Former Winterhawk of the Week: Dan DaSilva

This week was a big one for former Winterhawk and Saskatoon, Sakatchewan native Dan DaSilva. His professional career has been one thats seen him wear 10 different team's sweaters over a 9 year career. It even took him over-seas to the KHL.

Now, though he is back in familar surroundings, playing with the San Jose Shark's AHL affiliate: Worcester. He earned this by starting the season with the ECHL's Ontario Raign on a tear. He was named the ECHL player of the week in late November and was on the best scoring pace of his entire career with 26 points in 14 games for the Ontario Reign. This got him a contract with Worcester.

Da Silva played last season in the AHL also, for the Minnesota Wild's affiliate the Houston Aeros on a 1 year deal. Again he carved his path with a stint with the Ontario Reign, scoring 42 points in 35 games. He did reasonably well with Houston, posting 14 points in 22 games, before being released in the offseason.

DaSilva was undrafted after scoring 73 points for the Hawks back in 2004-05 and he earned a professinal contract after trying out at the Colorado Avalanche camp. Hard work is something that this guys game strives on. He never shied away from the rought stuff too in Portland notching 127 penalty minutes in his last season and this has carried into his professional career.

He now sits 3rd for the AHL's Sharks in scoring. He had a great week: scoring a goal and and assist in a 3-2 loss to Providence on January 25th; notching an assist and scoring the game winning shoot out goal vs. Manchester in a 3-2 win on January 26th and adding an assist in a 6-3 loss to Manchester on the 29th. As of the writing of this post, he has extended his point streak to 4 with a goal in a game against Springfield tonight.

DaSilva knows the amount of hard work that it will take to get him to at least a game in the NHL, as his 2 former linemates on his last stint with Worcester: Andrew Desjardins and John McCarthy are with San Jose now and he has to know that at 29 years old it's getting late in his career, fast. Still it is always admirable to see a guy give it his all in the search of just one game at his chosen carrer's highest level. All the best to Dan in his search.

Note: If Dan makes it to at least one game in the NHL, he would be, surprisingly the 9th guy off of the 2004-05 Hawks squad to do so (Mike Sauer, Braydon Coburn, Fraser McLaren, Mike Funk, Cody McLeod, Brandon Dubinsky, Colton Sceviour and Brendan Mikkelson have already made their NHL debuts). Not bad for a team that lost to Everett in the first round of the playoffs.