Yardbarker: San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks remain busy: Re-sign two and add two more

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:21:10 -0500

It seems that you can't sleep on the San Jose Sharks front office these days. No matter how much you may want a break, they continue to be hard at work shaping and reshaping the present and the future of the franchise. Tuesday, the Sharks announced that they've come to terms with left wing Riley Armstrong and right wing Mike Morris of the AHL's Worchester Sharks team. Alright, so these signings aren't earth shattering happenings, but the Sharks are not the type of organization to fill their ranks with guys who absolutely will never be called up.

From One Shabby Team to Another: Maurice to Interview for Islanders

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:14:54 -0500

The Leafs discard Coach Paul Maurice, the Sharks donate Ronny Wilson to the Leafs, then the Isles ditch Nolan, and now Paul Maurice interviews with the Isles? The Leafs are the only ones lucking out. OR is it just that these teams' players need new leaders? There are a total of 7 candidates vying for the position of Islanders' Head Coach, including former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella (replaced by Mr. Hockey, Barry Melrose) and his assistant, Mike Sullivan, possibly former Atlanta coach Bob Hartley, and current Providence Bruins coach Scott Gordon in Boston's organization. Former Colorado coach Joel Quenneville is also available. Finally, the current Islanders assistant Gerard Gallant, who previously coached Columbus, will interview. Who should get the job? Tortorella and Hartley have Stanley Cups.

The BEAST flying down the wing in Perth

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:30:10 -0500

One player that provided a glimpse of excitement for disappointed South African fans in Perth on Saturday night was Tendai Mtawarira, affectionately known simply as, The Beast.

The Zimbabwean born prop from the Natal Sharks has come on in leaps and bounds since converting from a flank to the front row. He is now a standout performer whenever he wears that black jersey, and more recently, the green and gold of the Springboks.

Mtwarira made his Test debut against Wales, and ran in for a nice try against Italy the very next week. He's rapidly becoming a cult hero at Kings Park and around the world, with crowds bellowing 'BEEEEEEEAST' whenever he touches the ball or makes a tackle. It's quite a phenomenon, and one that Beast himself has come to enjoy.

"It is a bit overwhelming. For me, it is very humbling to hear the crowd chant my name. The guys always tease me about it. But it is awesome, hey. You just hear a hum, like a big hum," he said.

He says he's been called Beast says he was 8 or 9, when he was bigger than all the other kids at his Harare primary school.

Late in the game against the Wallabies on the weekend, we saw the Beast take off down the right wing with a run that started close the Springboks tryline and ended after an offload somewhere around the halfway line. It included a handoff, sidestep, shimmy and possibly even a change in direction, and would have made front rowers around the world proud.

There was even a hint of a 'BEEEEEAST' from the Perth crowd, made up partly of the South African expats who've all but taken over the Western Australian city.

He made another short burst, this time up the left wing, just before the final whistle, but was stopped successfully and didn't pull out the sidestep on that occasion.

These runs lasted for a matter of seconds, but the impact with fans was huge as we've received many an email requesting to see this footage again. Enjoy.

Are you ready to get your San Jose Sharks tickets?

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:47:52 -0500

So are you? Regular season begins on Thursday October 9, at 7:30pm at the Tank. The Sharks will be facing their nemesis, the Anaheim Ducks, to begin a season chocked full of question marks. For the first time in five years, the Sharks will be starting the season with a different coach and much anticipation as to how well they'll fare this season.

Shattuck St. Mary’s Star Has Career Cut Short

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:19:40 -0500

Shattuck St. Mary's is famous for churning out quality hockey programs, and many of its players move on to the NHL. David Carle looked to be the next in line. His brother, Matt, is already there, a defenseman for the San Jose Sharks. But in June, the younger Carle got ...

Atlanta = Hockey Purgatory

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:04:19 -0500

What is the ultimate nightmare for a player in the NHL? Ending up in Atlanta apparently. Just ask new San Jose Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle.

Making Sense Of The Free Agency Madness

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:41:04 -0500

NHL free agency is less than 3 days old and already the NHL's landscape has undergone some big changes. Which teams have taken advantage of free agency, and which teams were in better shape on June 30th? It's time to break down the winners and losers in free agency thus far.

Rangers Prepping For Post-Avery Era

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:58:23 -0500

On the heels of signing rough and tumble winger Aaron Voros, the Blueshirts have agreed to terms with San Jose's Patrick Rissmiller, another physical forward. Neither player is going to make New York fans forget Sean Avery any time soon, but at least the diehards in the blue seats need not fear the team going soft in Avery's absence. The Rangers have also reportedly agreed to a deal with Andreas Jamtin of the Swedish Elite League, a diminutive but aggressive player described as "a pest on the ice." Hmmm, why does that sound familiar? The writing's on the wall, folks. I just hope Avery didn't overplay his hand here, for both sides' sake.

New TMO jurisdiction allows Sharks to seal a late win

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:38:48 -0500

Earlier this month a special IRB dispensation was made which allows the powers of the television match official (TMO) to be extended significantly. It is currently being trialled in South Africa's Currie Cup competition, which kicked off on Friday, and saw the first game's result being dramatically affected by the new ruling.

The experimental ruling gives the TMO more power than what he used to have, which was basically confined to making a decision regarding the scoring of a try.
Now, he may be referred to for an incident that occurred in a previous phase of play, anywhere on the field, as opposed to the in goal area only as in the past.

This means that not only can the referee get the TMO to check if the try was awarded fairly; it also means that at any point in the game, he can check if there has been a forward pass, a knock-on, obstruction or if any other offences transpired.

In the instance of a suspicion of foul play, he can refer to the man upstairs who will then ask the producer to rewind back to the previous phase of play and give his recommendation.

On the weekend's game we saw this in action for the first time, as the Sharks and Western province were tied at 25-25 with less than three minutes remaining. The referee got a flag from the touch judge, who suspected unlawful use of the boot. The suggestion was then made to use the television match official to check if this was in fact correct.

After reviewing the footage, the TMO's findings were that there was in fact trampling close to a player's face, which resulted in a penalty to the Sharks. The vital decision meant that scrum half Rory Kockott had the pressure kick to win the game, which he duly slotted, which meant the Sharks came out winners.

This system has also been used in France for foul play, and to re-iterate, is purely on a trial basis in the Currie Cup only at this stage. It has its merits, with the goal in mind being that we all want the correct decision to be made, and dirty play needs to be stamped out of the game.

Will it slow the game down drastically though, with TMO's taking ages over decisions, thus killing the game for the spectator? Time will tell.

Time: 03:27
Note: The video quality is a little choppy on this one. Apologies in advance.

2008 NHL Free Agency Explosion

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:57:34 -0500

Why wait until July 1st? Read now where Marian Hossa, Brian Campbell, Jaromir Jagr, Mats Sundin, Ryan Malone, Sean Avery and all the other big free agents are going to sign when free agency kicks off in less than a week.

Riding The Learning Curve

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:22:47 -0500

At age 23, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has seen his star rise in recent months. How do Fleury's numbers and achievements to this point in his career compare to some of his peers? Is he the second coming of Martin Brodeur, or just another product of the French-Canadian goalie factory? Look at the numbers and judge for yourself.

Kankowski knocked out by Del Fava

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:27:22 -0500

A tackle or a shoulder charge? The referee thought the latter, and proceeded to yellow card Italian second-row Carlo del Fava following his knock out hit on Springbok & Sharks star Ryan Kankowski.

The electrifying number eight was playing in just his third Test for South Africa when he suffered a head on head collision with the oncoming Italian defence. Kankowski was out cold for a few minutes before he was able to be manoeuvred onto a stretcher and taken from the ground.

Del Fava looked to be unlucky to have received the sin-binning, with the clash of heads possibly causing more damage than the shoulder itself, and he showed remorse and genuine concern when standing to clap off the Bok flyer.

Kankowski recovered well though, and was actually sit up in the change room minutes after being carried off the ground. Despite this, medical protocol requires that he be properly assessed before he can be cleared to play again.

Up until a few years ago there was a mandatory two week suspension for concussion, but more recently cognitive tests have been introduced to determine the extent and nature of concussion. So Kankowski could theoretically be cleared to play in the Tri-Nations opener against New Zealand in Wellington on 5 July, and go on to play a vital role in the Springbok's 2008 Tri-Nations campaign.

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Kankowski gallops in for a great Sharks try

San Jose Sharks: Feeling a draft here at The Cold Shoulder

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:30:50 -0500

If Doug Wilson isn't able to work some trade magic in the next few hours, he'd better wear some warm clothing because the Sharks are going to be iced until the middle of the second day of the draft. The Sharks have 7 picks in the 7 round draft, but they won't make their first until pick #117 of the fourth round. With all of the published reports about Marleau being traded, it's possible that the Sharks will move into the first round after the draft has started.

Atlantic Division 2008 Free Agency Preview

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:20:39 -0500

What will the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins be up to come July 1st? Will the Flyers be able to keep their young talent? How many players will the Penguins manage to keep in tow? Who will the Rangers overpay this year? Will the Devils finally find some offense?

Flyers trying to keep team intact

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:23:28 -0500

The Philadelphia Flyers are still trying to figure out a way to keep last years intact and improve. That task is going to be a lot harder then most Flyers fans would think. The salary cap currently stands at $55 million for next season. To be able to keep the Big Three free agents and sign a top flight defense man need to occur.