San Francisco Bulls Re-Ups as Sharks ECHL Affiliate

San Francisco Bulls Logo. Mandatory credit: San Francisco Bulls media department

San Francisco, CA– Today the San Francisco Bulls made the announcement that they have renewed their affiliation with both the San Jose Sharks and Worcester Sharks.  The Bulls will continue its services as San Jose’s ECHL development club.

Bulls Co-Owner,GM, and Head Coach Pat Curcio had this say about the renewal agreement: “We’re very excited to continue and further grow our partnership with the San Jose Sharks,” said SF Bulls President and Head Coach Pat Curcio. “We can’t thank Doug Wilson, Wayne Thomas, Joe Will and John Tortora enough for their support. Our first season created a mutually beneficial relationship. The Sharks provided us with high-quality players, who helped contribute to our team’s appearance in the playoffs. We are excited about the opportunity to develop Sharks prospects while putting a winning product on the ice. We also believe that our affiliation with the Sharks not only gives us quality prospects, it gives us an instant identity in a very large market, and we are very grateful to them for that.”

Bulls CEO Angela Batinovich, Sharks COO John Tortora, Bulls President/Head Coach Pat Curcio. Mandatory Credit: San Francisco Bulls Media Department.

Sharks Executive VP and GM Doug Wilson provided his take on the continued partnership with San Francisco: “We had an extremely positive relationship with the Bulls last season as a development vehicle for players within our system and we look forward to continuing that agreement,” said Sharks GM Doug Wilson.

During the 2012-2013 ECHL campaign, both San Jose and Worcester were able to stockpile the Bulls roster with defenseman prospect Mikael Tam, forward prospects, Daniil Tarasov, Yanni Gourde, Marek Viedensky, and Tommy Grant, goaltending prospects Taylor Nelson and Thomas Heemsherk.  After the completion of the 2012-2013 ECHL season, the San Jose Sharks organization inked a 2 year deal with Russian forward Daniil Tarasov.

San Jose’s Assistant GM Joe Will added with his comments regarding the renewed relationship between the two clubs: “San Francisco provides a terrific option for us to place players in a situation where they can further develop themselves as hockey players,” said Sharks Assistant GM Joe Will. “Bulls Head Coach Pat Curcio and his staff do a great job preparing the players to succeed and Daniil is a perfect example of that.  He worked hard in San Francisco and Worcester and earned an NHL contract on the merit of his play.”

Sharks COO John Tortora, Bulls President/Head Coach Pat Curcio. Mandatory Credit: San Francisco Bulls Media Department.

Both the San Jose Sharks and the San Francisco Bulls share a bit of history.  When the San Jose Sharks were inducted into the National Hockey League, they played their first two seasons (1991-92, 1992-93) at the Cow Palace in Daly City, CA.  Right after they completed their first two campaigns, the San Jose moved to their new permanent  home which today is called the SAP Center.

John Tortora, San Jose Sharks COO shared his views on the continued partnership with the Bulls organization: “It’s important for us as an organization to help grow the game of hockey at all levels in the Bay Area and the Bulls have done a great job putting a quality product on the ice,” said Sharks Chief Operating Officer John Tortora. “The Sharks Bay Area journey began in the San Francisco area and this is another opportunity for us to connect and engage with our many fans and supporters in the North Bay, which is home to more than 15% of our season ticket base.”

The Bulls open their 2013-2014 season on October 18th as they embark on an eight game road trip with their first stop in Alaska to take on the Aces in a two game mini-series.  Their first home game is not until November 8th when they take on the Bakersfield Condors.

****Quotes were provided by: SF Bulls.****

Official Link: http://sfbulls.com/news/bulls-and-san-jose-sharks-renew-affiliation/

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