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COMMUNITY RECAP 2017-18 SEASON

SJBARRACUDA.COM CONTENTS

3 - Season Review 6 - review 7 - Charitable SUMMARY 9 - MAN OF THE YEAR 10 - Programming 12 - Specialty Nights 20 - Collection DRIVES 21 - SPECIAL EVENTS 24 - ‘CUDA KIDS CLUB 25 - Street team 26 - Frenzy’s fun zone 27 - FRENZY 28 - YOUTH HOCKEY 30 - SOCIAL MEDIA 31 - CONTACT

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 2 SEASON REVIEW

Following a historic season which saw the Barracuda reach the Western Conference Finals, the organization looked to build off of that success heading into the 2017-18 season. This year, the team overcame youth, inexperience, injuries and near impossible odds to make the playoffs for the third-straight year.

The Barracuda finished the season with a 34-26-4-4 record accumulating 76 points on the season which was highlighted by a six game win streak during the month of April. On April 4, the Barracuda had less than a .01% chance of making the playoffs, but six-straight wins lifted San Jose above four teams in the division over a 10-day period, punching a ticket to the playoffs for the third season in a row. the Barracuda ultimately fell to the top seeded in Round 1 of the playoffs, but the season was far from a disappointment.

Over the course of the year, fans said goodbye to fan favorites including Danny O’Regan and but a of fresh faces filled that void as Rudolfs Balcers and quickly gained popularity with Cuda Country. Barracuda fans also had plenty to cheer for when rooting for the Sharks as six different players appeared in games for both clubs during the season. Four more players from the 2016-17 Barracuda team spent the entire season in the NHL. A major Milestone was also reached this season as Head Coach collected the 700th AHL win of his career. Sommer is the first coach in history to reach 700 coaching wins.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 3 SEASON REVIEW

The 2017-18 season was a tremendous success for the Barracuda which Came with a number of highlights.

• 6 game win streak (April 4 – April 14) • John McCarthy represented Team USA in 2018 Winter Olympics • , Rudolfs Balcers, Manny Wiederer, Radim Simek selected to participate in 2018 IIHF World Championships • Rudolfs Balcers ties Barracuda rookie record (23) • Antoine Bibeau and Rudolfs Balcers named AHL All Stars • 10 game power play goal streak (3/21-4/12)

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 4 SEASON REVIEW

San jose barracuda stat leaders

• Goals – balcers (23) • Assists – Helewka (29) • Points – balcers (23-25-48) • Game winning goals – Balcers/Wiederer (5) • Power play points – Balcers (16) • Shots – Balcers (165) • Plus/minus – Chekhovich/Mccarthy (+8) • Pim – clark (130) • Wins – Bibeau (23) • G.a.a – Bibeau (2.37) • Save % - Bibeau (.919) • Shutouts –Bibeau (5)

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 5 Community review

Throughout the 2017-18 season, the applied their philosophy of being the hardest working team in the American Hockey League to their efforts on and off the ice. In their third year in San Jose, the Barracuda continued to grow and strengthen their connection to the community in a multitude of ways.

During the season, Barracuda players and coaching staff made a total of 51 visits in San Jose and around the Bay Area. These visits consisted of hospital visits, meet and greets with differing community groups, school visits and more. In addition, the two Barracuda flagship educational programs (Barracuda Math Class and Hockey 101) visited over 6,000 students in 220+ classrooms throughout the course of the year.

The Barracuda street team along with the team mascot, Frenzy, also made over 200 community appearances which allowed the team to support and connect with local events and fundraisers. Continuing to establish a presence in the community and with local organizations is a top priority for the San Jose Barracuda. Going into their fourth year here in San Jose, the Barracuda are actively looking for ways to be even more involved with their community and fan base.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 6 CHARITABLE SUMMARY

One of the primary ways the San Jose Barracuda invest into the community is through their charitable giving. Throughout this season, the Barracuda fulfilled 100% of donation requests received from organizations within . The Barracuda also donated thousands of tickets in an effort to provide opportunities for new or existing fans to enjoy a game. In addition to tickets and memorabilia, the Barracuda also made monetary donations to local non-profits to support their individual causes.

