Tag: AHL

Barracuda Left Winger Rudolfs Balcers – Profile

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Photo: sjbarracuda.com

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—Would you believe that Rudolfs Balcers, who is remarkably slick and speedy on the ice, once hated hockey? This answer camer as a shocker.

A first-generation hockey player (on both sides of his family), the 20 year-old Liepaja, Latvia native commenced his career at age 3 ½. It was at this age that Balcers, whose then-teammates were older, dreaded lacing up his skates and stepping on the ice.

“If I didn’t see my mom or dad in the stands, I would cry,” Balcers shared. Thankfully, it was only a few days later that he acclimated to the hockey surroundings and began picking things up.

Balcers went on to play in Norway for the Stavanger Oilers, where he was the youngest player. In 38 career games with the team, he put up 22 points (eight goals and 14 assists) and a plus-15 rating, and also helped lead them to a championship win two years in a row.

The 5 foot 11 inch, 175 pound left winger kicked things into overdrive when he joined the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL in 2016-17. In a single season, he appeared in 66 games and put up 77 points (37 goals and 40 assists) and a plus-26 rating.

The speedy and well-coordinated (in regards to hand-eye movement) Balcers was drafted 142nd overall in 2015 by San Jose, the fourth Latvian player in history to be selected by the franchise, one of whom, Karlis Custke, was selected 130th overall the same year. Balcers signed an entry-level deal with the Sharks in July.

Balcers wasn’t an avid supporter of any single hockey team growing up, though he followed the Sharks as, when he was growing up, the first two Latvian players to be drafted by San Jose’s franchise were active on the ice (Sandis Ozolinsh was drafted in 1991, Victor Ignatje in 1992).

“Being here [in San Jose] and representing Latvia is a big deal,” Balcers responded when I asked him what it means to be a member of San Jose’s franchise. He spent a majority of the preseason training with the Sharks players, which seemed to have benefitted him.

“That was a fun time, getting to see what they do. I learned some stuff, got sent down here [to the Barracuda]. My goal was to make the team here, just try to do my best to stay with the Barracuda, and show them that I can play,” Balcers remarked.

Off the ice, Balcers has enjoyed exploring the South Bay and San Francisco, while relishing the idyllic, snow-free California weather.

Barracuda Outshines Stars 6-1, Sorensen Gets A Hat Trick, Labanc Returns

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE — The Barracuda have returned to San Jose from their road trip to the Midwest, Texas, and Southern California (a trip that came with three consecutive losses) to face the Texas Stars yet again. The Stars overthrew them 3-2 in a shootout last Saturday, October 28. Tonight, the Cuda refused to be outshined again and crushed them 6-1.

Roster update: Kevin Labanc was reassigned to the Barracuda from the Sharks today. In 13 games with the Sharks this season, he has posted three goals and four assists for seven points, along with a minus-3 rating and 10 penalty minutes.

The force was strong in the first period, and I am not just saying that because the previous night (November 4th’s match against the Anaheim Ducks) was Star Wars night for the Sharks! Marcus Sorensen scored two goals less than three minutes apart, the first one on the power play (Ludwig Bystrom scored the Stars’ first goal of the game 59 seconds before Sorensen’s second goal, on the power play). Nearing the end of the period, at 17:19, Filip Sandberg scored after being handed the puck by Rudolfs Balcers, who received the pass from Brandon Mashinter. In some of the earlier games this season, the Cuda had put up numerous penalties in a single period alone. There were only two in the first tonight.

The second period remained rather quiet, and ended scoreless. Following the first intermission, the boys stepped on the ice looking confident, as they should after a killer first period. Three goals in one period alone is something the Cuda had yet to accomplish prior to tonight’s match.

Five minutes into the third period, the Cuda has 25 shots on goal. Adam Helewka and Julius Bergman each fired the puck at the net within a few minutes of one another, hitting the rim and bouncing back after each player’s attempt. Then, almost eight minutes in, Sorensen notched a hat trick, assisted by Danny O’Regan and Labanc. Approximately three minutes later, Cavan Fitzgerald scored his first goal of the season, making the score 5-1. Oliver Archambault (who was recently recalled from the Allen Americans of the ECHL) wanted in on the action, and scored (his first goal as well) at the 18:44 mark. The final score was 6-1.

