Sharks Development Camp: Are Hagel, Mass New Barracuda Assistant Coaches?

San Jose Sharks’ development camp ended yesterday with an interesting discovery.

I believe that’s Kyle Hagel on the left and Louis Mass on the right. Are they San Jose Barracuda head coach John McCarthy’s new assistant coaches?

Hagel has been a Seattle Thunderbirds assistant coach since 2017. On Thursday, the Thunderbirds announced that Hagel was leaving for an “opportunity in the American Hockey League.”

Mass has been developing Everett Silvertips’ defensemen since 2018 and was recently promoted to associate coach.

In their playing days, Hagel was primarily a forward, out of Princeton, who played in the AHL from 2008-17. Mass was a defenseman, out of Bowling Green, who played in the ECHL from 2000-06.

It’s possible that Hagel and Mass were just helping for the day. Anyway, the San Jose Barracuda declined comment, so we’ll see.

In other San Jose Sharks staff news, I ran into Jimmy Bonneau at Sharks Ice, and he confirmed that he was staying with the Sharks as a pro scout.

Since 2018, Bonneau has been an associate and assistant coach for the Barracuda, but he was re-assigned within the organization when McCarthy took over for Roy Sommer in May.

I wondered if Bonneau would follow Sommer down the 5 – Sommer is now the head coach of the San Diego Gulls – but instead, Bonneau is moving back east to scout for the Sharks there.

Let’s close out development camp with a couple player notes: How sick was Ben Gaudreau’s setup?

I heard y'all want Robins and Gaudreau content? pic.twitter.com/VWcWBP83EO

— Lizz Child (@LizzChild) July 13, 2022

Holy shades of Aaron Dell’s stealth pads!

I asked Gaudreau when we’d see these pads next, he said the Rookie Faceoff in September. Too bad they don’t match the black and yellow of Gaudreau’s Sarnia Sting – we’ll have to wait until the 2021 third-rounder joins the Sharks or the Barracuda before we see this gear in action full time.

Finally, I caught up with 2022 seventh-rounder Eli Barnett. The 6-foot-6 defenseman was the only 2022 San Jose Sharks draft pick who didn’t speak to the media after getting selected in Montreal, so I wanted to get to know him and introduce him to the fans.

The Victoria Grizzlies defenseman, committed to the University of Vermont for the 2023-24 season, called the development camp experience “life-changing”.

Barnett, on where he was when he found out that the San Jose Sharks had drafted him:

I was on the golf course. The ninth hole, actually, I was golfing with my grandfather, I was about to tee off. And my phone just started ringing off the hook.

A friend of mine [told me], then I got the call from the Sharks.

We played the hole and then went to the clubhouse and celebrated.

We didn’t end up finishing because just phone calls after phone calls. I was shooting like 5-over which is pretty good for me.

Barnett, on if he had a sense that the San Jose Sharks were going to pick him:

Yeah, a little bit. [Scout] Ryan Russell, he interviewed me just one time, but they were the only one. I was a little unsure it was gonna happen, but it ended up [happening], so it’s good.

Barnett, on what the Sharks liked about his game and who he models himself after:

I think they like my size and my mobility getting around the ice. My physicality, I think they really like that.

[I model my game after] Tyler Myers. And when I was younger, it was Zdeno Chara. They’re big and mobile defensemen.

My favorite player is actually David Krejci though, his leadership on the [Boston Bruins], how he carried himself.

Finally, thanks to Lizz Child for her help covering development camp — San Jose Hockey Now had the most complete coverage of Sharks dev camp out there, and Lizz was the chief reason why. Yours truly was a little preoccupied by free agency (and Lizz wrote her share of FA articles too)! And thanks to JD Young for continuing to live up to his Content Boi title too. I hope you guys enjoyed our coverage!

Development Camp: Wiesblatt, Robins on How They’re Getting Better

Sharks’ Prospects Scrimmage Takeaways: Who’s Opening Eyes? (+)

Lund, Eklund, Bordeleau Dazzle at Prospects Scrimmage

Sharks Development Camp: Eklund Meets Marleau

Lorentz, Merkley Talk About Burns Trade

Development Camp: McCarthy Talks Sharks’ Identity, Bordeleau on Meeting Marleau