Numbers breakdown • Total Cash Raised and Donated: $149,991.57 • Tickets Donated: 7500 • Pucks and Paws/Humane Society Silicon Valley: $3,723.64 • Teddy Bear/Santa Clara Aquamaids: $7,878.22 • Fighter /VetTix: $4,255.08 • Tuxedo/VetTix: $4,242.08 • Blackout/VetTix: $6,690.12 • Blue Barracudas/Blood Center of the Pacific: $2,276.78 • Lifeguard/VetTix: $1,012.15 • Second Harvest food drive: 900+ lbs. • Military Care Packages for Operation: Troop Outreach: 4,000 pieces • Teddy Bear Toss: 4500+

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 7 Organizations supported

Including but not limited to: Boy Scouts of America Gardner Academy Alameda Science & Technology Institute PTSA HERS Breast Cancer found. Alto International School History San Jose American Liver Foundation Northern CA Humane society sv Archbishop Mitty High School J.F. Kennedy Elementary Avon Cares for Life Laurelwood Elementary Bay Area down Syndrome Connection Modesto Police Canine assc. Blood centers of the pacific Morgan Autism Center Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley Oakland Youth Chorus California Parks and Recreation Society Operation Freedom Paws District 4 Operation: troop outreach Cherry Chase PTA Parents Helping Parents Children's Emergency Food Bank phpa Children's Health Council Sf Suicide Prevention Children's Musical Theater San Jose San Jose American LL City of San Jose, District 2 Santa clara aquamaids Crystal Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship School health clinics scc Fund (CRMSF) Second harvest food bank Cub Scout Pack 176 South Valley Family YMCA Daves Ave Home and School Club Special Olympics Discovery Charter School Trace Elementary School PTO Discovery Charter School 2 Unidos y Adelante PTO El Camino Hospital Foundation Via Services Elevate Tutoring Veterans ticket foundation

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 8 MAN OF THE YEAR

Every season, each AHL franchise nominates one player from their team for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award. This award annually recognizes the American Hockey league player that demonstrates the greatest commitment to charitable organizations and his community throughout the season.

This season, the Barracuda nominated Antoine Bibeau for his commitment to the community during his first year here in San Jose. While he made an immense impact on the ice, which was exemplified in him being named to the AHL All-Star team, he made an even stronger impact off the ice. Barracuda Math Class visits, Junior Sharks practices, and distributing teddy bears to the pediatric unit at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara are Just a few ways in which Antoine invested in the community.

Following the departure of goaltender Troy Grosenick, Antoine also took on the initiative of donating tickets to families through Cake4Kids so that children had the opportunity to celebrate their birthday at the Barracuda game.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 9 BARRACUDA MATH CLASS

Barracuda Math Class is a community outreach program for elementary school-aged children designed to generate excitement and interest around math. This program has been created based off of the standards outlined by the California Board of Education to teach students all about the game of hockey while simultaneously practicing their everyday math skills.

During each lesson, students get to know Barracuda players, review basic hockey information, and discuss their favorite aspects of math. Following that discussion, the class is split into two teams for a game of “math jeopardy”. All of the questions are centered around hockey but in order to answer the questions, students must use their math skills tailored to their grade level. When the game is over, all of the students receive a school kit with pencils and a ruler, a ticket to a Barracuda home game, and an autographed photo of the visiting players.

In the third season of Barracuda Math Class, a program high of 3,127 students were seen in 115 classrooms and over 50+ visits.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 10 HOCKEY 101

A major goal within the organization is to generate and maintain interest in the game of hockey around the Bay Area. Hockey 101 is an interactive outdoor program which gives elementary school-aged students the opportunity to train like the pros. In this second season of the program, we saw a record setting 3,191 students and 110 classes, nearly quadrupling the amount of students seen last season.

