San Jose Sharks Roster News 2015: Dainius Zubrus Signs One-Year Contract
Veteran professional hockey player Dainius Zubrus has been enduring a professional tryout with the San Jose Sharks in the hope of joining a team this season. The 37-year-old eventually was rewarded after the team announced that the forward has been given a one-year, two-way contract. The contract was officially signed on Tuesday, thereby making him available for San Jose's next couple of games.
Zubrus is a Lithuanian right winger and center who's bounced around the league after being drafted 15th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers during the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He is known as the first player from Lithuania to play a thousand games in the NHL.
Last season, Zubrus was a part of the New Jersey Devils, his last year for a team he played for eight years. In 74 games, he managed four goals as well as six assists. His new head coach, Peter DeBoer, was actually the same coach he played for with the Devils starting in 2011. Aside from the Devils, Zubrus also has played in Philadelphia, Buffalo, Montreal, and Washington.
His career numbers aren't stellar, but he has been a steady presence in every team he has played for in the league, having finished 1,243 games and producing 584 points and 771 penalty minutes. The Lithuanian veteran also produced 35 points on 11 goals and 24 assists in a total of 92 playoff games in his career.
The announcement came from General Manager Doug Wilson, who also revealed that forward Nikolay Goldobin was reassigned to the AHL.
Although Zubrus is Lithuanian, he actually played for the Russian hockey team in 2004 for the World Cup of Hockey. But that was his only stint after he decided to finally play for his country, starting with the 2005 World Championships. He mentioned during an interview that the decision to go back and represent Lithuania was based on the fact that his country needed him more than Russia.
