Sharks Name New Captain and Alternate Captains

The Sharks have finally named a new captain and alternate captains.  After going the 2014-2015 season with a captain, it was about time to name a leader.  For me, it is strange seeing someone new other than Joe Thornton as captain, but that is the route the Sharks took.  The new captain is… Joe Pavelski.

I will say that he is a great player and deserves to be captain, but I still would have liked to see Joe Thornton as a captain.  However, all is not lost because Joe Thornton was named alternate captain along with Logan Couture.  Jumbo (Thornton) deserves a position of leadership.  He is one of the greatest players in the Sharks organization.  As for Cooch (Couture), I know he was very disappointed not to have been named one of the four alternate captains last year (Thornton, Marleau, Vlasic, and Pavelski), so this was a very nice way to make it up to him.  All three are very honest and all the players look up to them.

Welcome to the 2015-2016 season, Captain Pavelski, and Alternate Captains Thornton and Couture.

Michael’s 8th Grade Promotion

Time seems to be flying by quickly.  I remember as if it were only yesterday that my son was just entering Kindergarten, and now he will be entering his Freshman year of high school in a couple of months.

He did pretty well this year.  Maybe it was the encouragement he got by knowing that at the end of each semester for every “A” he would get $15 and for every “B” $7.50.  But one thing I had not planned on him doing, he did it all on his own and did not get rewarded for it.  He got Perfect attendance!  He was one of a few students who got that recognition, and he was so proud of himself.

On June 18, 2015, he proudly walked with his other classmates signifying the end of his middle school life and he will be starting his high school life in a few months.  My mom, grandma, Kevin, Alexis, and his dad were there with me to share this wonderful day.

Before being promoted

Receiving his perfect attendance certificate from School Principal, Pat Avila

Receiving his promotion certificate from School Vice Principal, Erik Taylor

Michael is so happy!

Hockey Season is Over

Technically, the hockey season is still going because we are now entering the playoffs, but San Jose Sharks season is officially over.  It was over about a week earlier, but the last few games were mandatory since the points they earned or did not earn would not count.

It is sad for me to see such a great team not make the playoffs this season.  They made it for the last ten years.  Who is to blame?  Veteran players were not as consistent as they could have been, but they carried the team.  Coaching was decent.  Rookie players played as well as could be expected from rookies.  Management is where the fault lies.  Management did not do anything to keep the team (including the coaching staff) motivated.

They stripped the “C” from Joe Thornton, one of the best players to play the game because he alone could not get the Sharks to Round 2 of the playoffs last year.  Ummm… hockey is a team sport not an individual sport.  Instead, they had four rotating captains all season long.  They were Joe Thornton (who was the captain), Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.  They moved Brent Burns back to defense.  I am sorry, but he is not a good defenseman, he was excellent as a forward.  And what is worse, they made absolutely no worthy trades.  They acquired lousy players and paid good money for them, traded down on round picks, and traded established players for bad players or bad round picks.  And, they constantly brought the morale of the team down because of statements made to the media.

Doug Wilson should be fired, plain and simple!  I will continue to support the Sharks, but not because of management or the coaching staff.  I will do so because I trust and believed in the established, good players.  They deserve my support for playing the game they love with little support from management.

Goal #2 Achieved

 So my second goal was to hike to the top of Mission Peak.  I told Lea I wanted to do this sometime around April because the weather would be nice (very cool yet sunny), and because I thought I would have reached the halfway point of my weight loss.  Originally, Lea, and I had planned to do it by ourselves, but about three days before I invited Jen to come with us.

Jennifer, Lea, and I parked at Ohlone College, and after we stopped by to say hello to Ben, we started our trek around 8:30 a.m.  The hike up the hill was very difficult at times.  There were so many steep parts and that made it so difficult breathing.  It took us 1:40 hours of (like Jen put it so nicely) OMG! to get to the top. The last part made me feel like a Billy Goat.  Once at the top, we had to wait close to one hour just to get our picture taken with the symbol that represents Mission Peak… The totem pole.  Coming down was so much easier and faster, but there were parts that were quite slippery.

We climbed 2,516 feet, or as Jen and I’s Fitbit logged 218 floors.  RunKeeper recorded the whole hike as 7.04 miles of fun that took 3:10 hours to complete.

It was great completing another one of my goals and that Jennifer and Lea were again part of it.  On to Goal #3 to be completed sometime in May.

Goal #1 Achieved

So my first goal was to lose a third of my weight by March.  The reason why I wanted to lose 28 lbs. was because I wanted to participate in a 5K sometime during the year.  Originally, Jennifer, Lea, and I had thought about participating in the CPOA Memorial Run (to honor fallen police officers) in May, but then we chose to sign up for the City of Dublin Shamrock 5K Fun Run & Walk in March 15, 2015.