Sorensen, who played on the offensive line with O’Regan and Labanc (as he had last year), spoke with the media about his hat trick following the match. This was his first time scoring since opening night.

“It’s huge to be part of the offensive [line], especially on a power play. You need to help the team,” he said.

“[Sorensen] has always had potential, he just found the back of the net, which made an easy night. It was awesome to watch,” Coach Roy Sommer said.

Labanc also spoke about his reassignment to the Cuda. It came as a shocker for some, but his A-game is as strong as always.

“It was definitely fun [playing with the Sharks]. You want to come with the right attitude, you don’t want to think you’re sent down, you just have to be motivated to get back up, and be a good leader for all of the young guys, show them what it takes to play up there [in the NHL]. Work hard, work everyday.

“I learn from Jumbo [Joe Thornton], he’s always working. No matter what or where I play, you’ve got to have that work ethic, that’s what will make you a good hockey player. I’m down here [with the Cuda], so I’m going to work and just do the best that I can.

“Just because you get sent down, don’t be sorry for yourself. Instead, make a statement. Let them know you’re going to play hard no matter what…don’t waste a day,” Labanc shared.

Labanc, who enjoyed reconnecting with last year’s teammates, also discussed the smooth flow between him, Sorensen, and O’Regan.

“I knew I was playing with Marcus and Danny beforehand, so I knew we had chemistry. You just do what you can, play hard, and goals will come,” he said.

I also spoke with Helewka, Archambault, and Fitzgerald on their overall thoughts and feelings about tonight’s big win.

“The talk in the room before the game was ‘it’s a must-win for our confidence.’ We played like that, it showed, and we had success because of it,” Helewka said.

Helewka’s hand-eye coordination has really stood out to me so far this season; he truly knows where the net is, he knows where to send the puck in order to get it into the net, and how to find the “holes” around the net minder. He has been the king of assists thus far.

“I’ve always kind of worked on [my hand-eye coordination], so I guess it might be progressing this year,” Helewka told me after I brought the subject up with him.

Archambault and Fitzgerald scored their first goals of the season in tonight’s match, Archambault’s being his first in the AHL.

“It’s fun to get the first one out of the way, a good pass by my teammates [Tim Clifton and Radim Simek], so I was happy,” Archambault said.

“We had a lot of confidence in everyone tonight, in all three zones we felt good,” Fitzgerald said. “It was a big bounce-back game for us. We knew we needed to come back… it’s good to get that first win [since returning to San Jose] out of the way.”

Ontario Reign Crowned Winners Over Barracuda 4-2

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

ONTARIO, CA—After a cross-country road trip, the Barracuda traveled to sunny Southern California to face the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the LA Kings (the Sharks’ cross-state rival). Unfortunately, the Cuda were not able to reign over them (pun intended), falling 4-2.

The loss could have been way worse, as the Cuda managed to come back despite the Reign’s three goals in the first period alone. A sibling rivalry also occurred in Ontario tonight; brothers Johnny (elder) and Michael Brodzinski (younger) were drafted by Los Angeles and San Jose, respectively, in 2013, and faced one another this evening.

The first 20 minutes were very quiet on San Jose’s end. Ontario rookie Matt Luff sniped the first goal of the game (and the first of Ontario’s three in this period) at 8:08. Johnny Brodzinski notched two at 17:03 and 19:13. The night had something big in store for him, which he would not discover (or, rather, earn) until the third period.

Alexander True provided the Cuda with some relief when he scored on the power play 8:41 into the second period; Cavan Fitzgerald and Danny O’Regan assisted the goal.

