SHARKSPAGE

Hockey Notes – April 4th, 2011

LA DEFENSEMAN #8 DREW DOUGHTY AT HP PAVILION IN EARLY NOVEMBER

RW #17 WAYNE SIMMONDS COMING OFF 1G, 1A VS DALLAS

– The Sharks play out the final week of their 20th anniversary season with 4 games in 6 nights, all against Pacific Division opponents. San Jose has the opportunity to leapfrog Detroit for second in the West, and the opportunity to clinch home ice advantage in the first round with a win over the Los Angeles Kings tonight. As he has for most of the season, Sharks head coach Todd McLellan downplayed extraneous storylines and projections and zero’d in on what mattered, picking up 2 points against a dangerous Kings squad.

“You guys have been all over us about pennants, clinching and everything. You know what my answer is going to be again. We play against Los Angeles tonight and they are going to be a very good team. That is all we are focused on,” McLellan said. “It is not about clinching, we have focused on that before. It has done absolutely nothing for us.”

Center Anze Kopitar skated a game-high 24 minutes for forwards in a 4-3 shootout win over the Sharks March 24th in Los Angeles. Only defenseman Dan Boyle and Drew Doughty logged more ice time. Leading his team with 25 goals and 73 points, Kopitar was injured in a game against Colorado. He suffered ligament damage and underwent surgery last Wednesday. He will be out for the season. Second leading scorer Justin Williams, two points ahead of team captain Dustin Brown, suffered a dislocated shoulder March 21st against Calgary. He returned to the training facility in El Segundo yesterday for preliminary practice. Without a pair of top 6 scoring forwards, the Kings will have difficult matchups against a deep Sharks team rolling 4 lines.

“In watching this team and pre-scouting, I really believe this Los Angeles team has a strong defensive foundation. When you lose some of your offensive players, guys tend to turn to their strengths or their identity and they play even better,” Todd McLellan told the media this morning. “It might make our task even tougher. After a loss to Vancouver on Thursday, the Kings instituted wholesale line changes to mix things up according to Yahoo Sports. Kyle Clifford and Brad Richardson were moved up to form a first line with Wayne Simmonds, MIchal Handzus and Dustin Penner joined Dustin Brown on the third line, and the second line of Ryan Smyth and Jarret Stoll gained the services of Oscar Moller. The Kings have the second best defense in the West, and the third best defense in the NHL. Combined with the hot play of goaltender Jonathan Quick, they will be a formidable opponent for San Jose on Monday night with one caveat. Defense does not score goals. It may be an issue moving forward for LA.

– Kingston Frontenacs captain Taylor Doherty was assigned to the AHL Worcester Sharks today for the remainder of the season. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound defenseman registered 14 goals, and a career best 39 assists and 53 points in 68 OHL games this season. Drafted by San Jose in the 2nd round, 57th overall in 2009, many NHL and Team Canada eyeballs will be focused on Doherty’s development at the pro level.

– San Jose Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson was interviewed on KNBR 680AM’s Razor and Mr. T program two weeks back. Wilson was on the NHL committee that evaluated head shots and discussions, and he answered a few questions on that topic for KNBR. A few selected quotes from the interview:

(On recent penalties, suspensions, and concussion injuries) “When we first put this rules package in place 6 years ago, we knew we were going to speed up the game. We had serious thoughts at that point, that you are going to have guys, we call them predators, that are out there trying to take advantage of a guy who is susceptible to getting hit, and to try to hurt them. I am not going to talk about other team’s player, but the most recent suspension was to a player who was a repeat offender. We always talk about getting that out of the game. We have two of the toughest guys in the league, Douglas Murray and Ryane Clowe. They play hard, they hit hard, they will fight if they have to, but they play within the rules. We don’t want to see anyone in this game get hurt. Injuries are going to happen anyhow, but we always talk about making this the best game it can be. We also want to make it the safest environment for players.”

