San Jose Sharks defender Mirco Mueller was sent to the dressing room about five minutes into Wednesday night’s game against the Calgary Flames without so much as an explanation from the referee over his microphone to the crowd at hand at the Saddledome. After a brief explanation from Randy Hahn, it became obvious quickly why Mueller was not eligible to play against Calgary: He wasn’t on the lineup card.
Paul Martin was originally listed on the Sharks’ lineup card when San Jose first handed it in just before puck drop. Martin must not have felt like he was able to go after that and told DeBoer as much. The Sharks couldn’t alter their lineup at that point and so DeBoer sent Mueller out there to try to get as much ice time as possible before the Flames caught wind of it.
That worked for 1:09, which NHL.com currently has credited to Paul Martin, before the referees gathered around to kick Mueller out of the game. So the Sharks are currently skating with five defenders. That includes Tim Heed, who is making his NHL debut tonight. This one could get a little dicey.
As many of you know, Fear the Fin is an independent site run by Sharks fans for Sharks fans. Help keep Fear the Fin independent by contributing to our