Brandon Mashinter returned to the ice tonight after sustaining an upper body injury during the team’s road trip. He brought the lead down to one when he scored at the 11:06 mark, giving San Jose even more hope and relief. However, Johnny Brodzinski led the Reign to their 4-2 victory with an empty-netted hat trick goal at the 19:08 mark. San Jose’s starting goalie Antoine Bibeau was pulled from the net and subbed with a skater. Brodzinski’s hat trick was the fourth in Ontario Reign history.

Bibeau failed to stop three shots out of 33, taking the loss, while Jack Campbell, Ontario’s starting net minder, stopped 22 shots out of 24.

The Cuda are back at the tank this Sunday, November 5. They will take on the Texas Stars, to whom they lost 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday, October 28.

Texas Stars Outshine Cuda 3-2 In Shootout

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

CEDAR PARK, TX—The Cuda held on tight for an entire 60 minutes and an overtime period, but could not outshoot the Texas Stars, who took home a 3-2 win in a shootout. Close, but no cigar.

John McCarthy, Filip Sandberg, and Oliver Archambault started in the forward position; Jacob Middleton and Nick DeSimone started on defense; Troy Grosenick started in goal (though he ended up allowing two goals on 26 shots, and one in the shootout). The first period remained silent, ending with no score.

Sandberg has been working on getting faster since arriving in San Jose for his United States hockey debut. The Stockholm, Sweden native’s hard work translated on the ice tonight as he notched San Jose’s first goal of the game fifteen seconds into the second period (assisted by Archambault and Middleton), evening out the score 1-1. Later on in the period, Texas came back when Matt Mangene snaked his way passed San Jose’s defensive zone and scored at 8:25. San Jose held up until the 18:58 mark when Roope Hintz’s shot struck the left post before entering the net.

McCarthy scored his first goal of the season on the power play, tying the game 2-2 at 6:42 into the third period. Rudolfs Balcers and Adam Helewka assisted McCarthy’s goal. Helewka, who has been playing very much in sync with Danny O’Regan the past few games, recently shared that he feels his playing style works in sound with McCarthy in addition. It most certainly appears so.

The score remained 2-2 after 60 minutes, leading both teams into an overtime match. It was still 2-2 after the OT interval, and so the shootout began.

O’Regan, Balcers, and Mike Brodzinski were all given chances to score during the shootout, though they were unable to make it past Texas goaltender Mike McKenna (who made a total of 26 saves out of 28 shots). The Stars took home the 3-2 win after Travis Morin notched the only goal of the shootout.

This may have been San Jose’s second consecutive loss in two days, but it’s not over yet! The Cuda (now 3-4) will travel to Southern California to face the Ontario Reign (the AHL affiliate of the Sharks’ cross-state rivals, the Los Angeles Kings) on November 1.

Random fact: Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon played for the Texas Stars from 2010-2012. He also made his NHL debut with Dallas during this stint.

Rampage Stomp Barracuda 3-1, SJ’s second loss to San Antonio

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN ANTONIO, TX—The Barracuda had a slow start tonight in San Antonio and fell to the Rampage 3-1, their second loss to this team this season.

The starting lineup for San Jose was as follows:

  • Offense: John McCarthy, Filip Sandberg, Oliver Archambault (his first appearance with San Jose)
  • Defense: Jacob Middleton, Julius Bergman
  • Goaltender: Antoine Bibeau

The Cuda played slow to start, picking up two penalties in the first period (Middleton and Bergman were sent to the penalty box within less than two minutes of one another). This gave the Rampage an opportunity to score, which they did at the 13:16 mark in a 5-on-3 play (San Antonio had the two-man advantage).

In the second period, Adam Helewka and Danny O’Regan showcased their dynamic-duo style plays as Helewka provided his seventh assist of the season to O’Regan, who scored the Cuda’s first and only goal of the game (and his fourth of the season) 13 minutes in. Coincidentally, Felix Girard of the Rampage managed to make his way past Bibeau and score exactly 13 seconds later. The second period was, well, penalties galore. Between the two teams, there were a total of nine. The score was 2-1 at the end.

San Jose was still unable to score in the third, despite pulling Bibeau from the net toward the end. Then again, they were on a penalty kill and still short one man. Sure enough, Duncan Siemens notched an empty-netter from across the ice with 27 seconds left in the match.

Bibeau allowed two goals on 22 shots, while Rampage goaltender Ville Husso made a total of 38 saves and helped them cultivate an eight-for-eight.

The Cuda, who set a shots-on-goal record tonight with 39, are now 3-4, and the Rampage’s win tonight put them at 6-1.

Next, the Barracuda will face the Texas Stars at home on October 28, 5:00 p.m. PT.

Barracuda Left Winger Brandon Bollig – Profile

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Photo credit: NHL.com

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—First generation hockey player to Stanley Cup Champion. Not even Brandon Bollig himself could fathom such an accomplishment growing up.

Born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri, Bollig picked up hockey at the drop of a hat, making every team he tried out for in his youth.

The left winger, who is 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds, took his skills to the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, with whom he spent three years (2005-2008). Bollig then went on to play hockey for St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. In 2010, after his sophomore year, he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent and appeared in three games with their minor league affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, that season (2009-2010).

Bollig was called up for his NHL debut with Chicago on February 29, 2012 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also made four playoff appearances that season.

With his hometown so close to St. Louis, Bollig grew up supporting the Blues, one of the Blackhawks’ biggest rivals.

“I got a lot of crap from my family and friends when I signed with Chicago,” Bollig laughed. “Whenever we played the Blues, they would always say, ‘We are rooting for you and only you. We hope you score some goals, but we want a Blues win.’”

Aside from the rivalry, Bollig’s family was immensely supportive. Around 50 members of his family would attend every Blackhawks vs. Blues game at home. His family would also travel from St. Charles to Chicago to watch Bollig play at the United Center.

Bollig’s greatest accomplishment was his Stanley Cup win with the Blackhawks in 2013.

“That was indescribable,” he noted. “It’s something you imagine a million times as a kid. Once you finally do it, it is better than you ever thought.”

Following the Stanley Cup win, Bollig played one more year with the Blackhawks before he was traded to the Calgary Flames at the start of the 2014-2015 season. He still received the same familial support when the Flames would visit St. Louis, though he noted that deep down, his family still hoped for Blues’ wins.

Most recently, Bollig played for the Stockton Heat, the Flames’ AHL affiliate, in 2016-2017.

Bollig’s objective for each game is to play one that is “sound.” His playing style focuses heavily on tending to the defensive zone, and on physical presence (Bollig does not have any fear of fighting). Putting up numbers, to him, is an “added bonus.”

San Jose closed a one-year deal with Bollig on July 4, 2017, three days after the free agency market opened. Thus far, it has been a pleasant experience for him. Off the ice, Bollig and his fiancee enjoy the friendly Northern California vibes, sunny weather, and various downtown San Jose activities, including those on Santana Row.

Barracuda Defenseman Nick DeSimone – Profile

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Photo credit: @njdes

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—Growing up in a family of hockey players, one would have expected Nick DeSimone to take up the sport at some point. After years of being influenced by his father, a former player, and watching his older brother, Phil, on the ice, DeSimone decided to follow along. His parents supported his then-new found love.

The 6 feet 2 inch, 195-pound defenseman, 22, hails from East Amherst, New York and was a staunch supporter of the Buffalo Sabres growing up. He played three years of college hockey at Union College in Schenectady, New York, which, he noted, was a dream come true for him prior to signing with San Jose; the latter feat, he says, has been greatest milestone in his athletic career thus far.

Before his collegiate-level stint, DeSimone spent one year with the Connecticut Oilers (EJHL) and one with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL), the latter in which he put up 51 points in 52 games (how’s that for a solid season of two-way plays?).

Since entering the professional leagues, DeSimone says he has learned to “be smarter” on the ice.

“It’s kind of a chess match,” he describes. “College was more of a run-and-gun, pros are more strategic.”

Today, DeSimone credits notable NHL defensemen Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, and Erik Karlsson as his primary influences; all three have been awarded the James Norris Memorial Trophy.