During Hockey 101, Barracuda players and/or staff visit elementary schools, youth organizations, and after school programs to give students a lesson on how to play hockey. The visit kicks off with an introduction on who the Barracuda are and how to properly hold a hockey stick. After the lesson and a brief warm up, the students are split into groups where they rotate through drills such as shooting, passing, and stick handling. Once they are rotated through each station, they are divided into two teams where they get to use all of the skills they just learned in a fast paced relay race. At the end of the session, students are given an exciting prize to take home.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 11 Pucks and paws

On November 26th the Barracuda held their first ever Pucks and Paws game where fans could bring their dogs to the game. During the game, fans were treated to a dog friendly atmosphere which included a Pooch Parade during the first intermission and specialty dog jerseys worn on ice by the players. All fans in attendance received a Marc-Edouard Vlasic bobblehead and the San Jose Sharks defenseman also participated in the ceremonial puck drop with his dogs.

The Barracuda went on to score four goals in the third period as they defeated the by a score of 5-3. Adam Helewka led the way for the home team, scoring two goals in the victory.

The dog inspired jerseys were auctioned off during and after the Barracuda game through silent, blind and online auctions. In all, the Barracuda raised $10,401.99 and donated $3,273.64 to Humane Society Silicon Valley.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 12 Fighter pilot NIGHT

December 16th brought Barracuda fans a specialty jersey night and an all stadium giveaway. For Fighter Pilot Night, the Barracuda wore jerseys during the game which were inspired by the uniforms worn by fighter pilots and all fans in attendance received a /Justin Braun combo bobblehead.

Proceeds from the Barracuda Fighter Pilot jerseys were donated to the Veterans Ticket Foundation. Nick DeSimone scored his first goal of the season and made his home debut for the Barracuda as they fell 4-2 to the .

Through silent, blind and online auctions the Barracuda raised a total of $11,259 and donated $4,255.08 to the Veterans Ticket Foundation.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 13 TEDDY BEAR TOSS

For the third straight year, the Barracuda held their annual Teddy Bear Toss. On December 22nd, all fans were encouraged to bring new or lightly used teddy bears with them to the Barracuda game against the . New to the Teddy Bear Toss this season, the Barracuda also wore specialty teddy bear themed jerseys during the game.

In front of 4,138 fans, the Barracuda knocked off the Stars 3-1 and at 9:12 of the first period, John McCarthy put the Barracuda on the board and the teddy bears began to fly. The bears were collected and donated to various organizations in the San Clara County including Home First, School Health Clinics, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, Life Moves, and Somos Mayfair.

Thanks to the best fans in the AHL, the Barracuda raised $15,542 and donated a total of $7,878.22 to the Santa Clara Aquamaids, both of which were season highs.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 14 TEDDY BEAR TOSS

In all, over 4,500 teddy bears were collected and donated to local nonprofit youth organizations around Santa Clara County. In addition to Home First, School Health Clinics, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, Life Moves, and Somos Mayfair the Barracuda brought bears to the pediatric wing at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara.

Barracuda Antoine Bibeau and Troy Grosenick were accompanied by forward Daniel O’Regan as they visited all of the children in Kaiser’s pediatric wing. As the players made their way from room to room they gave each child a teddy bear, an autograph and they took photos with families before they left. With a total of over 4,500 teddy bears, the Barracuda surpassed the previous season by over 2,000 bears.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 15 tuxedo night

On January 15th the Barracuda held another specialty jersey/giveaway combo night. It was a classy affair at SAP Center as the Barracuda wore teal colored tuxedo jerseys and all fans at the game received a / tuxedo bobblehead.

The Barracuda defeated the Bakersfield Condors 3-2 in a thrilling victory. Nick Desimone tucked home the game winning goal as he poked a loose puck past the goal line after Bakersfield failed to secure the initial on goal. Cavan Fitzgerald and Emerson Clark each had a goal for the Barracuda as well.

In all, the Barracuda raised $11,210 through silent, blind and online auction and later donated $4,242.08 to the Veterans Ticket Foundation.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 16 Barracuda blackout

For the second straight season, the Barracuda held a Blackout game in which the players wore specialty black jerseys during the game. Additionally, the first 4,000 fans received a replica black jersey upon entry into the arena in an effort to help blackout The Tank.

Antoine Bibeau picked up a shutout as the Barracuda defeated the Monsters 4-0. Rudolfs Balcers added a goal and an assist while captain John McCarthy picked up two assists of his own. All of this was done in front 8,046 fans, the most for a single game in Barracuda history.