(On different degrees of violations) “To me there are three categories. There is accidental, accidental on purpose, and then there is intent, the malicous one. I think most people can take a look at the one, and say here is a situation where a guy took advantage where a guy was exposed, and he tried to hurt him. Those are the ones you are trying to take out of the game. The second one, the accidental on purpose, the intent is still there. You have to be responsible for the type of blow you deliver. Douglas Murray is a great example. He will hurt some people just by delivering a body blow because he is so big and strong. That is going to happen in this game, and when you play this game you sign up for that for that. Sometimes you get a concussion from the whiplash affect. Not a blow to the head, but because the collision was so forceful. Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to get all concussions out of the game because it is a contact game of guys traveling 30 miles an hour. The accidental ones, where there was no intent, just guys colliding, that is going to be part of the game. I do think we all targeted the ones where guys were intentionally trying to harm somebody. There is no room in this game for that.”

(On the number of dirty players in the league) “There are not many of them. Those players can still play in this game, we want competitors. Scotty Nichol plays hard, he will hit you north and south. Sometimes he goes across the line. Players know, there are certain guys that do this on purpose. We want that out of the game. Even the players who do it, you don’t want to take away their livelyhood but they have to adjust to the game. They can lay off a guy. If it is north south and he is right in front of you, that is fine. If it is from the side, or you come in and deliver a blow to the guy’s head, he can’t protect himself, I’m sorry. There is no one I have talked to, whether it be players or coaches, GM’s or owners or anybody that could justify that type of hit. Suspensions take care of that.”

According to a study released by the NHL earlier this season, 44% of concussions were caused by legal hits, 26% were caused by accidents, 17% were caused by illegal hits to the head, 8% occured as a result of fights, 5% were undefined. New concussion protocols enacted after a meeting by NHL GM’s call for a player to be removed from a game for examination if he exhibits any concussion-like symptoms.

– On the last Dudes on Hockey podcast (#141), Mike and Doug discuss the Dallas 6-0 blowout, take a look at the season series and the season ending home at home with the Phoenix Coyotes, talk about Douglas Murray’s hit on Mike Ribeiro and compare Ribeiro’s past track record with that of Milli Vanilli, discuss the Anaheim Ducks, the Sharks defense and whether Antero Niittymaki will get a start over the final 4 games of the regular season.

– The San Francisco Chronicle has scaled back its coverage of the NHL and the San Jose Sharks considerably after the buyout of Ross McKeon a few years back. Occasional columns by baseball beat writer Susan Slusser have been featured sparingly. A reader forwarded a Sharks-Ducks preview by the Chron’s Jake Leonard covering some of the hype surrounding the remarkable turnaround in Anaheim. Teemu Selanne’s resurgence, a very underrated move picking up defenseman Toni Lydman, Lubomir Visnovsky leading the NHL in defensive scoring, Corey Perry’s late run at an MVP and/or Art Ross campaign, bringing in Ray Emery and Dan Ellis after the vertigo symptoms suffered by Jonas Hiller did not pass, even Cam Fowler plummeting in last year’s draft right into Anaheim’s hands.

A number of pieces had to fall into place for Anaheim to make a playoff run this year. One thing left unmentioned about ESPN’s “team of destiny”, it came from the same news org whose top 3 hockey writers labeled the Sharks as “pretenders” at the halfway mark. Since January 13th (stat taken from ESPN this morning), the Sharks have beeen 25-4-4. Jake Leonard’s column was a thought provoking one. Unfortunately, there are rumblings online content from the San Francisco Chronicle may go the way of the New York Times behind a paywall. The largest paper in the Bay Area has suffered massive staffing cuts, but in order to get a lot of the hockey fans on board they are going to have to show a lot more dedication to the sport than they have over the last 2 seasons.

There is a similar issue with ESPN’s centerpiece program SportsCenter. With teams battling at a heightened level the last 3-4 weeks of the season, NHL highlights on SportsCenter outside of the top-10 list have been almost non-existent. It is shocking considering how central a role the NHL played for ESPN when it covered regional sports in Connecticut. A regular broadcast schedule of NHL games also helped lure the NBA, NFL and later the MLB as ESPN went national. Now with the expiration of Versus’ exclusive negotiating window for NHL broadcast rights, there comes a potential ESPN battle with Comcast. Two things are certain: ESPN executives will be far more respectful regarding negotiations with the NHL, and if NBC wants to remain as a partner it will have to pay a rights fee instead of the current revenue sharing arrangement.

