Former North Bay Battalion forward Barclay Goodrow has had to fight harder this season to play in the NHL.
Goodrow, who spent nearly the entire season with the Sharks last year in his rookie season, started the 2015-16 campaign with the Sharks, and then was sent down to AHL affiliate the San Jose Barracuda in early November.
After being named AHL player of the week, Goodrow got the call this week up to the big club and made an immediate impact in their 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens last night.
He handed out a big hit on Montreal Canadiens star P.K. Subban, and got into a tilt with former Shark Torrey Mitchell who came to the defence of Subban after the hit.
"I think it was a message that we're physically involved, we're here to play, obviously on their best player, got in a scrap after,”Sharks Head Coach Peter DeBoer said about Goodrow who took the roster spot of injured forward Tomas Hertl.
"[Goodrow] gave us some real good minutes tonight, some good energy, and we need to continue to get that. I was able to play our fourth line and they contributed, which is important."
Goodrow has played in 13 games with the big club this season with his last game with the Sharks on November 3rd against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
See the hit and the tilt below: