Introducing the 2012-13 Worcester Sharks

Born 11/28/1990 – Hayward, California
5’11”, 200 pounds, Right Shot

Signed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on March 4, 2011, Acolatse registered 21 points {8-13-21} in 65 games played to go along with 89 penalty minutes in his rookie season with Worcester in 2011-12. Armed with a rocket of a slap shot, Acolatse had 108 shots on goal and finished tied for fourth on the team with five power play goals. In addition, Acolatse quickly became a fan favorite with Worcester fans as he wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves, going undefeated in seven AHL fights. Lastly, Acolatse was named the 2011-12 Worcester Sharks Rookie of the Year.

Photo courtesy of www.facebook.com/WorcesterSharks

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Jimmy Bonneau {@JimmyBonneau}
#43
Right Wing
Born 3/22/1985 – Baie-Comeau, Quebec
6’3″, 220 pounds, Right Shot

In his first season with Worcester in 2011-12, Bonneau served as an alternate captain and registered five points {2-3-5} while setting a franchise record 22 fighting majors {third in the AHL}. In addition, Bonneau finished tied with defenseman Matt Pelech for the team lead in penalty minutes with 168.

On July 3, Bonneau was re-signed by Worcester to an AHL contract but will have to sit out the first several games of the 2012-13 season as he finishes out his suspension sentence from last season. For his AHL career, Bonneau has registered 21 points {8-13-21} to go along with 721 penalty minutes in 249 regular season games and three points {1-2-3} with 16 penalty minutes in 15 Calder Cup playoff games.

Photo courtesy of www.worcestersharks.org

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Taylor Doherty {@Doherty_4}
#4
Defense
Born 3/2/1991 – Cambridge, Ontario
6’7″, 235 pounds, Right Shot

Drafted by San Jose in the second round {no. 57 overall} of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Doherty registered six points {0-6-6} in 63 games played to go along with 76 penalty minutes in his rookie season with Worcester in 2011-12. The tallest player on the team, Doherty began to get more comfortable with the professional game towards the end of the season and dropped the gloves four times.

Photo courtesy of circlingthewagon.wordpress.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Curt Gogol {@CurtGogol13}
#13
Left Wing
Born 9/21/1991 – Calgary, Alberta
6’0″, 190 pounds, Left Shot

Signed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on Sept. 21, 2010, Gogol registered 10 points {6-4-3}, including the Sharks’ first goal of the season, in 53 games played to go along with 167 penalty minutes in his rookie season with Worcester in 2011-12. Gogol’s 167 penalty minutes led AHL rookies and was second on the team.

The son of Brent Gogol, who set the WHL record for the most penalty minutes in a season with 511 in the 1977-78 season for the Victoria Cougars and Billings Bighorns when the league was called the Western Canada Hockey League {WCHL}, Curt is an energizing player who is not afraid to hit or be hit as he led AHL rookies with 19 fighting majors.

Photo courtesy of Steve Lanava of www.telegram.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Yanni Gourde {@Yanni23}
#18
Left Wing
Born 12/15/1991 – St. Narcisse, Quebec
5’9″, 170 pounds, Left Shot

In the 2011-12 season, Gourde lit up the QMJHL by registering a league high 124 points {37-87-124} to go along with 70 penalty minutes in 68 regular season games for the Victoriaville Tigers. After the Tigers were swept in the first round of the QMJHL Playoffs, Gourde joined Worcester for the final four games of the regular season and opened a lot of eyes with his incredible speed while registering three points {1-2-3}.

On May 17, Worcester signed Gourde to an AHL contract for the 2012-13 season. At the Canadian Hockey League Awards Ceremony on May 30, Gourde was named the CHL Top Scorer of the Year and CHL Player of the Year. For his QMJHL career, the undrafted Gourde registered 221 points {74-147-221} with 154 penalty minutes in 199 regular season games and 18 points {7-11-18} with 18 penalty minutes in 29 playoff games.

Photo courtesy of circlingthewagon.wordpress.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Danny Groulx
#2
Defense
Born 6/23/1981 – LaSalle, Quebec
6’0″, 205 pounds, Left Shot

As a member of the Worcester Sharks in 2009-10, Groulx set professional career highs in goals {14}, assists {52} and points {66}. As a result of his breakout year, Groulx won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s Best Defenseman and was named to the AHL First All-Star Team. Groulx’s 66 points led Worcester in overall scoring and all AHL defensemen.

For the past two seasons, Groulx played in the Kontinental Hockey League {KHL} and split the 2011-12 season with Minsk Dynamo and Khanty-Mansiysk Yugra, registering two assists and 22 penalty minutes in 24 games played combined. On July 2, Groulx was signed by San Jose to a one-year contract.

Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Freddie Hamilton
#12
Right Wing
Born 1/1/1992 – Toronto, Ontario
6’1″, 195 pounds, Right Shot

In his fourth season with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL in 2011-12, Hamilton sparked the IceDogs to their best season in franchise history and an Eastern Conference Championship by registering 86 points {35-51-86}, second on the team, in 61 games played.

Even more remarkable was the fact that Hamilton missed an entire month of the OHL season to represent Team Canada at the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships, where Hamilton won a bronze medal and finished fourth in team scoring with seven points {1-6-7} in six games.

Hamilton set career highs in assists {51}, points {86}, plus-minus {plus-29} and finished in the Top-20 in eight OHL categories: Sixth in insurance goals {6}, 17th in goals {35}, seventh in assists {51}, 14th in plus-minus {plus-29}, 10th in game winning goals {6}, 11th in power play assists {21}, 11th in power play goals {12} and eighth in scoring {86 points}.

Hamilton continued his hot streak into the OHL Playoffs as he registered 24 points {7-17-24} in 20 games played. After leading the IceDogs to a second round sweep of the Brampton Battalion, which was highlighted by his five point {3-2-5} performance in game 3, Hamilton was named OHL Player of the Week for the playoff week ending April 15 after registering six points {3-3-6} in two games to go along with a plus-minus rating of plus-4.

Even though the IceDogs were eliminated by San Jose Sharks prospect Chris Tierney and the London Knights in five games in the OHL Championship series, Hamilton finished third in OHL playoff scoring and was fifth in assists. At the IceDogs team banquet on May 14, Hamilton was presented with the Most Sportsmanlike Award for the second time.

Drafted by San Jose in the fifth round {no. 129 overall} of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Hamilton registered 252 points {108-144-252} with 71 penalty minutes in 258 regular season games with the IceDogs and 44 points {14-30-44} with 23 penalty minutes in 51 OHL playoff games.

Photo courtesy of www.lastwordonsports.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Thomas Heemskerk
#33
Goalie
Born 4/11/1990 – Chilliwack, British Columbia
6’0″, 195 pounds, Left Glove

In his first season of professional hockey, Heemskerk spent the majority of the 2011-12 season with the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL, and registered a 13-12-0 record with a 3.27 goals-against-average and .893 save-percentage. Near the end of the season, Heemskerk appeared in four games for Worcester, going 0-1-0 with a 2.14 goals-against-average and .921 save-percentage. Heemskerk is still considered an AHL rookie and was signed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on Sept. 29, 2009.

Photo courtesy of prohockeynews.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Matt Irwin
#20
Defense
Born 11/29/1987 – Brentwood Bay, British Columbia
6’2″, 210 pounds, Left Shot

In his sophomore season with Worcester in 2011-12, Irwin was the team’s second leading scorer with 42 points {11-31-42} to go along with 48 penalty minutes in 71 games played and finished first amongst AHL defensemen in power play goals {9} and shots on goal {209}.

Named to the 2012 AHL All-Star game and possessing a howitzer slap shot, Irwin’s power play goals, assists, shots on goal and power play points {24} were all team leading. On July 2, Irwin was re-signed by San Jose to a one-year contract. Originally signed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on March 23, 2010, Irwin has registered 73 points {21-52-73} with 91 penalty minutes in 143 games played.

Photo courtesy of www.facebook.com/WorcesterSharks

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Bracken Kearns {@Bracken66}
#16
Center
Born 5/12/1981 – Vancouver, British Columbia
6’1″, 195 pounds, Left Shot

A solid two-way forward who is coming off back-to-back 20 goal seasons and a six-year veteran of the AHL, Kearns registered 52 points {22-30-52} with 58 penalty minutes in 69 games played for the San Antonio Rampage in 2011-12 and seven points {2-5-7} in the Rampage’s 10 Calder Cup Playoff games. Kearns finished tied for second in team scoring, third in goals and fourth in penalty minutes.

Kearns, who played under current Worcester Sharks head coach Roy Sommer for one game in the 2005-06 season as a member of the Cleveland Barons, made his NHL debut with the Florida Panthers in 2011-12 and picked up 10 penalty minutes in five games. Signed by San Jose to a one-year contract on July 2, Kearns has registered 220 points {89-131-220} with 423 penalty minutes in 407 AHL regular season games and nine points {2-7-9} with 14 penalty minutes in 18 Calder Cup Playoff games.

Photo courtesy of www.abbotsfordheat.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Tim Kennedy {@TK1386}
#22
Left Wing
Born 4/30/1986 – Buffalo, New York
5’10”, 175 pounds, Left Shot

Acquired from the Florida Panthers by San Jose for defenseman Sean Sullivan on Jan. 26, Kennedy centered Worcester’s top line alongside Brandon Mashinter and John McCarthy, and averaged nearly a point per game in registering 31 points {10-21-31} with 26 penalty minutes in 35 games played. Including his stats from the San Antonio Rampage, Florida’s AHL affiliate, Kennedy registered 40 points {13-27-40} and 44 penalty minutes in 53 games played.

Signed by Worcester to an AHL contract on Sept. 27, Kennedy has registered 156 points {43-113-156} with 147 penalty minutes in 193 career AHL regular season games, one assist with two penalty minutes in five Calder Cup Playoff games, 29 points {11-18-29} with 54 penalty minutes in 114 career NHL regular season games and three points {1-2-3} with four penalty minutes in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Photo courtesy of circlingthewagon.wordpress.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

James Livingston {@JamesLivy}
#26
Right Wing
Bron 3/8/1990 – Newmarket, Ontario
6’1″, 215 pounds, Right Shot

Signed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on March 11, 2011, Livingston registered 20 points {6-14-20} with 47 penalty minutes in 68 games played and finished sixth on the team with a 133 shots on goal in his rookie season with Worcester in 2011-12. A good forechecker who knows how to finish checks, Livingston will look to improve upon his offensive numbers as well as his overall defensive game in his second professional season.

Photo courtesy of www.facebook.com/WorcesterSharks

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Brandon Mashinter {@BMash23}
#53
Left Wing
Born 9/20/1988 – Bradford, Ontario
6’4″, 220 pounds, Left Shot

In his third season with Worcester in 2011-12, Mashinter registered 33 points {16-17-33} with 67 penalty minutes in 65 games played. Mashinter finished fourth on the team in points, second in goals and third in shots on goal with 187. In addition, Mashinter recorded two Gordie Howe Hat-Tricks on Dec. 30, 2011 and Feb. 4 {both Worcester victories}.

Originally singed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on March 3, 2009, Mashinter was re-signed to a one-year contract by San Jose on Aug. 15 but due to the NHL Lockout, Mashinter singed an AHL contract with Worcester on Sept. 27.

Ninth all-time in Worcester Sharks history with 103 points {52-51-103} and eighth all-time with 280 penalty minutes in 206 AHL regular season games, Mashinter has registered six points {1-5-6} with six penalty minutes in 11 Calder Cup Playoff games and 17 penalty minutes {three fighting majors} in 13 games with San Jose.

Photo courtesy of www.facebook.com/WorcesterSharks

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Jon Matsumoto {@Matsy11}
#11
Center
Born 10/13/1986 – Ottawa, Ontario
6’0″, 190 pounds, Left Shot

Signed by San Jose to a one-year contract on July 12, Matsumoto tweeted on July 2 that he was happy to be a part of the San Jose organization before any official announcement was made of his signing.

Splitting the 2011-12 season with the Charlotte Checkers and San Antonio Rampage, Matsumoto registered 60 points {23-37-70} with 50 penalty minutes in 76 games played. Matsumoto’s 23 goals in 2011-12 extended his streak to five consecutive seasons with at least 20 goals, including a 30 goal season for the Adirondack Phantoms in 2008-09.

Matsumoto, who has two NHL goals in 14 career games, has registered 281 points {124-157-281} with 275 penalty minutes in 392 regular season games and 28 points {10-18-28} with 34 penalty minutes in 41 Calder Cup Playoff games In his five seasons in the AHL.

Photo courtesy of circlingthewagon.wordpress.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

John McCarthy
#7
Left Wing
Born 8/9/1986 – Boston, Massachusetts
6’1″, 200 pounds, Left Shot

Serving as an alternate captain in his third season with Worcester in 2011-12, McCarthy led the team in scoring with 47 points {20-27-47} to go along with 41 penalty minutes in 65 games played. McCarthy’s 20 goals were both a personal and team high. Also, McCarthy was tied for second in assists with linemate Tim Kennedy and second in shots on goal with 199.

Drafted by San Jose in the seventh round {no. 202 overall} of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, McCarthy was re-signed by San Jose to a one-year contract on July 12 but due to the NHL Lockout, McCarthy was signed by Worcester to an AHL contract on Sept. 27.

For his career, McCarthy is 10th all-time in Worcester Sharks history with 101 points {42-59-101} and second all-time with a plus-42 rating to go along with 93 penalty minutes in 164 regular season games. In addition, McCarthy has registered five points {2-3-5} with 10 penalty minutes in 11 Calder Cup Playoff games and four points {2-2-4} with 18 penalty minutes in 51 games with San Jose

Photo courtesy of www.sharksahl.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Frazer McLaren {@FrazerMcLaren68}
#10
Left Wing
Born 10/29/1987 – Winnipeg, Manitoba
6’5″, 235 pounds, Left shot

In his fourth season with Worcester in 2011-12, McLaren registered one assist with 73 penalty minutes in 20 games played and had nine penalty minutes in seven games played with San Jose.

After suffering a hip injury in March while playing in Worcester, McLaren had hip surgery in early May and was assigned to Worcester from San Jose on a conditioning assignment on Nov. 11. The next night, McLaren played in his first game since April 9 and dropped the gloves with Manchester Monarchs enforcer Justin Johnson.

The Worcester Sharks all-time leader in penalty minutes {490} and fighting majors {47}, McLaren was re-signed by San Jose to a one-year contract on July 12 but due to the NHL Lockout, McLaren was signed by Worcester to an AHL Contract on Sept. 27.

For his career, McLaren has registered 34 points {13-21-34} with 490 penalty minutes in 191 regular season games with Worcester, five points {1-4-5} with 87 penalty minutes in 23 AHL Calder Cup Playoff games and seven points {1-6-7} with 149 penalty minutes in 39 games with San Jose.

Photo courtesy of circlingthewagon.wordpress.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Taylor Nelson {@TaylorNelson29}
#30
Goalie
Born 5/3/1988 – Regina, Saskatchewan
6’1″, 177 pounds, Left Glove

After splitting time his first three years at Ferris State, Nelson got his chance to be the Bulldogs’ starting goaltender his senior season in 2011-12, and responded by leading the Bulldogs to their second CCHA regular-season championship and first appearance in the Frozen Four. After defeating Union 3-1 in the Frozen Four, the Bulldogs advanced to their first NCAA Championship game, where they were defeated by San Jose Sharks prospect Issac MacLeod and the Boston College Eagles 4-1.

For the season, Nelson registered a 21-7-3 record with a 2.10 goals-against-average and a new school record .924 save percentage. At the Bulldogs’ annual Team Awards Banquet on April 14, Nelson was named the Bulldogs’ 2011-12 team MVP. In his four years at Ferris State, Nelson posted a 35-20-10 record with a 2.33 goals-against-average and .917 save percentage. On Sept. 5, Nelson was signed by Worcester to an AHL contract.

Photo courtesy of www.mlive.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Travis Oleksuk {@Toleksuk11}
#21
Center
Born 2/3/1989 – Thunder Bay, Ontario
6’0″, 200 pounds, Left Shot

In his senior season with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, Oleksuk finished as the Bulldogs second leading scorer with 53 points {21-32-53} and only had six penalty minutes. The fourth leading scorer in all Division 1 hockey, Oleksuk earned All-WCHA Third Team Honors and was named the Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 10 after registering four points {2-2-4}, including a game winning goal, in a road weekend series sweep of the Western Michigan Broncos.

The 43rd all-time leading scorer in Bulldogs history, Oleksuk registered 115 points {45-70-115} in 134 career games and tied a school record with 15 game-winning goals. In addition, Oleksuk played in 115 straight games to close out his career and assisted on Kyle Schmidt’s game-winning goal in the 2011 championship game that won the Bulldogs their first National Championship.

After completing his senior season with the Bulldogs, Oleksuk was signed by San Jose to entry-level contract on March 30. Opting to wait until the 2012-13 season to join Worcester, Oleksuk finished out the school year and graduated from Minnesota-Duluth with a degree in management.

Photo courtesy of Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Matt Pelech
#23
Defense
Born 9/4/1987 – Toronto, Ontario
6’5″, 230 pounds, Right Shot

The best under the radar signing of the 2011-12 season, Pelech blossomed into a shot blocking machine and feared physical presence for Worcester. Serving as an alternate captain, Pelech registered eight points {1-7-8} to go along with 16 fighting majors in 59 games played. In addition, Pelech finished tied with forward Jimmy Bonneau for the team lead in penalty minutes with 168.

Voted the Worcester Sharks 2011-12 “UnSung Hero,” Pelech was re-signed to a one-year contract by San Jose on July 16 but due to the NHL Lockout, Pelech was signed by Worcester to an AHL Contract on Sept. 27. For his career, Pelech has three assists with nine penalty minutes in five NHL games {all with the Calgary Flames in 2008-09}, 41 points {12-29-41} with 762 penalty minutes in 296 AHL games and four assists with 31 penalty minutes in 13 AHL Calder Cup Playoff games.

Photo courtesy of www.facebook.com/CTWhale

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Nick Petrecki {@Treks29}
#29
Defense
Born 7/11/1989 – Schenectady, New York
6’3″, 225 pounds, Left Shot

In his third season with Worcester in 2011-12, Petrecki registered nine points {1-8-9} with 107 penalty minutes in 68 games played. On April 12, Petrecki was named the winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award as the AHL Man of the Year, becoming just the second Worcester Sharks player to receive an AHL award {Defenseman Danny Groulx won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s best defenseman in the 2009-10 season}.

Named the Worcester Sharks Man of the Year the past two season, Petrecki has helped promote the team’s main community programs, FINZ Fit Kidz and Reading is Cool, by becoming the lead spokesman. In addition, Petrecki has been involved with the team’s Give Moore for the Holidays Toy Drive; spoken about the importance of reading to thousands of students in the Worcester area; worked with the Hockey Ministries International to organize a Sharks Faith and Family Night; engaged in street hockey clinics; led youth group discussions at Y.O.U. Inc.; and painted a street mural to promote Athletes for a Greener Planet.

Drafted by San Jose in the first round {no. 28 overall} of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Petrecki was signed by Worcester to an AHL contract on Sept. 27, and has registered 37 points {6-31-37} with 342 penalty minutes in 200 career AHL games {all with Worcester}.

Photo courtesy of circlingthewagon.wordpress.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Brodie Reid {@BrodieReid}
#51
Right Wing
Born 10/25/1989 – Delta, British Columbia
6’1″, 195 pounds, Right Shot

Signed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on April 15, 2011, Reid registered 25 points {10-15-25} with 17 penalty minutes in 66 games played and finished fourth on the team in shots on goal with 149 in his rookie season with Worcester in 2011-12. In his lone season of college hockey at Northeastern in 2010-11, Reid finished as the fourth leading scorer on the Huskies with 28 points {11-17-37} in 37 games played and was the second-highest scoring rookie in all of Hockey East, resulting in a selection to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

Photo courtesy of circlingthewagon.wordpress.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Harri Sateri {@HarriSateri}
#35
Goalie
Born 12/28/1989 – Toijala, Finland
6’1″, 205 pounds, Left Glove

In his first full season with Worcester in 2011-12, Sateri posted a 15-20-0-1 record with a 2.86 goals-against-average and .908 save percentage in 38 games played. In addition, Sateri became the first Worcester Sharks goalie to record back-to-back shutouts, and set a new team shutout record of 157:37, which bested Alex Stalock’s record by 22:07.

Drafted by San Jose in the fourth round {no. 106 overall} of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Sateri is 16-23-0-2 with a 2.82 goals-against-average and .909 save percentage in 45 career AHL games.

Photo courtesy of www.facebook.com/WorcesterSharks

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

James Sheppard
#15
Center
Born 4/25/1984 – Halifax, Nova Scotia
6’1″, 205 pounds, Left Shot

Acquired from the Minnesota Wild by San Jose for a third round pick in 2013 on Aug. 7, 2011, Sheppard appeared in his first career AHL game on Feb. 28 in a 2-1 shootout road loss against the Connecticut Whale. The game was Sheppard’s first professional hockey since a horrific ATV accident that fractured his left patella on Sept. 7, 2010.

Sheppard appeared in four games for Worcester during the 2011-12 season and registered two penalty minutes before being recalled on March 10 to San Jose, where he did not dress for the remainder of the 2011-12 season. The ninth overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Sheppard was signed by Worcester to an AHL contract on Sept. 28 and has registered 49 points {11-38-49} with 108 penalty minutes in 224 career NHL games.

Photo courtesy of circlingthewagon.wordpress.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sebastian Stalberg {@SStalberg8}
#8
Forward
Born 6/30/1990 – Gothenburg, Sweden
6’0″, 180 pounds, Right Shot

The younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks forward Viktor Stalberg, Sebastian was signed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on March 14, and quickly became a fan favorite amongst Worcester fans as he displayed great skating skills to go along with an excellent shot. Sebastian registered five points {3-2-5} and four penalty minutes in 13 games played after deciding to turn pro at the end of his junior year at Vermont.

As a junior at Vermont in 2011-12, Sebastian lead the team in goals {12}, assists {19} and points {31} in 34 games played. In his three years at Vermont, Sebastian registered 78 points {27-51-78} with 46 penalty minutes in 106 career games. In 2010-11, Sebastian was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team and earned Hockey East All-Star Honorable Mention. Lastly, Sebastian was a member of the 2009-10 Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

Photo courtesy of circlingthewagon.wordpress.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Alex Stalock
#32
Goalie
Born 7/28/1987 – South St. Paul, Minnesota
6’0′, 185 pounds, Left Glove

After missing a majority of the 2011-12 season due to a sliced nerve injury behind his left knee {suffered in a Feb. 4, 2011 game against the Manchester Monarchs}, Stalock returned to on-ice action with the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL on Jan. 21 and posted a 5-1-0 record with a 2.83 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage.

After his time with the Thunder, Stalock was recalled to Worcester on Feb. 14 and made his first Worcester start in over a year on Feb. 18 in a 2-1 road win over the Springfield Falcons. In all, Stalock appeared in five games between Worcester and the Peoria Rivermen {whom he was loaned to for free on March 3}, and went 3-1-0 with a 1.87 goals-against-average and a .932 save percentage to go along with one shutout.

Prior to suffering his injury in his sophomore season with Worcester, Stalock posted a 19-17-4 record with a 2.63 goals-against-average and a .907 save percentage in 41 games played. As a rookie in 2009-10, Stalock was an AHL All-Star, named to the AHL All-Rookie Team and recognized as the Worcester Sharks Team MVP after going 39-19-2 with a 2.63 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage in 61 games played.

Originally drafted by San Jose in the fourth round {no. 112 overall} of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Stalock was re-signed by San Jose to a one-year contract on July 2.

Photo courtesy of www.ingoalmag.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Mikael Tam {@MikTam52}
#40
Defense
Born 4/26/1991 – Quebec City, Quebec
5’10”, 190 pounds, Left Shot

Invited to Worcester’s 2012 Training Camp as a tryout, Tam tweeted on Oct. 5, “Just signed my first AHL contract with the @WorcesterSharks !! Happy to be part of the organization. #livingthedream.”

