AHL American Hockey League

Worcester Sharks President and CEO Michael T. Lehr has announced a special “buy one, get one FREE” ticket offer available now through October 31st as the Sharks prepare for the teams’ fourth season of hockey in Worcester.

The “buy one, get one FREE” offer will be good for any adult teal level seat at any of the 19 home games in 2009 at the DCU Center and can be purchased online at www.SharksAHL.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Please call the Shark’s front office at 508-929-0500 for more information.

“We are excited to begin our fourth season of hockey in Worcester,” said team president and CEO Michael T. Lehr. “The Sharks invite all families to embrace the fall weather and enjoy a promotions packed Sharks schedule with this special ticket offer.”

Some of the exciting upcoming promotions in 2009 include:

• Sat., October 17 vs. Lowell – Home Opener with a Derek Joslin bobblehead courtesy of Saint Vincent Hospital and a magnet schedule compliments of Charter Communications!
• Sat., October 24 vs. Springfield – Poster Schedule giveaway
• Fri., October 30 vs. Bridgeport – Trick-or-treating in concourse
• Sat., November 14 vs. Hartford – Celebrity appearance by Tiffany Thornton from Sonny with a Chance
• Sun., November 22 vs. Norfolk – Hat and Mittens Holiday Skate presented by Bay State Savings Bank
• Sun., December 6 vs. Portland – Hero’s Night, a tribute to the Worcester Six Fire Fighters
• Sat., December 26 vs. Springfield – Kids lunchbox giveaway

For more information on this great ticket offer, contact the Worcester Sharks Front Office today by calling 508.929.0500!  Log onto www.SharksAHL.com for the complete promotional schedule and up to date information!

The Worcester Sharks travel to Glens Falls, NY on Saturday to battle the Adirondack Phantoms to kickoff the 2009-10 regular season schedule.

All games can be heard live on NewsTalk 580AM and 94.9FM WTAG, as well as online through AHL Live, by following the link on the Sharks website at www.SharksAHL.com.

Entering their fourth season in Worcester, the Sharks look forward to another exciting season highlighted by the improvements of the ice surface at the DCU Center and the reduction of season ticket prices! Sharks fans may secure their 2009-10 season tickets by placing a $50 deposit per seat. Some of the exclusive benefits for full season ticket holders will include:

• Guaranteed same seat for all 40 home dates and playoff home games at the DCU Center
• Significant savings off box office ticket prices
• Priority access to purchase tickets to DCU Center events (subject to availability)

Season ticket packages, group tickets, and individual tickets for the 2009-10 season are on sale now by contacting the Worcester Sharks Office at 508.929.0500 or by crashing the net at www.SharksAHL.com.

Worcester Sharks General Manager Wayne Thomas announced today that the Worcester Sharks have signed an affiliation agreement with the Kalamazoo Wings of the East Central Hockey League (ECHL) for the 2009-10 season.

Kalamazoo will serve as the ECHL developmental affiliate for the San Jose Sharks and the Philadelphia Flyers.

“The San Jose Sharks are pleased to add this quality organization as our development affiliate. The Kalamazoo Wings have a long-standing tradition of excellence in its market on and off the ice," said Wayne Thomas.

"We [The K-Wings] are excited and honored to be associated with two of the finest franchises in the NHL,” said Paul L. Pickard, President of the Kalamazoo Wings. “Both organizations share our core values and have our commitment for producing championship-caliber teams."

In their history, the K-Wings have been affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings (1974-1987), Philadelphia Flyers (1984-1987), Vancouver Canucks (1984-1987), Minnesota North Stars (1987-1993), and Dallas Stars (1993-2000).

The K-Wings will commence their inaugural ECHL campaign on the road Thursday, Oct. 15 against the Reading Royals.

Season Tickets for the Sharks Season Opener
The only way to guarantee your seat for the 2009-10 Worcester Sharks season opener at the DCU Center is by purchasing a season ticket package or the Opening Night T-Shirt Trio!

The Opening Night T-Shirt Trio includes a ticket to opening night and a ticket to any two of the six guaranteed dates for just $49!  Kids 12-years-old and younger are just $39!  Each trio includes a free Worcester Sharks t-shirt!  That's three tickets and a free t-shirt for just $49!

Entering their fourth season in Worcester, the Sharks look forward to another exciting season highlighted by the improvements of the ice surface at the DCU Center and the reduction of season ticket prices!