DeSimone is one of the top AHL prospects for the Sharks. He has yet to make his NHL debut, though he was called up to one Sharks preseason game against Anaheim. From September’s Prospect Showcase to the present, he has showed some solid two-way skills, though as the season progresses his chances of earning a spot on the Sharks roster will become more detectable.

Off the ice, DeSimone, like most East Coast natives who relocate to California, is enjoying the sunny, snow-free weather of the Bay Area.

Monsters Devour 4-1 Win Over Barracuda

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

CLEVELAND, OH—The San Jose Barracuda traveled to the Midwest to face the Cleveland Monsters, AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, on Saturday, October 21, where they fell 4-1.

The offensive lines and defensive pairs stayed the same as they had the previous game against Stockton, with one small change; forward John Martin stepped in for Bryan Moore on the line with Colby McCauley and Tim Clifton. The lines were as follows:

Offense:

  • Adam Helewka, Danny O’Regan, Rudolfs Balcers
  • Marcus Sorensen, Alexander True, Brandon Bollig
  • Brandon Mashinter, John McCarthy, Filip Sangberg

Defensive pairings:

  • Jacob Middleton and Julius Bergman
  • Cavan Fitzgerald and Nick DeSimone
  • Radim Simek and Mike Brodzinski

Troy Grosenick started in goal for San Jose.

The match had a slow start to begin with; 35 seconds into the first period, Cleveland’s Carter Camper effortlessly made his way past the Barracuda’s defense and fired a shot over Grosenick’s shoulder, giving the Monsters a 1-0 lead off the bat.

In the second period, the Monsters brought the lead up to 2-0 when John Ramage scored 12:56 minutes in. The Barracuda had sufficient opportunity to score on the power play, which Helewka came close to; however, Monsters goaltender Brad Thiessen was clearly in a “hail Mary” mindset and successfully blocked the shot.

Bollig notched San Jose’s only goal of the game a few seconds before the two minute mark of the third period. Middleton and Sorensen provided the assists. However, Cleveland came back when Miles Koules scored a power play goal, followed by Tyler Motte successfully taking advantage of the open net with 53 seconds left in the game.

The Barracuda took three penalties in the first period, one during the second, and another three in the third, which Coach Roy Sommer has referred to as “bad decisions.” Additionally, Grosenick failed to stop three shots out of 21, while Thiessen stopped 18 shots out of 19.

The Barracuda are now 2-3 and will face the Monsters again tomorrow (Sunday, October 22) in Cleveland.

Stockton Brings Heat, San Jose Defeats 5-2

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Photo credit: San Jose Barracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—The Barracuda came back from two consecutive losses (on October 13 and 14) tonight after a 5-2 win against the Stockton Heat, their second victory over the team this season.

Stockton forward Andrew Mangiapane scored the first goal of the game, almost 18 minutes into the first period. San Jose’s Brandon Mashinter retaliated by scoring less than two minutes later with only 22 seconds remaining.

Mashinter, left winger and AHL veteran, was paired on the offensive line with center John McCarthy and right winger Filip Sandberg, who scored the final goal of the game with just under four minutes remaining. Mashinter provided an assist for Sandberg’s goal.

“You could see today [Mashinter had] a lot of great plays,” Sandberg said after the match. “This was the first game I played with him, but I thought it was really fun. [There was] a lot of hard work out there. On [my] goal, we had a good forward check and he gave it to me, and I just shot it into the goal. “[Mashinter is] a really nice player to have on your team.”

McCarthy, another AHL veteran, added that the trio’s confidence built as the game progressed.

Forwards Danny O’Regan, Adam Helewka, and Rudolfs Balcers played in harmony as O’Regan notched two goals (he now has a total of four between both games against Stockton this year). Helewka and Balcers assisted each one.

“I feel more confident,” Helewka said. “Playing with Danny O’Regan always helps, he is a great player. [O’Regan and Balcers] are two highly skilled players; they find you in open ice.”

O’Regan referred to his two goals as “beneficiary” plays from Helewka and Balcers (an AHL first-timer).

“[Helewka] is very creative, a creative guy and skilled,” O’Regan said. “I like the way he plays; I played with him a lot last year and I think we go well together.”