Two other factors could play a major role in ESPN’s pursuit of a NHL broadcast deal. If the NHL labor dispute continues unabated, which should be tested when players and their representation start missing game checks, there will be a lot of open space on the ESPN programming schedule. A slightly less contentious labor dispute could ignite when the NBA’s current deal expires on June 30th. “A lockout is by no means inevitable,” NBA labor attorney Howard Ganz told Sports Illustrated on March 31st. With the Golden State Warriors missing the playoffs for the 15th season out of the last 16, the first time under new management, and the Sacramento Kings potentially leaving for Anaheim, the NBA is a sore topic among fans in Northern California.

If being respected and being given a prominent place on the Versus network is an important selling point to the NHL, shouldn’t ESPN take advantage of this by offering more coverage of the NHL’s stretch run and playoffs? Also, isn’t hedging your bets against possible protracted labor disputes by 2 of the 4 major sports leagues a wise business decision?

Last word goes to the most popular radio host in the U.S., Jim Rome. An avid hockey fan and former WHA Los Angeles Sharks season ticket holder as a youth, Rome disccused the lack of hockey coverage last month on his show. He noted that during the NHL Olympics, hockey topics and hockey calls on his show were featured almost daily. Since the Olympics, NHL stories and interviews have been few and far between. To increase exposure, it may be in the NHL and NHLPA’s best interest to have an open arrangement with more than one television broadcast partner. For new NHLPA boss Donald Fehr, a lockout or work stoppage when the NHL CBA expires in 2012 would be the worst possible scenario for the league. Even with the NHL’s resurgence, many beat writers, team employees and fans still have not returned from the downsizing neccessitated by the 2004-05 lockout. There is a window of opportunity for the NHL and the NHLPA. Whether or not they can take advantage of it to keep the game on its current growth track remains to be seen.

– Versus finding its place at NBC Sports, New NHL pact will play big factor in cabler’s future – Variety.

– 5 Storylines Kings: Hoping to reel in the Sharks – Dan Arritt for ESPN Los Angeles.

1. No help needed — The Ducks couldn’t take care of business so it’s up to the Kings to clinch their own playoff berth. If the Ducks had beaten the visiting Dallas Stars in regulation Sunday evening, postseason planning could have begun in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Anaheim. Instead, the Stars kept their own playoff hopes alive with a 4-3 victory. A regulation win in San Jose would also keep Los Angeles in the hunt for a Pacific Division title and a top 3 seeding for the playoffs. Any type of loss and the Sharks win their fourth straight division title, and the Columbus at Dallas game Tuesday night becomes must-see TV for the Kings.

– This Saturday’s Hockey Hotstove on Hockey Night in Canada featured a panel discussion about Pavel Datsyuk’s return from injury to the Detroit Red Wings, and the potential for Sidney Crosby to miss the entire postseason with concussion-related symptoms. San Jose Sharks winger Ben Eager was also featured on Coaches Corner. Eager’s slick, between the legs to backhand goal against Dallas received a shout out from Cherry (for Ben Eagen, but close enough). AHL President and CEO Dave Andrews was also featured in an informative intermission interview. Andrews noted that approximately half of the AHL players, around 350 or so, have been called up to play at the NHL level this season. He also discussed the possibility of shortening the AHL schedule, reducing 4 game in 5 night and 8 game in 10 night stretches, and the mandatory visor rule instituted a few years back. On the schedule, Andrews noted it would reduce injuries and leave the players with more energy should they be called up. With regards to visors, Andrews said there was no noticeable change after the rule implimenation, especially after similar visor rules are already in place in Canadian major junior and U.S. collegiete hockey.

– Canucks fans cautiously optimistic plus 30 thoughts – Elliotte Friedman.

10. Huge season for Cory Schneider. Clearly showed he’s ready for a No. 1 job. Asked him when he felt “the breakthrough moment.” He said it was in the exhibition season, following an 8-2 loss to Edmonton. “I was thinking, ‘Here we go again.’ But Rollie (Melanson) met with me, showed me everything that went wrong because I was too far out of the net. The next game, I won 3-1 [against San Jose]. That’s when I realized I was ready.”

