Worcester Sharks | CollegeHockeyPlayers

26Jan

Yanni Gourde(37) Syracuse Crunch

Posted in NHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted 3rd year left wing Yanni Gourde(37) is poised to set new career highs in all scoring categories this season.

He’s already eclipsed his goals total from last year with 15 in 41 AHL games with Syracuse Crunch, while holding a +14 rating.

It’s very likely that the small 5’9″ 168 lbs. forward will also reach new bests for points and assists in his first full year as a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect.

He was signed to a two-year two-way entry level contract after putting up point-per-game numbers on a pto with Worcester Sharks after being loaned from Kalamazoo Wings.

He had 15 goals and 19 assists in 30 ECHL at the time of his recall.

Looking for an NHL deal, it didn’t materialize with their parent club San Jose Sharks, so he smartly went elsewhere and found it.

24Jan

Tomas Hertl(48) San Jose Sharks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

San Jose Sharks‘ 1st round pick in the 2012 draft (#17 overall) Czech Republic-born 2nd year center Tomas Hertl(48) may have been shaking his head some when he was reassigned to skate games over the NHL All-Star break with minor league affiliate Worcester Sharks and it’s possible that if the parent club isn’t happy they could keep him down longer.

He’s definitely off to a less than impressive start in his sophomore campaign as his numbers are down dramatically from his rookie season, where he put in 15 goals and 10 assists in 37 games with a -11 rating.

The absolutely towering 6’2″ 210 power forward has only managed 8 goals and 9 assists in 48 games so the spotlight is on him to improve.

There’s little doubt he looks out of place on the farm team this could be the wake up call he needs to become a fixture in the highest level of hockey. In two AHL games he has a pair of assists with a +1 plus/minus.

He already had two years of pro experience as a teenager in his home country’s top league Czech Extraliga with HC Slavia Praha putting up 28 and 30 point seasons

The 21-year old is signed to a three-year entry level deal so it’s important for him to step it up but it’s very doubtful that if he fails to settle in California, another club will definitely give him a huge chance in a different system.

15Jan

John McCarthy(17) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

6th year veteran center John McCarthy(17) got a bit of a surprised when he was reassigned back to Worcester Sharks‘ organization in a minor league transaction after less than half a season on a one-year, two-way deal with St. Louis Blues.

He has spent his entire pro career in the San Jose Sharks‘ system, playing 267 AHL games with their farm team (59-82-141, +31 rating) and one campaign as team captain.

The 6′ 195 lbs. plays a power forward style despite being a little shy of the usual size but only in his rookie season was he able to attain 20/20 scoring status.

He’s also thought of as a good checking, somewhat agitating to play against opponent, which completely goes against his real good-guy off ice persona.

In 25 games on reassignment with Chicago Wolves he only has a 5 goals and 3 assists so far this season but was injured for a spell, which might have thrown his game off.

At 28-years old it’s tough to say where this train will stop next but it would be little surprise to see him succeed quite nicely taking his game overseas in 2015/2016.

See related: 1/28-12, 4/7-11, 3/16-11, 2/4-11

11Jan

Willie Coetzee(26) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

5th year undrafted South African-born right wing Willie Coetzee(26) has already cycled through three different leagues and two countries in his first season out of contract with Detroit Red Wings.

He started in Austria on a tryout with Graz 99ers but after 12 games was released.

A week later he signed a one-year deal with Reading Royals and went right to work in a league he was already very familiar from his time on reassignment with Toledo Walleye.

In 9 ECHL games he caught fire quickly scoring 2 goals and 10 assists, which got the attention of the injury plagued Worcester Sharks, who signed him to an spc essentially keeping him for the season.

Once again, the not huge 5’10” 185 lbs. forward stepped in attacking the score sheet unlike he did while playing for Grand Rapids Griffins, although he did have an ok sophomore campaign getting 11 tallies and 11 helpers.

In 8 AHL games he’s blowing the lid off the pace of his previous marks, amassing 4 goals and 7 assists with a +6 rating.

However the switch was activated, the 24-year old that missed all of 2013/2014 with a knee injury has seemingly arrived.

14Dec

Bobby Farnham (24)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

It was a dream come true for Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 3rd year undrafted pugulist right wing Bobby Farnham(24) to score a recall and play in his first NHL game.

He skated 9 even strength shifts for a minimal 5:31 ice time, had one hit and mixed it up in the opening frame for his first big league fighting major.

The not-so-big 5’10” 188 lbs. already has 7 AHL bouts this season and 30 in his career.

A former Brown University forward signed his first one-year deal with Wheeling Nailers.

He lasted all of 9 ECHL games (3 goals, 1 assist), including four 5-minute stays in the penalty box before being called-up to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he would be offered an spc one month in to his visit and basically never left.

That is until the parent club took notice and signed him to a one-year deal for his sophomore campaign and although he played the full season with the farm team it was good enough to get him re-upped for another.