Portions of the proceeds from the silent, blind and online auctions were given to the Veterans Ticket Foundation. In total, the Barracuda raised $14,045 and donated $6,690.12 to VetTix.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 17 ’90s nickelodeon night

The sixth specialty jersey of the season was part of one of the most popular Barracuda theme nights this season. On March 24th the Barracuda held ‘90s Nickelodeon Night featuring Legends of the Hidden Temple. For this game, the Barracuda threw it back to the ‘90s and brought back some great memories surrounding the hit TV show.

Despite losing to the , the crowd of 5,962 got to see the team wear Blue Barracudas inspired jerseys on the ice and Legends of the Hidden Temple host Kirk Fogg was in attendance to sign autographs and assist in the game day promotions.

The Blue Barracudas jerseys were auctioned off during and after the game through silent, blind and online auctions with portions of the proceeds benefitting Blood Centers of the Pacific. The Barracuda ended up raising $6,250 and donated $2,876.78.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 18 Beach day

The final specialty jersey of the season helped Barracuda fans bring in the warm weather towards the end of the season. Certainly the most unique jerseys worn this season were the lifeguard inspired jerseys which included tan lines, hairy arms and a whistle.

This game was played in the middle of the Barracuda’s six game win streak which helped secure a third straight playoff appearance. The 7-3 win over the was highlighted by a four goal third period which included a goal by , the first California born player to dress for the Barracuda. Colby McAuley also picked up a goal and an assist during the win.

The Veterans Ticket Foundation once again received a portion of the jersey auction proceeds which ended up being a total of $1,012.15. Through the silent, blind and online auctions the Barracuda raised a total of $5,643.24.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 19 collection DRIVEs

Throughout the season, the San Jose Barracuda held three collection drives prior to games. Fans were encouraged to bring items that corresponded to the collection for that day and all who donated were given tickets to a future Barracuda home game.

Thanks to the best fans in the American Hockey League, the Barracuda were able to provide food, care packages for the military, and more to those in need.

Food Drive/Second Harvest: 900+ lbs. Military Care Packages/Operation: Troop Outreach: 4,000 pieces Teddy Bear Toss/Multiple Organizations: 4500+

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 20 GIFTS AND GOALS

Leading up to Christmas, the Barracuda held their third annual Gifts and Goals event. For this event, each Barracuda player is responsible for buying a gift for a child associated with a local youth organization. Without the assistance of the Barracuda players, many of these children would not receive gifts for the holidays. This season, all of the children were associated with School Health Clinics of Santa Clara.

Thanks to the leadership of John McCarthy and Man of the Year nominee, Antoine Bibeau, the team had 100% player participation in the event as well as involvement from the Barracuda front office. All of the players bought the gifts themselves and over $3,000 worth of toys were gifted to the children.

Following the Barracuda game on December 17th, players and staff personally gave their gifts to the children who were in attendance that evening. Each child was able to take a photo with their designated player as well as receive an autographed puck.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 21 MEET AND GREETs

Following the Barracuda game on March 25th, head coach Roy Sommer took time to speak to members of the Silicon Valley Down Syndrome Network, the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area, the Morgan Autism Center, Parents Helping Parents, Bay Area Therapeutic Recreation Association, Shared Adventures and AchieveKids in honor of Abilities Night. He spoke to the 125 attendees about his role as head coach of the Barracuda and the influence his son Marley, who has both Down syndrome and autism, has on the team in and out of the locker room.

In March, Manuel Wiederer was given the opportunity to visit a German dual-immersion elementary school where he visited two classes that had won the visits in a school fundraising auction. Manny spent a half hour in each classroom answering questions and talking to the students in German prior to signing memorabilia for them all. In addition to those two visits, Barracuda players also took time to meet with fans at Pizza Factory and San Pedro Square Market for autographs and photos.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 22 Cuda classroom day

This season, the Barracuda hosted their inaugural ‘Cuda Classroom Day on March 9th. Not just your average day game, ‘Cuda Classroom Day turned the Barracuda game into an interactive classroom making it the perfect field trip outing for schools and classrooms around the Bay Area. As students and teachers entered the arena, they were given a ‘Cuda Classroom workbook which was filled with games and questions that connected everyday school subjects such as math, english, and science to the game of hockey. Questions throughout the book could be answered by watching videos on the screen, looking around the arena, or following the game on the ice.