11. Schneider added that you sit on the bench (or watch on TV) and think, “How am I going to stop a Dany Heatley shot?” Then, you get in a game, actually do it a few times and gain real confidence. He does admit, with a laugh, that RJ Umberger still owns him. Luongo, sitting next door, said his killer is Tim Jackman.

– TSN’s Darren Dreger touched on current and former Sharks on today’s edition of The Dreger Report. On former goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, Dreger reported that the New York Islanders were unwilling to allow Nabokov to play in exhibition contests for Team Russia prior to the World Championships. Nabokov signed a 1-year $570,000 contract with the Detroit Red Wings after leaving the KHL mid-season. He was claimed off waivers by the Islanders, but the 10-year NHL veteran refused to play for the team. TSN’s Bob McKenzie noted earlier in the season that the Islanders were looking to “toll” Nabokov’s contract, and petition the league to make it valid for 2011-12.

Dreger also touched on the turnaround in San Jose, key midseason additions by GM Doug Wilson, and noted that the best addition may have happened shortly before training camp when goaltender Antti Niemi was brought in after winning a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. While fellow Finn Antero Niittymaki was strong early in the season, Niemi grew into the system and has started 33 straight games. The Sharks are currently battling Detroit for 2nd place in the West. Antti Niemi signed a 4-year contract extension in March, locking in a starting goaltender in the post-Nabokov era long-term. In addition to Nittymaki, the Sharks have two high end goaltending prospects working their way up through the system. Alex Stalock, who suffered a season ending injury this year in Worcester, and Finnish netminder Harri Sateri are waiting in the wings to get a shot at suiting up for the “goaltending factory”.

– Thornton’s absence from faceoff circle — and 35th anniversary of the Seals final NHL game – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog for the San Jose Mercury News.

– The Kings’ magic number remains at two, They can secure a spot if they beat San Jose on Monday. The Stars next face Columbus at Dallas on Tuesday – Helene Elliott for the Los Angeles Times.

The Kings are currently second in the Pacific Division with 96 points in 78 games played. They are tied with Phoenix for the 4th seed in the Western Conference based on the newly instituted standings tiebreaker for 2010-11: regulation and overtime wins sans those obtained in the shootout. The Sharks (3rd), Kings (4th), Blackhawks (8th), and Dallas (10th) are the only playoff contenders in the West with 4 games remaining on the season.

The magic number is a figure first used from baseball to determine the number of wins/losses by a competitor needed in order for a team to clinch a division or a league title. In hockey the figure has been commonly used to determine the number of points gained/lost by a competitor needed in order to qualify for the postseason, in addition to winning a divisional or conference title. The tragic number, abley promoted by Yahoo’s Greg Wyshynski, is a running tally counting down towards elimination for non-playoff teams. The differences between the usage of magic and tragic numbers have caused some confusion, but for the most part that is how the are commonly used by fans and the media at this point.

– Versus blogger Steve Lepore believes the Kings need to clinch sooner rather than later. Barring an epic collapse the Kings will make the playoffs, but simply making the playoffs is not enough for this Dean Lombardi built team. They broke a 6-year playoff drought last season, but bowed out in the first round to the Vancouver Canucks. The Kings as a franchise need more. The social and media capital of the west coast is stacked with an over-abundance of entertainment options. It is sometimes difficult for the Kings to move the needle locally. Last year’s playoff run generated excitement but was cut off before a lot of media and fans could join the bandwagon. In 43 seasons, Los Angeles has made the playoffs 24 times but advanced only 11 times including a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 92-93. With the firepower and depth of Vancouver, Detroit and San Jose above them, the Kings need to lock in a 4th or 5th seed to have the best chance at going deep in the postseason. With recent injuries to second leading scorer Justin Williams (out 5 games) and leading scorer Anze Kopitar (out for season after surgery), Los Angeles has won 4 of 5 while handing the Sharks their only loss (SO) over the last 8.

– Spotted in the stands during the Sharks last visit to Los Angeles, late night talkshow host Craig Ferguson.