As captain of the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL in the 2011-12 season, Tam registered 43 points {15-28-43} with 106 penalty minutes in 68 games played and led the Remparts to a 43-18-5-2 record. As the fifth seed in the 2012 QMJHL President’s Cup Playoffs, the Remparts swept the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the first round but were eliminated in seven games in the quarter-finals by San Jose Sharks prospect Konrad Abeltshauser and the Halifax Mooseheads after blowing a 3-0 series lead. In the Remparts’ 11 playoff games, Tam registered five points {1-4-5} with 21 penalty minutes.

For his QMJHL career, Tam registered 140 points {53-87-140} with 454 penalty minutes in 318 regular season games and 33 points {11-22-33} with 94 penalty minutes in 66 playoff games.

Photo courtesy of www.twitter.com/MikTam52

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Daniil Tarasov {@DTarry79}
#19
Forward
Born 6/20/1991 – Moscow, Russia
6’0″, 200 pounds, Left Shot

The first Russian born player in Worcester, Tarasov spent the last two seasons with the Indiana Ice of the USHL, and led the team in scoring both seasons by registering 163 points {84-79-163} with 132 penalty minutes in 117 career regular season games and 16 points {7-9-16} with 14 penalty minutes in 11 USHL playoff games.

In 2011-12, Tarasov and San Jose Sharks prospect Sean Kuraly, who is currently playing collegiate hockey for the Miami Redhawks, led the Ice to the second best record in the USHL {36-15-9; 81 points} but were swept in three games by the Green Bay Gamblers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Individually, Tarasov became the all-time leading goal scorer in Ice history, was second in USHL scoring with 88 points {47-41-88} in 60 games played, had eight game winning goals and was named to the All-USHL First Team. In addition, Tarasov’s 47 goals broke his own team record of 37 that he set the previous season, and his 84 career goals were the most by a USHL player in a two-season span since Chris Ferraro had 102 goals in the 1991-92 season. Lastly, Tarasov ended the 2011-12 regular season on a 13-game point streak where he registered 26 points {14-12-26} with four multi-goal games. On June 1, Tarasov was signed by Worcester to an AHL contract.

Photo courtesy of www.indystar.com

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Matt Tennyson {@Tenner_7}
#5
Defense
Born 4/23/1990 – Pleasanton, California
6’2″, 210 pounds, Right Shot

Signed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on March 29, Tennyson became the first Jr. Shark to sign with the San Jose organization. Deciding to turn pro at the end of his junior season at Western Michigan, Tennyson registered two points {1-1-2} in seven games with Worcester.

As a junior at Western Michigan in 2011-12, Tennyson finished as the fourth leading scorer on the Broncos {11-13-24} and his 24 points led all team defenseman. In addition, Tennyson led the Broncos in power play goals {8} and was the team leader in shots on goal {117}. As a result, Tennyson earned Second Team All-CCHA honors and was name a finalist for CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman. For his collegiate career, Tennyson registered 49 points {20-29-49} with 92 penalty minutes in 112 games.

Photo courtesy of www.twitter.com/Tenner_7

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Marek Viedensky
#25
Center
Born 8/18/1990 – Handlova, Slovakia
6’4″, 210 pounds, Right Shot

Drafted by San Jose in the seventh round {no. 189 overall} of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and signed by San Jose to an entry-level contract on May 5, 2010, injuries hampered the first part of Viedensky’s rookie season with Worcester in 2011-12. Once Viedensky got his conditioning back and use to the professional game, Viedensky registered 11 points {5-6-11} with 14 penalty minutes in 52 games played and became one of head coach Roy Sommer’s top penalty killers. In a set of three-in-three games from Jan. 6-8, Worcester was 15-for-16 on the penalty kill, including a perfect 7-for-7 against the Springfield Falcons in a 5-0 home win on Jan. 8. Even though he didn’t score a goal in the Falcons game, Viedensky was named the game’s No. 3 star.

Photo courtesy of www.worcestersharks.org

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

*Head shots courtesy of www.sharksahl.com, www.theahl.com, www.ontariohockeyleauge.com, www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com, www.umdbulldogs.com, www.remparts.ca and ushl2011.stats.pointstreak.com*