San Jose Sharks sign trio of undrafted free agents after rookie tournament
The annual National Hockey League Young Stars Tournament, which is played before training camp begins, showcases the young, talented players who will one day play for the teams that drafted
them. But not all of these youngsters are drafted. Some are signed as undrafted free agents, which is how some of today’s biggest stars broke into the league.
Three such players impressed the San Jose Sharks’ management so much that they were all later signed to contracts. The Sharks have officially announced the signings of Curt Gogol, Michael
Sgarbossa, and J.P. Anderson. The terms of the deals were not released to the media.
Anderson, an 18-year-old goaltender, was phenomenal during the tournament, with an undefeated record of 2-0-0, a goals-against average of 2.00, and a save percentage of .920. He played
for the Ontario Hockey League’s Mississauga Ice Dogs last season, and put together a 23-10-1 record in 36 games with a GAA of 2.60. He also had two shut outs.
Gogol played with the Kelowna Rockets and Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League last season, and participated in all three of the Sharks’ games in the Young Stars Tournament. The
18-year-old forward notched a goal and six assists in 43 games, and also had 149 penalty minutes.
Sgarbossa was the second-highest scoring player in the tournament, scoring three goals and an assist in only two games. He spent last season in the OHL, playing with the Barrie Colts and
the Saginaw Spirit. He scored 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in 67 games. The 18-year-old forward was also a member of the Canadian team that won a silver medal at the 2010 World Under-18 Championships.
The Sharks are scheduled to play their first pre-season game on Wednesday September 22 against the Anaheim Ducks at 19:00.
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