– The San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers affiliate in the ECHL, the Stockton Thunder, finished off the home slate of their regular season schedule with a phenomenal 3-game in 3-night series last weekend against Victoria, and a 2-1 loss against Las Vegas on Wednesday. In the first of 3 games against the ECHL’s lone Canadian franchise, Stockton stormed back from an 0-2 defict to score 4 goals inside of 20 minutes. 5,830 fans watched the road team score 3 goals in the final 20 minutes to force overtime and win via shootout. On Saturday, 8,923 fans watched Stockton score 2 goals in the final minutes to complete a 3 goal comeback. The Thunder lost a second consecutive overtime shootout. In the finale Sunday, 7,974 fans witnessed center Jordan Foreman’s first career hat trick en route to a dominating 8-4 win. 9 different Thunder players registered points.

Three day attendance total for Stockton? 22,727 fans. Northern California’s second professional hockey team outdrew several AHL franchises that weekend, and a near 9,000 figure is larger than several struggling NHL franchises have put up on certain dates. Heavy Bay Area to Central Valley traffic on weekday’s hinders out of town attendance, but the team is building a core fan base. With tickets as low as $7 and parking for $10-15, a family of 4 can attend a game for the price of NFL parking elsewhere and still have money left over. It is a quality entertainment option in the region. Attendance occasionally dips in the playoffs because large group parties often schedule games months in advance. The Thunder will have home ice advantage in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs against the Utah Grizzlies. In the 2-3 format, games 3 through 5 will be played at Stockton on April 9th, April 10th and April 12th.

– In addition to attendance success at the professional level (the Worcester Sharks AHL affiliate also registered their 4th highest home attendance figure of 6,242 for a recent game against Providence), the Sharks are also experiencing a boom at the grass roots level. Sharks Ice in San Jose, the San Jose Sharks practice facility and the largest 4-rink hockey facility on the west coast, recently hosted their third USA Hockey National Championship tournament. The 2007 Women’s/Girls National Championship in San Jose drew a large number of players and fans, and postive and inspirational media coverage for women’s and girl’s hockey meant expediting a return for USA Hockey. The Sharks and Sharks Ice followed that tournament up with the 12U Tier II Peewee National Championships last week. 34 teams were divided into 3A, 2A and 1A divisons to compete for titles.

The San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings Jr programs are the heavyweights for developmental youth hockey in California. The 12AAA Jr Sharks scored twice in the third period, but could not overcome a 3 goal deficit losing to the Denver Jr Pioneers 3-2 in the Quarterfinals. Andy Choi lead the team with 6 goals in tournament play. The LA-based California Heat won the first National title for their youth hockey organization with a 2-0 shutout over the New Jersey Red Bank Generals in the finals. The Heat did not lose in 5 contests, and lead their divison with 27 total goals scored. In 12AA play, the Indianapolis Racers earned a title with a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh 98’s. The Racers outscored their opponents 49-9 over 6 games. The Oklahoma City Oil Kings earned a 12A title with a 3-2 win over the North Carolina Charlotte Jr Checkers after 1 overtime.

In addition to the tiered hockey system, Sharks Ice recently hosted the ACHA D2 National club hockey championships. With NCAA hockey some distance off for colleges on the west coast, developing a stronger ACHA system is the first step in the right direction. At the largest roller hockey facility on the west coast, the 3-rink Rollin Ice facility in San Jose, the largest hockey tournament worldwide has been brought to town in 2 of the last 3 years. The enormous NARCh roller hockey championships drew over 200 teams and thousands of players and fans for several weeks worth of summertime hockey.

The Sharks are hoping the development outside of HP Pavilion eventually leads to homegrown players succeeding inside of the Tank. Earlier this year the Sharks inked their first ever local player when they signed 20-year old defenseman Sena Acolatse to an NHL contract. The Hayward-born defenseman registered 15 goals and 48 assists this year for the WHL Prince George Cougars. He was traded earlier in the WHL season from the Saskatoon Blades for a bantam draft pick in 2011. Sena grew up playing hockey at Sharks Ice in Fremont before moving to Edmonton with his family in 1998. According to Sharkspage’s Darryl Hunt, Sena Acolatse was recently signed to a ATO and has joined prospect Taylor Doherty on the Worcester Sharks blueline. One more step in the development of local hockey for Northern California.

