GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS ROADRUNNERS
Oct 14, 2018
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Tonight’s Matchup: For the first time since being eliminated from the Divisional Round of the Calder Cup Playoffs last year, the San Jose Barracuda take on the Tucson Roadrunners in meeting one-of-eight on the season between the Sharks and Coyotes affiliates. San Jose went 5-2-0-1 against the Roadrunners last year during the regular season and 2-1-0-1 at SAP Center at San Jose, but were eliminated three games to one in the first round of the playoffs.
Hello Old Friend: On June 14, Sharks GM Doug Wilson traded forward Adam Helewka to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for 6-5, 235-pound defenseman Kyle Wood. Through three games, Helewka leads Tucson with three goals including netting the game winner for the Roadrunners in a 2-1 win over Bakersfield on Saturday. Wood collected a pair of assists in San Jose’s opener on Oct. 5 and is T-first on the Barracuda with a plus-five rating.
Hot Halbgewachs: Rookie forward Jayden Halbgewachs has collected points in each of his first four games with the Barracuda including his first multi-point (two assists) night of his career on Saturday at Stockton. Halbgewachs was signed by the Sharks as an undrafted free agent last December and earned CHL Top Scorer honors in 2017-18 after collecting 129 points (70 goals, 59 assists) in 72 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.
Youth Movement: The Barracuda opened up the 2018-19 season with 10 rookies and the AHL’s youngest roster, averaging 22.7 years old. Just 13 players on San Jose’s 25-man opening night roster skated for the Barracuda a season ago.
Fabulous Francis: On September 13, as a part of the Erik Karlsson trade, Francis Perron was acquired from the Ottawa Senators. Thus far, Perron leads the Barracuda in points (6), goals (3), and is T-first in power-play (1) and game-winning goals (1). Perron has recorded a point in all four games this season with San Jose, which is one-game shy of his career high for consecutive games with a point.
National Pride: offseason signings of Vincent Praplan (Switzerland) and Lukas Radil (Czech Republic), along with the return of Captain John McCarthy, San Jose’s opening night roster was comprised of three different skaters who competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.