Originally published in Eishockey News in 2007
By Lucas Aykroyd
When the San Jose Sharks traded Vesa Toskala to Toronto at June’s NHL Draft, it meant a chance for a new goalie to back up starter Evgeni Nabokov. Dimitri Patzöld won the job at this year’s training camp, beating out Thomas Greiss, a fellow former member of […]

One of the NHL’s top young offensive forwards inadvertently jabs his stick into the eye of an emerging American star. Does that sound horribly familiar? It’s what happened when Marian Hossa’s follow-through clipped Bryan Berard in an Ottawa Senators-New York Islanders game on March 11, 2000. It’s also what happened when Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby had […]

The biggest German moment in NHL history was Uwe Krupp’s triple overtime, Stanley Cup-winning goal for Colorado in Game Four of the 1996 Stanley Cup finals versus Florida. But Krupp, currently coaching his country’s national team, could see his “title” challenged if the San Jose Sharks win their first Cup in 2008, as many pundits […]

Originally published in the 2003 NHL All-Star Game Program
By Lucas Aykroyd
Traditional Southern cooking abounds with homegrown delicacies. But for sports fans in hot, dry places, hockey is often seen as an exotic new addition to the menu.
Fortunately, it hasn’t taken long for the southern United States to acquire a taste for the NHL’s ice cold […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 1999
By Lucas Aykroyd
If it’s true Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg are robots manufactured by IKEA, as a recent Canadian TV commercial joked, perhaps Marcus Ragnarsson of the San Jose Sharks came from the same factory. He is a prototypical Swedish defenseman.
“I’m getting used to living in California now, and I […]

Originally published on IHWC.NET in 2004
By Lucas Aykroyd
He’s not exactly a grizzled veteran, but at 25, Marco Sturm has established himself as a front-line player for both the San Jose Sharks and Team Germany. Selected 21st overall by San Jose in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, the amiable Dingolfing native originally entered the league as […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000
By Lucas Aykroyd
You might associate the “Changing of the Guard” with Buckingham Palace or Red Square, but a recent changing of the “Keepers of the Goal” with the San Jose Sharks has given a 25-year-old netminder from Kazakhstan his big shot in a different arena. Evgeni (John) Nabokov benefited from […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000
By Lucas Aykroyd
The menacing theme music from Jaws has echoed through San Jose Arena thousands of times when the Sharks go on the power play. Marco Sturm’s presence isn’t quite that intimidating, but the swift winger from Dingolfing, Germany does his part to strike fear into the hearts of opposing […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2005
By Lucas Aykroyd
It may seem hard to believe now, but at one time, Finland produced fewer quality goalies than any other major hockey nation.
Want proof? Check out the scoresheets from the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup. In their first best-on-best competition, the Finns lost 11-2 to Canada, 8-0 to Czechoslovakia, 6-3 […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001
By Lucas Aykroyd
Last year, the less-informed hockey fan might have wondered if his surname was a misspelling of “Nabob Tea.” This year, the whole NHL knows who Evgeni Nabokov is. Combining sharp reflexes with an aggressive challenging style, the San Jose Sharks rookie is bidding to become the 12th goalie […]