Sharks have been taking to the air.

PositionSPORTS

Byline: Bill Ballou

COLUMN: AHL

Here in the first week of December, the Worcester Sharks have 53 of them, after having 20 at this time last year, 15 of them two Decembers ago.

Victories? Goals? Fighting majors?

None of the above - it's transactions.

Has MassPort heard about this yet? If it keeps up, it could mean the return of commercial air service to the Worcester Airport. Hockey players can't be the only ones who need to make the coast-to-coast trip.

By past AHL standards, the callups the Sharks have dealt with this season have been extraordinary, and while there are several reasons - the salary cap, keeping players from getting complacent - the main reason is a simple one.

"It's a little of everything, but injuries, mostly," San Jose general manager Doug Wilson said. "You can see what's happened to our roster, and across the board throughout the National Hockey League. There are a considerable amount of injuries.

"We feel very comfortable bringing guys up and down within our organization. We want to give our guys the opportunity to play first. They've paid their dues. They deserve the chance."

For fans in Worcester, the problem with the ups and downs is the expectations provided by the "ups." The best-case scenario for the AHL Sharks is a roster that can beat any team in the league, any time. The worst-case is a seven-game losing streak.

San Jose has not hoarded players. If the big Sharks don't need 'em, they come back down. Just ask Logan Couture, who should think about getting a P.O. box at Logan Airport.

"We don't want our guys sitting, we want them playing," Wilson said.

A lot of the time, though, they've been flying.

Which hasn't seemed to have had a negative effect on the most frequent of the flyers. Couture gets his 1-1/2 points a game no matter how often he arrives or departs. Jamie McGinn scores everywhere he goes - in fact, Wilson said, "McGinn has played his best (NHL) games when he's flown all night and gotten to the rink just before game time."

Worcester Sharks fans like the arrivals a lot more than the departures. In the last couple of weeks, the eastbound shuttle has been busy and their team is a contender again. How long that lasts depends upon who gets hurt, and when, in San Jose.

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