– Two other local hockey notes: The San Jose Jr Sharks 12U girls team downed the East Coast Wizards 1-0 to win the USA Hockey’s Tier II Girl’s National Championship. This was the first USA Hockey national championship for a Jr Sharks team. While Sharks Ice in San Jose hosted the 12U boys championships, three rinks in the Anaheim area (Anaheim Ice, Westminster Ice, Orange County Ice Palace) hosted 48 teams from the 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U girl’s and women’s division.

“The entire Sharks organization is thrilled for the Junior Sharks program for this monumental accomplishment,” said San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson. “This is a moment the girls, their families and friends will never forget. It is also an important milestone representing the growth of hockey in the Bay Area and specifically, the incredible work done by Sharks Ice Hockey Director Robert Savoie, Junior Sharks President Tony Zasowski and Head Coach Burke. The quality of hockey teams coming out of Northern California is now on par with any other area of the United States.”

– A press release from the San Jose Sharks announced the creation of a new high school hockey league (the Bay Area, central California, and southern California have all seen high school hocky leagues created in the last few years):

SHARKS ICE AT SAN JOSE ANNOUNCES THE CREATION OF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESENTED BY HP

SAN JOSE – Sharks Ice at San Jose is proud to announce the creation of the Northern California High School Hockey League presented by HP (NCHSHL). This league will run in conjunction with the current HP High School Hockey League.

The NCHSHL will consist of four school-sponsored teams: Archbishop Mitty, Bellarmine, Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) and Valley Christian. Previously, the four schools participated in the HP High School Hockey League, Varsity Division. The goal in separating these teams into their own league is to encourage other greater Bay Area high schools to sponsor their own squads.

“In the short term, the beginning of a school-sponsored league is exciting for the schools involved,” said Ken Shamanski, a faculty member at Valley Christian and moderator of the ice hockey club. “In the long term, it will mean greater growth of high school hockey in the Bay Area.”

The ultimate goal is make ice hockey an official California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)-sanctioned sport in the near future.

“High school hockey is coming of age in California,” Cardinal Newman Principal Graham Rutherford said. “We are fortunate to be part of this exciting experience.”

The NCHSHL teams, whose season will consist of ten regular season games, will play a couple of exhibition matches against teams in the HP High School Hockey League.

When the HP High School Hockey League debuted in 2000, just four teams comprised the entire league. In 2010, the league fielded 25 teams with players from as far north as Santa Rosa, Salinas to the south, Stockton to the east and Santa Cruz to the west. Of the 25 teams, 15 competed in the Junior Varsity Division while the other 10 skated in the Varsity Division.

Unlike traditional high school sports where junior varsity and varsity are predominantly decided by age, the divisions are decided exclusively by skill level. The Junior Varsity Division is made up of predominantly of recreational, house and travel players, while the Varsity Division is comprised of travel A and tier players.

A few NCHSHL games of note:

– April 3, 5 p.m., Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa – The Valley Christian Warriors travel north to play against the Cardinal Newman Cardinals. The game will be the first true home game for the Cardinals as in the past, they’ve played their home games at Oakland Ice Center operated by Sharks Ice

– April 13, 7:15 p.m., Sharks Ice at San Jose – The Bellarmine Bells face off against their cross town rivals, the Valley Christian Warriors

– April 15, 7 p.m.,, Sharks Ice at San Jose – The Archbishop Mitty Monarchs play hosts to the Cardinal Newman Cardinals in the last Friday night game of the regular season

– April 23, 5 p.m., Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa – The Bellarmine Bells go north to skate against the Cardinal Newman Cardinals on their home ice

– May 8, 4:30 p.m., Sharks Ice at San Jose – The NCHSHL Championship Game

For more information about the Northern California High School Hockey League presented by HP and the HP High School Hockey League, please visit www.sharksiceatsanjose.com.

– Changes in store for XM’s NHL Home Ice and the NHL Network via Patrick Hoffman of Kukla’s Korner. NHL Live will no longer be heard on NHL Home Ice, instead it will be heard on the NHL Network from 1-3PM PT. Former Toronto Maple Leafs GM will take over the 9-noon spot.