The Barracuda got swooped by the Grand Rapids Griffins 7-4 in the home opener, and Stockton had beat them 4-0 prior to tonight’s match. This feat seemingly had Coach Roy Sommer thinking about how the evening would end.

“I knew we had to play better than we did over the weekend,” Sommer said. “We’re still not there yet, we still have a lot to do on our own end; it is not where it should be. Look at the two goals [Stockton] scored, point blankers. I don’t think we gave them two of those all year [last season], so we’ve got to get better on our own end… we’re leaving on a good note.”

Barracuda dominated by Griffins in home opener 7-3

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Photo credit: San Jose Barracuda (@sjbarracuda)

By: Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, CA – It was a banner raising night at the SAP Center. Unfortunately for the San Jose Barracuda, that was a good as it got. They came out flat and were out performed by the defending Calder Cup champion Grand Rapid Griffins 7-3. San Jose entered their home opener by commemorating their 1st Pacific Division title with a not so flattering effort from start to finish.

The Griffins were the ones that got off to a quick start with a goal just under 2 minutes into the 1st period as Dominic Turgeon scored his 2nd goal of the season with a wrist shot the beat goalie Troy Groesnick above his shoulder. Turgeon was left wide open in the slot after taking a nice feed from Axel Holmstrom. Matt Lorito was also credited with an assist.

Corey Elkins scores his 1st goal with just under 10 minutes left in the 1st period as he swiped in a rebound at 10:46 after a shot trickled toward the net off a broken stick by Ryan Sproul. Holmstrom received the secondary assist.

It got even worse for the Barracuda in the 2nd period. Griffins forward Turner Elson scored just 2 minutes in after taking a feed from forward Colin Campbell to give the Griffins a three goal lead. San Jose couldn’t stay out of the penalty box the rest of period and Grand Rapids made them pay for it. Power play goals a minute and fifteen second apart put the game out of reach. Lorito scored his 1st goal of the season by tipping in a shot from the point by center Ben Street at 11:16 and Matt Carey also netted his first on the season on a puck he also tipped in from a shot from the point by defenseman Joe Hicketts at 12:31.

“We have 10 rookies in the lineup, so there’s going to be growing pains, said head coach Roy Sommer after the game. “And it’s probably not going to be pretty. We were kinda reeling from the get go.”

Turgeon scored his 2nd goal of the night after taking a feed from Campbell who found him behind the night and stuffed it in past Antoine Bibeau at 4:41 of the 3rd period. Bibeau replaced Grosenick, who finished the night with 16 saves on 21 shots, in goal. Elson concluded the scoring for the Griffins after receiving a gift from Bibeau on a bad giveaway. Bibeau was attempting to clear the puck around the boards when it found Elson’s stick for an empty net goal.

The Barracuda avoided the shutout when Brandon Mashinter scored his 1st goal of the year when he received Jeremey Roy’s pass from the right point and rammed it home past Griffins goalie Jared Coreau at 7:55 of the 3rd period. Radim Simek scored his first goal just over 2 minutes later from 10 feet out after receiving a pass from Adam Helewka on a nifty 3-on-2 break. Brandon Bolig joined the party with his 1st goal of the season when his pass deflected off Turgeon’s skate and into the back of the net past Coreau, who finished the night with 23 saves on 26 shots.

NOTES: Barracuda right winger Manuel Wiederer suffered an upper body injury midway through the 2nd period was he was blindsided by a big hit at center ice. He has been ruled out of the lineup for tomorrow.

Fisticuffs: San Jose’s Tim Clifton and Grand Rapids’ Dylan Sadoway got into it with each other in the 1st period after Clifton dished out a hard check on Griffins’ Filip Hronek. SJ’s Jacob Midddleton and GR’s Matt Carey scuffled in the 3rd period.

San Jose was 0-4 on the power play while Grand Rapids was 2/4.

UP NEXT: The San Jose Barracuda take on the San Antonio Rampage tomorrow at 1:15pm at the SAP Center.