In addition to activities inside the arena, there were also engaging and educational activities around the concourse such as a hands-on station brought from the Tech Museum that allowed students to build their own skate blades and test them out. Altogether, the game brought in over 3,000 students and educators from around the Bay Area to enjoy a day of hockey and education.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 23 ‘CUDA KIDS CLUB

The ‘Cuda kids club is a fan engagement program for kids ages 12 and Under. Fans could sign up their kids at any barracuda home game for Just $10 and with their membership they received all kinds of amazing Benefits.

This season, the ‘cuda kids club sold all 1000 available memberships, Making the club one of the most popular in the ahl. all 1000 members received a Personalized member card, john mccarthy t-shirt, ticket to a barracuda game plus a number of discounts on tickets And barracuda merchandise. The first 750 members to sign up also Received an exclusive John mccarthy bobblehead.

Members were also invited to a couple of special events throughout the Season including kids takeover day at center where members got a Chance to shadow various full time employees on game day.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 24 Street team

Whether they are handing out Barracuda swag at a giveaway table or helping you brush up on your slapshot technique, the San Jose Barracuda Street Team can be found at a number of events throughout the year. The barracuda Street team is responsible for many things but their most important job Is being the connection between the community, our fans and the team.

This season, the barracuda street team has made over 100 visits to local Schools, fairs, festivals, farmer’s markets, and a number of other major Community events. The street team also played a vital role on game days As they managed chuck-a-puck, kids club, and frenzy’s fun zone.

You can book the barracuda street team for your event by filling out a request form at sjbarracuda.com/streetteam.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 25 Frenzy’s fun zone

In it’s second season, Frenzy’s fun zone continued to provide plenty of Entertainment Throughout the season. This family friendly area on the concourse of can only Be found during barracuda home games and features a number of fun Activities for fans of all ages including:

• Inflatable Slapshot booth • Bubble hockey • Cornhole • Video game station • Frenzy’s Memory Game • Skee Puck • Box HOckey on select nights there is even more fun for fans including face painting, themed photo booths, or visits from special guests.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 26 FRENZY

With a year under his belt, frenzy is expanding his reach around the bay Area. In the past year, Frenzy has made over 150 appearances at various Fairs, festivals, schools, hockey rinks, birthdays, and barracuda games.

A few highlights for frenzy this year included the 2018 ahl all star Classic in utica, the CHP holiday party, the san jose march for babies, and silicon valley bikes festival.

You can book a frenzy appearance by filling out a request form at sjbarracuda.com/frenzy. You can also follow frenzy on social media at @frenzyahl.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 27 YOUTH HOCKEY

In november, the san jose barracuda made multiple visits to at san jose to help run youth hockey practices for the jr sharks. Highlights of These practices included scrimmages with Jeremy roy and plus goaltending tips from antoine bibeau. Barracuda forwards filip sandberg and rudolfs balcers also spent time Running drills with a few house league teams.

In addition to making visits to Jr. Sharks practices in San Jose, the Barracuda also took part in an event at the Oakland Ice Center with the Oakland Bears Youth Hockey Club. In February, Manny Wiederer and Alexander True visited OIC to help promote Hockey is for Everyone. Hockey legend Willie O’Ree was also in attendance to speak with the children about his story and how important inclusiveness is to the game. During their visit, Manny and Alex played games with the Oakland Bears on ice but they also ran some drills with the Oakland Sled Hockey team and they answered questions for the Oakland Special team, who ended up going to Chicago and winning the National Disabled Festival.

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 28 COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 29 social

Stay up to date with the san jose barracuda on social media

@Sjbarracuda

@sjbarracuda

/sjbarracuda

sjbarracuda

Follow frenzy to learn more about his whereabouts in the community

@freznyahl

@frenzyahl

/frenzyahl

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 30 CONTACT

Joey Goldstein Marketing and community relations coordinator [email protected] 408-999-5731

Faith christensen Marketing and community relations assistant [email protected] 408-999-6825

COMMUNITY RECAP SJBARRACUDA.COM 31