And now he’s in the show and although it may have a time limit now, if he continues to demonstrate he can contribute he’d be a low cap hit for a team that may be looking for someone that plays his style.

27Nov

Adam Burish(37) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

San Jose Sharks‘ 9th year veteran center Adam Burish(37) has never been a prolific goal scorer through 378 NHL games he’s skated, 27 goals and 33 assists.

Returning healthy after suffering an injury that tossed all but 15 games to the sidelines last season, he’s off to a less than stellar start with only a goal, a pair of assists and a -6 rating in 20 contests.

His team is also suffering from sub par performances on more nights than not. As they say, there’s plenty of blame to go around.

Originally a Chicago Blackhawks‘ very deep 9th round pick in 2002 (#282 overall), the 6’1″ 191 lbs. forward has played most of his big league games with them, winning a Stanley Cup in 2010.

He does seem to gravitate towards winning as he was team captain for University Of Wisconsin when they won the 2006 NCAA Championship.

In between he had a two season stop posting career highs with Dallas Stars before signing a very decent 4-year agreement with the Sharks.

He’s in the third campaign of his one-way deal but not producing and with the team slumping he finds himself on the outs, reassigned to minor league affiliate Worcester Sharks.

It’s his first appearance in the AHL in 7 years.

In two games he has one assist.

The 31-year old could be a huge asset with the farm club or could easily find himself on the payoff end of a buyout after this season.

15Nov

Chris Tierney(50) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

San Jose Sharks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2012 draft (#55 overall) rookie center Chris Tierney(50) started his first campaign with the parent club appearing in 11 NHL games scoring a pair of assists with a -2 rating.

He was reassigned to affiliate Worcester Sharks to re-find that scoring touch that made him a point per game guy in his last two seasons of OHL with London Knights, where he also won two league championships in 2011, 2012 and was named team captain in his final term.

In his first 2 AHL games he already notched a first goal in the minors and has 4 assists to help the team come from behind twice to win.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward is signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2017, so if he gets hot and there’s a roster spot for him, he may be making the trek between the two coasts on a number of occasions in the 2014/2015 calendar.

The only 20-year old is definitely making a huge difference where he is.

31Oct

Tyler Kennedy(8) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

9th year veteran right wing Tyler Kennedy(8) was reassigned by San Jose Sharks to their farm team Worcester Sharks on a long-term conditioning loan after suffering a nagging upper body injury early in training camp.

He last played in the AHL in 2007 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2004 draft (#99 overall) he spent 7 years with the team posting career highs with 21 goals and 24 assists through 80 appearances in 2010-2011. He was a pretty nice playoff contributor, helping them to a Stanley Cup Championship in 2009.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward has skated 439 NHL games scoring 80 goals and 105 assists with a +22 rating.

His totals in the past pair of campaigns have faltered though and he was given a fairly lucrative two-year deal wooing him away quickly from his first turn as an unrestricted free agent.

He managed only 4 tallies and 13 helpers with a -10 plus/minus in 67 contests last season.

The 28-year old may be finding himself a bit on the cusp as to where he will fit in best unless he starts stepping it up quickly.

22Oct

Matt Taormina(20) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted 6th year defenseman Matt Taormina(20) has definitely bounced around from team-to-team in the last few seasons.

For 2014/2015 he signs his first AHL contract joining Worcester Sharks, since turning pro with Lowell Devils in 2009.

As a rookie, coming of four seasons at Providence College, he had a hefty 40 helpers and 10 goals in 75 games.

The effort earned the small but accountable in his own end 5’10” 185 lbs. a two-year entry level deal with New Jersey Devils, where he spent the majority of the next two seasons.

An unrestricted free agent he tested the waters and signed for a year with Tampa Bay Lightning but found himself playing mostly with their minor league affiliate Syracuse Crunch. He was re-signed but once again was unable to crack the parent club’s roster, skating in only 7 NHL games with no points.

Then close to the trade deadline he was dealt in a farm team deal to Columbus Blue Jackets and reassigned to Springfield Falcons.

If the just turned 28-year old can find the scoring sheet like he did at the beginning of his career, he may find himself signing another big league contract.

See related: 12/17-11

19Oct

Nick Jones (8)

Posted in AHL, ECHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted rookie defenseman Nick Jones(8) played a couple of AHL games with Worcester Sharks after four years at Mercyhurt College came to a close.

He didn’t record any points but did come away with a +1 rating and had a fairly high 6 shots on goal.

The 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner mostly showed point production increases in each of his campaigns at school and healthy plus/minus marks in his final couple of seasons but was fairly well-known as unafraid to take a shot from the point (or closer).

He signed a one-year two-way minor league deal for his rookie campaign right before the start of 2014/2015.

Invited on a tryout to attend San Jose Sharks‘ training camp, he was among the first cuts sent down.

The 24-year was further reassigned to start his pro career with Indy Fuel but is already making a statement.

In two ECHL games he’s struck for his first goal and added 2 assists while firing 7 shots at the net.