Sharks fans may secure their 2009-10 season tickets by placing a $50 deposit per seat. Some of the exclusive benefits for full-season ticket holders will include:

• Guaranteed same seat for all 40 home dates and playoff home games at the DCU Center
• Significant savings off box office ticket prices
• Priority access to purchase tickets to DCU Center events (subject to availability).

Season ticket packages and the Opening Night T-Shirt Trio for the 2009-10 season are on sale now by contacting the Worcester Sharks Office at 508.929.0500 or by crashing the net at www.SharksAHL.com. 

The previous article used excerpts from a press release. What's News is the alternate profile of Bleacher Report writer Todd Civin and is used to post press releases for the Worcester Sharks of the AHL, The Boston Breakers of the WPS, and the Lowell Spinners of the Eastern Baseball League. Civin is a supporter of A Glove of Their Own, the award winning children's story that teaches sharing through baseball. Visit www.agloveoftheirown.com for details.

The Hershey Bears announced Tuesday that defenseman Bryan Helmer has re-signed with the club for the upcoming 2009-10 season.

The grizzled 37-year-old veteran performed well last season, his first with the Bears.  He served as team captain and was also named captain of the Canadian team in the AHL all-star game.

Helmer recorded two goals and 27 points in 63 games during the regular season.  He also totaled three goals and eight points in 22 games on the way to leading his team to a record 10th calder cup championship.

Due to a number of injuries in Washington, Helmer was signed and recalled by the Capitals back on November 28th.  He played in 12 games with the big club and totaled three assists during his time in the NHL.  It was the Ontario native's first NHL action since the 2003-04 season when he appeared in 17 games with the Phoenix Coyotes.

The voice of the Bears John Walton seems to approve of the decision to bring him back.  He posted this on his blog Tuesday:

Talk about veteran leadership!  On the heels of signing former Hershey captain Boyd Kane earlier this month, the Bears announced Tuesday afternoon the signing of last year's captain Bryan Helmer to a new deal.  That will put the captains of Hershey's last two cup teams on the same roster for 2009-10.  What better environment for developing young players!

Not only will Helmer continue to make the Hershey Bears one of the best teams in the AHL, he will also give the Capitals a veteran defenseman to recall in the case of an emergency.  It's an AHL contract, so in order to do that Washington would need to sign him to an NHL deal to bring him up.  But in a best case scenario, Helmer will remain in Hershey and help the Capitals' youngster flourish.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope

WORCESTER—Worcester Sharks President and CEO Michael T. Lehr has announced the preseason exhibition schedule for the upcoming 2009-10 AHL season.

The Sharks will open their exhibition season against Hartford on Wednesday night, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. The game will be held at Trinity College.

The second game of the pre-season will be held on Friday, Sept. 25 against Springfield. That game will be held at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield at 7:30 PM.

The third and final game of the preseason schedule will be held on Sunday, Sept. 27 against Hartford. This game will be held at the International Skating Center, in Simsbury, Conn. beginning at 3 p.m.

Ticket information for all exhibition games will be made available on SharksAHL.com in September.  The 2009-10 regular season schedule will be released in August.

Earlier, the Sharks announced dates of six guaranteed home games for the 2009-10 regular season at the DCU Center including opening night:

• Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009—Opening Night bobblehead doll giveaway
• Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009—Poster schedule giveaway
• Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009—Celebrity appearance
• Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010—Shrewsbury and Marlboro High School hockey doubleheader
• Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010—Auburn and Hudson High School hockey doubleheader
• Sunday,   Jan. 31, 2010—Kids Club Night

The only way to guarantee your seat for the 2009-10 season opener at the DCU Center is by purchasing a season ticket package or the Opening Night T-shirt Trio!

The Opening Night T-shirt Trio includes a ticket to opening night and a ticket to any two of the six guaranteed dates for just 49 dollars!  Kids 12-years-old and younger are just 39 dollars!  Each trio includes a FREE Worcester Sharks t-shirt!  Three tickets and a FREE t-shirt for just 49 dollars!

Season ticket packages and the Opening Night T-shirt Trio for the 2009-10 season are on sale now by contacting the Worcester Sharks Office at 508.929.0500 or by crashing the net at www.SharksAHL.com.

Ken Holland and the rest of the Detroit Red Wings management team are experts at finding hidden gems in the late rounds of the NHL draft.