– Several NHL teams are on the cutting edge experimenting with equipment to improve the saftey and performance of their players on the ice. San Jose Mercury News columnist David Pollak reported on the Sharks use of cut resistant socks and sleeves. It became more of a focal point after highly regarded goaltending prospect Alex Stalock suffered a severed nerve behind his knee after being cut by a skate blade.

Young defenseman Jason Demers and 24-year old right wing Devin Setoguchi are early adopters of the cut resistant technology, but older players have shown some resistance. “Hockey players are idiots. You have to get hurt first so you know the value of it. That’s what we do,” defenseman Douglas Murray told Pollak. “I didn’t put a visor on until I took a puck in the eye and scratched my cornea. You don’t think you need stuff, and then you add on as you hurt yourself. It’s plain stupid.”

Several teams are using a brand called Tactics Armoured Skate Socks. A bright yellow fully suplemated sock with a black and grey foot is the most frequently displayed model. According to Sportsnet, from the knee to the ankle features a kevlar-woven surface that protects from most indirect and direct blade contact. According to Pollak, the Sharks are working with southern California based Kozo Shimano on testing new products. Last season Hockey Night in Canada’s Don Cherry ran a segment that featured several Achilles tendon injuries. He urged young players to wear a simple hard plastic tendon guard on the back of their skates. “You see guys with their Achilles always open, they don’t tie up their top lace, so therefore the back kind of gets open,” Sharks center Joe Thornton told CBC at the time.

After injuries to Joe Corvo, Andrei Markov and Robert Lang in the past, the NHL was hit with another serious skate blade injury this year when Dion Phaneuf went down in a Toronto Maple Leafs game against the Ottawa Senators. Phaneuf suffered a deep cut to the back of his leg after an akward collison with Peter Regin in the corner, but the Maple Leafs defenseman struggled to regain his feet. “As soon as the skate hit me, I knew I was cut for one thing,” Phaneuf told Leafs TV. “I could feel something a little deeper. I knew something was up, that is for sure.” The Leafs were more aggressive using cut resistant hockey socks, with as much as twice the participation of other teams after the Phaneuf injury according to reports.

The NHL is testing saftey products across the board. According to Star Tribune reporter Michael Russo, the NHL approved new Fusion Safety Pads that will go on stantions at many NHL hockey rinks. After 6-foot-9 Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara checked 6-foot-2 Montreal forward Max Pacioretty into the metal stantion between benches, the saftey of NHL facilities became a hot issue around the league. In addition to considerations for glass placement between benches, the glass itself may be changed in as many as 6 NHL rinks. Seamless glass offers a better view for customers in the stands, but the rigid surface has no give and can cause significant injuries to players. Panes of plexiglass held together by metal stantions around the rink offer more give, and many veteran defenseman can place their body up against the glass and slingshot opponents to the ice when they attempt a check. Montreal, Calgary, Colorado, Minnesota, Nashville and Phoenix are the teams that currently utilize seamless glass.

– Puck Daddy chats with Easton President Chris Zimmerman about stick breaks, concussions, Chara’s endorsement and growing hockey – Greg Wyshynski for Yahoo.com.

As a maker of protective gear for players, what are your thoughts regarding that gear coming under fire as part of the concussion problem in the NHL?

We’re involved, aware and concerned with player safety and in particular with head protection. It’s a critical mission. We just launched in the fall our helmet technology center. We just introduced last week, for lack of a better term, a “pitcher’s helmet” that fits over a ball cap and provides protection in the key areas where the pitchers are vulnerable on the mound.

In hockey, we’re one of the smaller players in the helmet business; the bigger ones are Bauer, CCM and Reebok. But we think we have a knowledge base, and we’re working right now on creating more protective helmets that can minimize risk. Preventing all concussions isn’t a reality in the sport.

So it’s not just about the equipment; it needs to be a two-pronged solution with the NHL or another League creating legislation that prevents concussions, too?

I think all parties have a role. Quite honestly, part of the issue, and I have a 15 year old son that’s played hockey all his life and has had a couple of concussions, is understanding the nature of concussions. Creating appropriate return-to-play guidelines.

There’s multiple stakeholders that need to step forward. But in the end, we want to create a safer game. People are going to continue to become bigger and faster and stronger. We need to understand that and create equipment and rules.