From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013
looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their
Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 19 looks at forward Patrick Sharp.
Patrick Sharp was born on December 27th, 1981, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He began playing hockey at age seventeen in the 1998-1999 season with the Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League. He had nineteen goals and twenty-four assists in fifty-five games that season. He also had one goal and one assist in three playoff games. The next season, 1999-2000, Sharp scored twenty goals and passed thirty-five assists in fifty-six games played. Sharp elected to play college hockey in 2000-2001, playing for the University of Vermont. He recorded twelve goals and fifteen assists in thirty-four games. Sharp was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers that season as well, being picked in the third round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Sharp elected to continue playing at the University of Vermont for his sophomore season in 2001-2002, and posted a line of thirteen goals and thirteen assists in thirty-one games. Sharp joined the professional ranks in 2002-2003, splitting time between the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League and the Flyers in the NHL. With the Phantoms, he had fourteen goals and nineteen assists in fifty-three games, while he went without a point in three games in the NHL. He again played with the Phantoms and Flyers in 2003-2004, scoring to the tune of fifteen goals and fourteen assists in thirty-five games in the AHL and five goals and two assists in forty-one games with the Flyers. In the playoffs for the Phantoms, Sharp had two goals in a single game, while he had one goal in twelve postseason games for the Flyers. Due to the lockout and the cancellation of the 2004-2005 NHL season, Sharp was forced to play the full year with the Phantoms, and scored twenty-three goals and twenty-nine assists in seventy-five games, followed by eight goals and thirteen assists in twenty-one playoff games, en route to a Calder Cup victory as champions of the AHL. Sharp split the 2005-2006 season between two teams as well, but this time they were both NHL teams. He began the campaign with the Flyers, notching five goals and three assists in twenty-two games. On December 5th, 2005, Sharp was traded by the Flyers with Eric Meloche to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Matt Ellison and Chicago's third round pick, which was later traded to Montreal, who then selected Ryan White. Closing out the season with the Blackhawks, Sharp recorded nine goals and fourteen assists in fifty games. Sharp finally got a stable season in 2006-2007, playing in eighty games with the Blackhawks and scoring twenty goals while supplying fifteen assists. He finally stepped into the spotlight in 2007-2008, playing in eighty games while scoring thirty-six goals and dishing twenty-six assists. Sharp was signed to a four-year contract extension with the Blackhawks in the earlier parts of 2008. He also made his first representation of Team Canada at the 2008 World Championships, scoring three goals in nine games as Canada took the silver medal. In 2008-2009, Sharp maintained his level of play over sixty-one games, as injuries shortened his season. He was named an alternate captain before the season and responded with twenty-six goals and eighteen assists, followed by seven goals and four assists in seventeen playoff games. Sharp was fully healthy in 2009-2010, playing in all eighty-two games and recording twenty-five goals and forty-one assists during the regular season. In the postseason, Sharp supplied another eleven goals and eleven assists in twenty-two games to help guide the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup. Sharp survived the salary cap purge the Blackhawks had at the end of the season, making him one of the members of the Blackhawks' core players. In 2010-2011, Sharp notched thirty-four goals and thirty-seven assists in seventy-four games, followed by a postseason of three goals and two assists in seven games. He was named to the All-Star Game in 2011, and responded with a goal and two assists to take home MVP honors for the game. In 2011-2012, Sharp missed time due to an emergency appendectomy, but still played seventy-four games and scored thirty-three goals and thirty-six assists, followed by one goal in six postseason games. Sharp did not play during the 2012 lockout, and returned for the 2013 season to begin his five-year, $29.5 million contract, playing in an injury-riddled twenty-eight games with six goals and fourteen assists. He was ready for the playoffs though, and played in all twenty-three games while leading the NHL in goals with ten and passing another six assists. Sharp's high volume of goals helped the Blackhawks win their second Stanley Cup in four years, and again he will return as a vital member of the core players the Blackhawks have found success with.
Take the next three days off everybody! I will be out of town, so From Cradle to Cup will resume on July 23rd.