But, in 2005, they may have found a first-round gem—Jakub Kindl.

The Czech Republic's Jakub Kindl is set to become a star on the blueline for the 11-time Stanley Cup champions.

"Down the road, I would think he's going to be a top-four guy," says Red Wings Director of Amateur Scouting Joe McDonnell back in October of 2006.

In the 2006 season, Kindl, a defenseman, posted 55 points in 54 games with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League and also had 11 points in nine playoff games.

He is now playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League and has posted respectable numbers (six goals, 27 assists, and 33 points) with the Red Wings' top minor league affiliate.

Kindl sports many tools that will help him succeed as a NHL player.

In the beginning, Kindl struggled to adjust to the North American style of play, but during his time in the OHL, he has made a relatively smooth transition.

While he has excellent size, he isn't extremely physical but can drop the gloves when needed.

Kindl's style of play fits the Detroit system. Still, he needs to stop giving the puck away when heading into the neutral zone.

Moreover, his decision-making ability must improve, but when around a good supporting cast, he steps up his level of play.

He possesses remarkable skating and offensive skills, and he carries the puck effortlessly. Kindl's shot is very accurate from the point, which will make him a valuable asset to the Red Wings' power-play unit.

The Griffins' general manager, Bob McNamara, said that Kindl improved all facets of his game in Grand Rapids.

Kindl is projected to be a top-two defenseman for the Red Wings, but don't expect to see him with the Wings this season.

A consistent year in Grand Rapids would give the 21-year-old a good shot at making the roster in the 2010-11 season.

The Washington Capitals announced the re-signing of five players Wednesday, but the interesting development is in regards to defenseman Jeff Schultz.

According to TSN and sources close to the Washington Post's Tark El-Bashir, the 23-year old Calgary native did return his qualifying offer to the team.  However, Don Fishman, who is Washington's assistant general manager, has denied receiving anything from Schultz.  This is definitely an odd development in a scenario that should be cut and dry.

What Schultz would gain from declining his qualifying offer remains to be seen.  The young blueliner had a solid but unspectacular season recording 1 goal, 12 points, and a plus-13 rating in 64 games. 

His most memorable moment of the season is one he'd like to forget.  In game one of the eastern conference quarterfinals, Schultz fell down in a one-on-one matchup with the Rangers Brandon Dubinsky in a play that conceded the game-winning goal.

The Capitals went on to defeat the Rangers in seven games.  However, Schultz did not play in the rest of the post-season because of an injury suffered in that game, leaving many fans to debate whether or not he was simply benched.

Obviously, this would not be the most opportune time for him to be asking for more than his qualifying offer.

The players we do know that are confirmed to have re-signed today are defenseman Shaone Morrisonn and forwards Chris Bourque, Eric Fehr, Kyle Wilson, and Steve Pinizzotto.

Morrisonn, 26, signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Capitals.  He recorded 3 goals, 13 points, and a plus-4 rating in 72 games last season as part of the team's top pairing with Norris Trophy nominee Mike Green.

Fehr, 23, finished up his first full season with the big club totaling 12 goals, 25 points, and a plus-8 rating in 61 games.  He will make $771,750 next season as part of a one-year, two-way deal; however, the Capitals would have to pass him through waivers if they wanted to send him to the minors.  Fehr also had offseason surgery on both of his shoulders and most likely will not be ready for the start of the upcoming season.

Bourque, 23, recorded his first NHL goal this past season in limited playing time over the course of eighht games with the Capitals.  The undersized son of hall of fame defenseman Ray Bourque, continued to put up big numbers in Hershey, recording 21 goals and 73 points in 69 games in the AHL.  He signed a one-year, two-way deal and will be looking to make the jump to the NHL full-time.

Pinizzotto, 25, started last season with South Carolina of the ECHL.  He tallied 4 goals and 10 points in 11 games before he was promoted to Hershey for the remainder of the season.  With the Bears, he totaled 4 goals, 11 points, and 61 penalty minutes in 45 games.  While not a traditional fighter in the Donald Brashear sense, Pinizzotto would be better described as a pest that gets under his opponent's skin and knocks them off their game.  He was called up to the Capitals on March 24th but did not appear in a game before being returned to Hershey the following day.