Lea and I picked up our chipped bibs and t-shirt on Friday, March 13th, and that made the race seem more real.  Like we finally were going to reach our goal.  Jennifer picked hers up earlier.  Also, Jennifer’s cousin Michelle was going to be doing the race with us, but she has done quite a few 5K and 10K races.

The race was tougher than I thought.  Because of our pace (we knew we were not going to be fast), we started all the way back on the 10:00-minute pace start.  At first, we were doing a 3-minute run/1-minute walk cycle, but after 1.5 miles or so, I told Jennifer to keep going (breathing was hard).  Lea was right behind me, so I kept pushing myself.  I finished my race in 38:59.63 minutes, and my average pace was 12:34 minutes.

It was great completing one of my goals and doing it with some awesome friends.

Lots of Trades

I am saddened to find out that out of the five trades that happened this weekend as the trade deadline of March 2nd came to a close, James Sheppard, Tyler Kennedy, and Andrew Desjardin were traded.  They were some of the players I liked and I am going to miss them.

James Sheppard was traded to the New York Rangers for a Fourth Round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft Pick.

Andrew Desjardin went to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Ben Smith and a conditional 2017 NHL Draft Pick.

Tyler Kennedy was traded to the New York Islanders in exchange for a conditional draft pick in either 2015 or 2016.

Tye McGinn was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Coyotes.

Finally, Defenseman Karl Stollery from the Colorado Avalanche was acquired in exchange for Freddie Hamilton.

I am definitely going to miss Sheps and Desi!

Jason Demers Traded

Defenseman Jason Demers was traded today to the Dallas Stars in exchange for left-handed Defenseman Brenden Dillon and a 2016 third round pick.  The Sharks will retain 35% of Demers’ two-year salary.  The Sharks were in need of a left-handed defenseman, which they found in Dillon, to help them with their problems on the blue line.

In all honestly, the news shocked me more than when Dan Boyle got traded in part because the Boyle trade was expected since his wish for a multi-year contract was not granted.  Demers seems to have been surprised by the news as well, but stated he will give it his best while playing for the Stars.

I really hate to see Demers go.  He was one of my favorite players even if he was not as reliable as others.  His friendly personality with his teammates and fans alike made him one of the fans favorites, and he will truly be missed.

One more player to add to my list of other teams hotties.  Hope to see you back in teal one day soon, Daddy (Demers’ nickname).

New Healthy Start… Again!

Some of you many not know, but I have struggled with my weight my entire life.  Like most people, I have lost weight only to gain it back, lose it again, gain it back again, etc.

I had lost quite a few pounds back in the mid-2000’s, but about four years ago, I started gaining it all back.  With the support of my friend Lea, who she herself has struggled with weight issues, but has lost about 85 lbs. since January 2013, I have started the journey all over again.

I have set a few goals and each major goal will be accompanied by an activity I think it is appropriate for me to do.  Stay tuned to see how my life changes in the next few months.

San Jose Sharks Hotties 2014-2015

This is my list of the “San Jose Sharks Hotties” (players) for the 2014-2015 season in alphabetical order with my “Top Three Hotties Stars” at the end:

Justin Braun #61

Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 205 lb.
Position Played: D
Born: February 10, 1987 (age 27), Minneapolis, Minnesota
Draft: 2007 7th round (201st pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $1,500,000
Experience: 4 years

Mike Brown #18

Height: 5′ 11″ Weight: 205 lb.
Position Played: RW
Born: June 24, 1985 (age 29), Chicago, Illinois
Draft: 2004 5th round (159th pick) by the Vancouver Canucks
Salary: $1,150,000
Experience: 7 years

Brent Burns #88

Height: 6′ 5″ Weight: 225 lb.
Position Played: D
Born: March 9, 1985 (age 29), Ajax, Ontario
Draft: 2003 1st round (20th pick) by the Minnesota Wild
Salary: $5,760,000
Experience: 10 years

Logan Couture #39

Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 200 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: March 28, 1989 (age 25), Guelph, Ontario
Draft: 2007 1st round (9th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $6,000,000
Experience: 5 years

Jason Demers #5

Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 195 lb.
Position Played: D
Born: June 9, 1988 (age 26), Dorval, Quebec
Draft: 2008 7th round (186th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $3,150,000
Experience: 5 years

Tomas Hertl #48

Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 210 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: November 12, 1993 (age 20), Praha, Czech Republic
Draft: 2012 1st round (17th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $925,000
Experience: 1 year

Patrick Marleau #12

Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 220 lb.
Position Played: LW
Born: September 15, 1979 (age 34), Aneroid, Saskatchewan
Draft: 1997 1st round (2nd pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $7,000,000
Experience: 16 years

Tye McGinn #25

Height: 6′ 3″ Weight: 207 lb.
Position Played: LW
Born: July 29, 1990 (age 24), Fergus, Ontario
Draft: 2010 4th round (119th pick) by the Philadelphia Flyers
Salary: $600,000
Experience: 2 years