Patrick Sharp was born on December 27th, 1981, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He began playing hockey at age seventeen in the 1998-1999 season with the Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League. He had nineteen goals and twenty-four assists in fifty-five games that season. He also had one goal and one assist in three playoff games. The next season, 1999-2000, Sharp scored twenty goals and passed thirty-five assists in fifty-six games played. Sharp elected to play college hockey in 2000-2001, playing for the University of Vermont. He recorded twelve goals and fifteen assists in thirty-four games. Sharp was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers that season as well, being picked in the third round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Sharp elected to continue playing at the University of Vermont for his sophomore season in 2001-2002, and posted a line of thirteen goals and thirteen assists in thirty-one games. Sharp joined the professional ranks in 2002-2003, splitting time between the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League and the Flyers in the NHL. With the Phantoms, he had fourteen goals and nineteen assists in fifty-three games, while he went without a point in three games in the NHL. He again played with the Phantoms and Flyers in 2003-2004, scoring to the tune of fifteen goals and fourteen assists in thirty-five games in the AHL and five goals and two assists in forty-one games with the Flyers. In the playoffs for the Phantoms, Sharp had two goals in a single game, while he had one goal in twelve postseason games for the Flyers. Due to the lockout and the cancellation of the 2004-2005 NHL season, Sharp was forced to play the full year with the Phantoms, and scored twenty-three goals and twenty-nine assists in seventy-five games, followed by eight goals and thirteen assists in twenty-one playoff games, en route to a Calder Cup victory as champions of the AHL. Sharp split the 2005-2006 season between two teams as well, but this time they were both NHL teams. He began the campaign with the Flyers, notching five goals and three assists in twenty-two games. On December 5th, 2005, Sharp was traded by the Flyers with Eric Meloche to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Matt Ellison and Chicago's third round pick, which was later traded to Montreal, who then selected Ryan White. Closing out the season with the Blackhawks, Sharp recorded nine goals and fourteen assists in fifty games. Sharp finally got a stable season in 2006-2007, playing in eighty games with the Blackhawks and scoring twenty goals while supplying fifteen assists. He finally stepped into the spotlight in 2007-2008, playing in eighty games while scoring thirty-six goals and dishing twenty-six assists. Sharp was signed to a four-year contract extension with the Blackhawks in the earlier parts of 2008. He also made his first representation of Team Canada at the 2008 World Championships, scoring three goals in nine games as Canada took the silver medal. In 2008-2009, Sharp maintained his level of play over sixty-one games, as injuries shortened his season. He was named an alternate captain before the season and responded with twenty-six goals and eighteen assists, followed by seven goals and four assists in seventeen playoff games. Sharp was fully healthy in 2009-2010, playing in all eighty-two games and recording twenty-five goals and forty-one assists during the regular season. In the postseason, Sharp supplied another eleven goals and eleven assists in twenty-two games to help guide the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup. Sharp survived the salary cap purge the Blackhawks had at the end of the season, making him one of the members of the Blackhawks' core players. In 2010-2011, Sharp notched thirty-four goals and thirty-seven assists in seventy-four games, followed by a postseason of three goals and two assists in seven games. He was named to the All-Star Game in 2011, and responded with a goal and two assists to take home MVP honors for the game. In 2011-2012, Sharp missed time due to an emergency appendectomy, but still played seventy-four games and scored thirty-three goals and thirty-six assists, followed by one goal in six postseason games. Sharp did not play during the 2012 lockout, and returned for the 2013 season to begin his five-year, $29.5 million contract, playing in an injury-riddled twenty-eight games with six goals and fourteen assists. He was ready for the playoffs though, and played in all twenty-three games while leading the NHL in goals with ten and passing another six assists. Sharp's high volume of goals helped the Blackhawks win their second Stanley Cup in four years, and again he will return as a vital member of the core players the Blackhawks have found success with.
Take the next three days off everybody! I will be out of town, so From Cradle to Cup will resume on July 23rd.
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