Thursday Morning Update:  According to Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post, Jeff Schultz did sign his qualifying offer and will make $715,000 next season as part of a one-year, two-way deal.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope 

The Hershey Bears and Washington Capitals lost some defensive depth Tuesday when Dean Arsene and Staffan Kronwall both signed with NHL clubs in Alberta, Canada.

Arsene, 28, nicknamed the "Mayor of Hershey", signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Edmonton Oilers. He had spent the last six seasons in Chocolatetown and had shown a desire to remain with the team. However, he was looking for an NHL deal, and with numerous Capitals prospects in the system, that wasn't an option here in D.C.

"I talked to Doug (Yingst) before I left," Arsene told pennlive.com. "He said he wanted to have me back. I was honest with him. I said I would love to be back, but it has to be an NHL contract. I wanted to get my chance, like everybody else."

The picture above tells the perfect story of the type of player Arsene exemplifies: A tough, hard-nosed defenseman that'll put his body on the line for his team. He'll surely be missed by teammates and fans alike.

"It's tough to kind of fathom," said Arsene, "It's difficult to think that I'm not coming back to Hershey. To come and play in a different jersey is going to be very surreal. I had a good run in Hershey. I didn't want to leave. I guess it's the nature of the game."

Kronwall, 25, signed an undisclosed deal with the Calgary Flames. He came to Washington as a waiver claim from Toronto back in February. The younger brother of Red Wings great Niklas, he only played in three games with the big club before being assigned to Hershey for the remainder of the season. 

The six-foot, four-inch, 209 pound Swede led all Bears defensemen in scoring during the team's playoff run tallying 3 goals and 12 points in 21 games.

He plays a solid two-way game and can be described as a puck moving defenseman that have become so valuable since the lockout. However, he never really received a quality chance to prove himself in both of his NHL stops with the Maple Leafs and the Capitals, so perhaps the move to Calgary will provide him with just that.

The organization will turn to 2005 first round pick Joe Finley and 2007 second round pick Josh Godfrey to reload on the back-line in Hershey for the upcoming season. 

With veterans Tyler Sloan and Sean Collins already resigned and 2009 second round selection Dmitri Orlov also contemplating a move to North America, the Bears should continue to be stacked on the back end despite these loses.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope 

Last season the Capitals had the best minor league system in all of hockey. Their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, won their 10th Calder Cup title, while their ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, won their third Kelly Cup title. However, since the end of the season, both teams have had to replace their head coaches; a price that comes with success at the minor league level.

The search for the next head coach of the Hershey Bears finally came to an end Monday as the team promoted Assistant Coach Mark French. He had been an assistant in Chocolatetown since January of 2008, when he took the vacated position available after Bob Woods had been promoted to the top job.

Woods received his promotion after then Head Coach Bruce Boudreau was called up to the big club in Washington back on Thanksgiving in 2007. Now with Woods as his assistant with the Caps, Boudreau was able to reflect Monday on how things have come full circle for French and the organization.

"I think George (McPhee) is doing it the right way," said the Capitals head coach.  "If you have success and within the system you can keep the continuity, than let's give guys opportunities.  They gave me a chance and so far it's been okay.  Mark probably would not have got this chance, Bob Woods might not have got this chance if George didn't think that these guys are capable of doing it just because they've been in other leagues. So I'm really happy for him."

"That's a big part of it," said Capitals General Manager George McPhee. "To bring someone in from outside the organization that doesn't know the players as he knows them, and what they're capable of and basically what we've been all about the last four years in Hershey, there was some risk in that."

"It's been a good few months," said French. "Winning the Calder Cup and now getting this.  I guess the initial feeling was there was a lot of pride in the position.  The American Hockey League is something. Hershey is an institution and with that, there was a lot of honor attached to it."

The team also announced Troy Mann had been hired as an assistant coach. Mann was the associate head coach of the Charlotte Checkers in the ECHL last season. Prior to his stint with the Checkers, Mann was the head coach of the Columbia Inferno in the ECHL for two seasons.

"Troy's a smart guy," said Boudreau, who coached Mann when he was at Mississippi Seawolves back in the '90s. "He's caught on really well and he's dedicated and determined. As an assistant coach in the ECHL and in the CHL, he stayed with it. We're really happy he came to Hershey just to watch our training camps and get ideas. Guys that are determined like that deserve chances."

French and Mann will have their work cut out for them as they prepare the Hershey Bears to make a run for an 11th Calder Cup championship this fall.