Joe Pavelski #8

Height: 5′ 11″ Weight: 190 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: July 11, 1984 (age 29), Plover, Wisconsin
Draft: 2003 7th round (205th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $6,000,000
Experience: 8 years

James Sheppard #15

Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 205 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: April 25, 1988 (age 25), Halifax, Nova Scotia
Draft: 2006 1st round (9th pick) by the Minnesota Wild
Salary: $1,300,000
Experience: 5 years

Alex Stalock #32

Height: 6′ 0″ Weight: 185 lb.
Position Played: G
Born: July 28, 1987 (age 26), St. Paul, Minnesota
Draft: 2005 4th round (112nd pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $1,500,000
Experience: 3 years

Joe Thornton #19

Height: 6′ 4″ Weight: 225 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: July 2, 1979 (age 35), London, Ontario
Draft: 1997 1st round (1st pick) by the Boston Bruins
Salary: $6,750,000
Experience: 16 years

Marc-Edouard Vlasic #44

Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 205 lb.
Position Played: D
Born: March 30, 1987 (age 26), Montreal, Quebec
Draft: 2005 2nd round (35th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $4,250,000
Experience: 8 years

 

Top Three Hotties Stars:

#1 – Joe Thornton

 

 

 

 

 

#2 – Joe Pavelski

 

 

 

 

 

#3 – Logan Couture

 

San Jose Sharks Hotties 2013-2014

This is my list of the “San Jose Sharks Hotties” (players) for the 2013-2014 season in alphabetical order with my “Top Three Hotties Stars” at the end:

Dan Boyle #22

Height: 5′ 11″ Weight: 190 lb.
Position Played: D
Born: July 12, 1976 (age 37), Ottawa, Ontario
Draft: 1998 by the Florida Panthers
Salary: $6,666,666
Experience: 14 years

 

Justin Braun #61

Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 205 lb.
Position Played: D
Born: February 10, 1987 (age 27), Minneapolis, Minnesota
Draft: 2007 7th round (201st pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $1,250,000
Experience: 3 years

 

Mike Brown #18

Height: 5′ 11″ Weight: 202 lb.
Position Played: RW
Born: June 24, 1985 (age 28), Chicago, Illinois
Draft: 2004 5th round (159th pick) by the Vancouver Canucks
Salary: $725,000
Experience: 6 years

 

Brent Burns #88

Height: 6′ 5″ Weight: 230 lb.
Position Played: RW
Born: March 9, 1985 (age 28), Ajax, Ontario
Draft: 2003 1st round (20th pick) by the Minnesota Wild
Salary: $5,760,000
Experience: 9 years

 

Logan Couture #39

Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 200 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: March 28, 1989 (age 24), Guelph, Ontario
Draft: 2007 1st round (9th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $3,000,000
Experience: 4 years

 

Jason Demers #5

Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 195 lb.
Position Played: D
Born: June 9, 1988 (age 25), Dorval, Quebec
Draft: 2008 7th round (186th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $1,500,000
Experience: 4 years

 

Tomas Hertl #48

Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 210 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: November 12, 1993 (age 20), Praha, Czech Republic
Draft: 2012 1st round (17th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $925,000
Experience: less than 1 year

 

Patrick Marleau #12

Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 220 lb.
Position Played: LW
Born: September 15, 1979 (age 34), Aneroid, Saskatchewan
Draft: 1997 1st round (2nd pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $6,900,000
Experience: 15 years

 

Joe Pavelski #8

Height: 5′ 11″ Weight: 190 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: July 11, 1984 (age 29), Plover, Wisconsin
Draft: 2003 7th round (205th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $4,000,000
Experience: 7 years

 

James Sheppard #15

Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 205 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: April 25, 1988 (age 25), Halifax, Nova Scotia
Draft: 2006 1st round (9th pick) by the Minnesota Wild
Salary: $830,000
Experience: 4 years

 

Alex Stalock #32

Height: 6′ 0″ Weight: 190 lb.
Position Played: G
Born: July 28, 1987 (age 26), St. Paul, Minnesota
Draft: 2005 4th round (112nd pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $625,000
Experience: 2 years

 

Joe Thornton #19

Height: 6′ 4″ Weight: 220 lb.
Position Played: C
Born: July 2, 1979 (age 34), London, Ontario
Draft: 1997 1st round (1st pick) by the Boston Bruins
Salary: $6,000,000
Experience: 15 years

 

Marc-Edouard Vlasic #44

Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 205 lb.
Position Played: D
Born: March 30, 1987 (age 26), Montreal, Quebec
Draft: 2005 2nd round (35th pick) by the San Jose Sharks
Salary: $4,250,000
Experience: 7 years

Top Three Hotties Stars:

Joe Thornton

 

 

 

 

 

 Dan Boyle

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Pavelski