened post All-Star game and skated 18 shifts for 13:30 minutes of total ice, including some power play time.

He had one shot on goal and went a -1 plus/minus, which maybe wasn’t all that great but his team did win in the shootout.