NOLLY'S NOTES - BLOG (VOL. 4, ED. 7)

Aug 14, 2024

About Nolly: Nick Nollenberger aka "Nolly" has been the voice of the Barracuda since 2016-17. Over his time with the team, the Santa Curz, Ca. native and San Jose Jr. Sharks alum, has called over 500 games and made his NHL regular-season debut with the Sharks on Nov. 17, 2024 at Anaheim, filling in for the Hall of Famer Dan Rusanowsky.

Hey, Cuda Country, we’re in the final stretch before hockey season kicks off. August is usually the calm before the storm, which often leaves me scrambling for blog topics. Thankfully, the last couple of weeks have given us some news, including Tuesday’s big signing.

The Barracuda signed Colin White to a one-year AHL contract on Tuesday. Joe Will hinted that the team might add another forward, and White seems like the perfect fit as the club looks to regain its competitive edge in the AHL’s Western Conference. The Sharks were very active around the opening of free agency in July, signing proven AHL talents to two-way NHL contracts (like Andrew Poturalski, Jimmy Schuldt, and Lucas Carlsson). While they can play in the NHL, they’re expected to spend most of their time with the Barracuda.

White’s signing fits a trend we’ve seen under Mike Grier over the last couple of years—bringing in former high draft picks with NHL skillsets and pedigree on a prove-it AHL contract. Perform well, and you’ll likely get an NHL shot, just like Justin Bailey last season and Derrick Pouliot the year before. White, a former first-round pick, is only 27 and has spent most of his career in the NHL, with stints in Pittsburgh and Montreal last year. He hasn’t spent a full season in the AHL, so it remains to be seen if he will this year. But if he does, he’ll likely be a major contributor for the team in all situations and a pressure reliever for many of the club’s young players. Two years ago, White played 21 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Florida Panthers during their run to the Finals.

White’s presence will also help Sharks’ 2021 first-round pick Filip Bystedt slide into the team’s third-line center role, giving the 20-year-old more favorable matchups throughout his rookie season. Additionally, White allows players like Tristen Robins, Thomas Bordeleau, and Colin Graf to transition to the wing full-time (if they don’t make the Sharks, of course). Center can be a challenging position for young players as they learn the nuances of the role. Moving to the wing can often ease this transition, as we saw with Bordeleau’s success last year when he was up with the Sharks. One player who comes to mind with White’s signing is Robins, who suffered a high-ankle sprain in the preseason last year and didn’t return until December. He showed flashes of potential but never fully found his footing, no pun intended. His best path to the NHL, in my opinion, might be on the wing, at least for now, and having veterans like Poturalski and White around will help him focus on creating offense as opposed to defending as much.

The unofficial start of the hockey season begins with the NHL Rookie Faceoff. This year, it will be hosted by the Los Angeles Kings from September 13-16. The Sharks officially announced the schedule on Monday. The action kicks off on Friday, September 13, when San Jose stake on the Utah Hockey Club at 1 PM. I’ll be there broadcasting the games, and you can listen live on the Sharks Audio Network or watch on the Sharks digital platforms. More streaming information will be available as the event approaches.

Sept. 13 (1 p.m. PT): San Jose Sharks vs. Utah Hockey Club [NHL Rink 1]

Sept. 15 (4:30 p.m. PT): Anaheim Ducks vs. San Jose Sharks [NHL Rink 1]

Sept. 16 (11:30 a.m. PT): Colorado Avalanche vs. San Jose Sharks [NHL Rink 1]

One change in the schedule this year is that the Sharks will have Saturday off before playing on Sunday and Monday. This will be a great way for Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith to get their feet under them before training camp. We’ll also likely see other top Sharks prospects like Sam Dickinson, Quentin Musty, Kasper Halttunen, Igor Chernyshov, David Edstrom, Bystedt, and more.

Earlier this month, the Sharks signed Chernyshov to a standard entry-level contract. Chernyshov, who was taken in the second round of this year’s NHL Draft, is expected to play in the OHL this season with the defending Memorial Cup Champion Saginaw Spirit. This signing should make his transition to North America smoother. In the small sample size I saw of him at development camp, a few things stood out. For one, he’s big (6-4/203), which has been a theme for the Sharks over the last couple of years. He has some similarities to Sharks’ 2023 second-round pick Halttunen—both big, right-shot wingers. Like Halttunen, Chernyshov will likely take the OHL route before starting his tenure in the Sharks organization. While he could technically play for the Barracuda or even the Sharks this season, it’s more likely he’ll get more seasoning at a lower level. Many draft experts had the Russian forward going in the mid-to-late first round, so the Sharks were ecstatic to get him with the 33rd overall pick. He’s got a rare blend of skill, size, and skating ability and instantly becomes one of the organization’s top young assets.

The Barracuda also made two other additions this week, officially announcing the hiring of Tim LeRoy as the club’s new Equipment Manager and Jaime Garcia as the team’s Head Athletic Trainer and Manager of Sports Medicine.

LeRoy replaces Scott Boggs, who was hired as the Head Equipment Manager for the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this offseason. Like Boggs, LeRoy spent a long time in the NHL before parting ways with his team. Boggs was with the New York Islanders for over 15 years, and LeRoy was the Head Equipment Manager for the Columbus Blue Jackets for two decades. One of the first people to text me when the news broke about LeRoy was Sharks’ longtime radio broadcaster Dan Rusanowsky, who said, “Tim LeRoy returns.” LeRoy spent three seasons in the IHL with the Kansas City Blades when the club was affiliated with the Sharks back in the early ‘90s.

Like LeRoy, Garcia also has a connection to the Sharks. He spent three seasons with the Allen Americans when they were the Sharks’ AA affiliate. During the season, you often spend more time with the staff than your own family, so having a tight-knit group is essential. Boggs was outstanding last year, and we’re excited for him to return to the NHL where he belongs. With that said, I’m extremely excited to work alongside LeRoy and Garcia and look forward to another exciting year.

If you missed it, I had the chance to catch up with Barracuda goaltender Gabe Carriere on the latest episode of Cuda Confidential. Check it out below if you haven’t listened already, and keep an eye out for my next conversation with Barracuda forward Lucas Vanrowboys, which will be coming out early next week.

That’s it for this edition of Nolly’s Notes. Thanks for reading, and I’ll talk to you all soon.