SAN JOSE—The San Jose Sharks have closed entry level deals with prospects Rudolfs Balcers and Josef Korenar. Additionally, have re-signed forward Chris Tierney.

"Rudolfs is a natural goal-scorer who has proven that he can find the back of the net when his team needs it most. His first season in North America showed he could keep up with a more physical game, while still being one of the more dynamic snipers in the league. We're excited to see him continue his development with our organization," said Joe Will, assistant GM for the Sharks.
“Rudolfs is a natural goal-scorer who has proven that he can find the back of the net when his team needs it most. His first season in North America showed he could keep up with a more physical game, while still being one of the more dynamic snipers in the league. We’re excited to see him continue his development with our organization,” said Joe Will, assistant GM for the Sharks.

The Liepaja, Latvia-born Balcers, 20, closed a standard, entry-level deal with San Jose. Standing at five feet 11 inches and weighing 165 pounds, the left winger totaled 77 points (40 goals and 37 assists) in 66 games with the Kamloops Blazers (WHL) last season, his North American debut.

Balcers previously played for the Stavanger Oilers of the Norwegian League from 2013-2016. In 79 games total, he collected 45 points (23 goals and 22 assists) and a plus-38 ranking. He helped lead Stavanger to two consecutive Championship wins (2014-15 and 2015-16). In the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons, during which he played in the U18 and U20 leagues, respectively, Balcers helped his home country win gold medals at the D1A World Junior Championships.

Among last season’s NHL rookies, Balcers ranked first in both goals and game-winnng goals with seven, third in points, and fourth in assists. Among his teammates, he ranked first in goals, second in points, tied for second in game-winning goals, and third in assists.

"Josef is a goaltender that has been on our radar for a while now, following his success with HC Dukla Jihlava in the Czech league and with Lincoln of the United States Hockey League last season, and he really cemented his status at our development camp this summer. We like his hockey IQ, as well as his athleticism, and strongly considered selecting him in the 2017 NHL Draft, but are happy we were able to add him to our incoming group of prospects this summer. We would like to thank Lincoln General Manager John Hull for his help throughout the process," Will said of the six-foot-one, 175-pound Korenar.
“Josef is a goaltender that has been on our radar for a while now, following his success with HC Dukla Jihlava in the Czech league and with Lincoln of the United States Hockey League last season, and he really cemented his status at our development camp this summer. We like his hockey IQ, as well as his athleticism, and strongly considered selecting him in the 2017 NHL Draft, but are happy we were able to add him to our incoming group of prospects this summer. We would like to thank Lincoln General Manager John Hull for his help throughout the process,” Will said of the six-foot-one, 175-pound Korenar.

A 19 year-old goaltender from Humpolec, Czech Republic, Korenar made 32 appearances with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL last season. He finished with a 14-11-4 record, 2.22 goals-against average (GAA), a .925 save percentage (S%) and two shutouts. He tied for second in the league in S% and for third in GAA. At the end of the season, NHL Central Scouting ranked him 17th among all North American goaltenders eligible to be drafted. Before the 2016 NHL Draft, they ranked Korenar the fourth-best European goaltending prospect.

From 2014-2016, Korenar played for the HC Dukla Jihlava’s U-18 and U-20 teams simultaneously. He represented his home country at both the U-18 World Jr. Championships and the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2015, the former in which he was appointed a Top-3 Player on his team.

"We believe Chris has yet to hit his prime, but has already proven that he can be a key member on our penalty kill and the defensive side of the puck. We are excited to watch his offensive development as he continues to use his strong two-way hockey sense to impact the youthful infusion of our roster," Doug Wilson, the Sharks' GM, said of the Keswick, Ontario-born Tierney.
“We believe Chris has yet to hit his prime, but has already proven that he can be a key member on our penalty kill and the defensive side of the puck. We are excited to watch his offensive development as he continues to use his strong two-way hockey sense to impact the youthful infusion of our roster,” Doug Wilson, the Sharks’ GM, said of the Keswick, Ontario-born Tierney.

23 year-old Tierney stands at six feet one inch tall, and weighs 195 pounds. Selected by San Jose as the 55th overall draft pick in 2012, he closed a one year, $735,000 deal with the team on Thursday, July 13, 2017.

Last season, Tierney collected 23 points (11 goals and 12 assists) in 80 regular-season games. He made six playoff appearances and added an additional point (one assist). He wrapped up the season tied for first in shorthanded points with two, second amongst forwards in average shorthanded time on ice per game at one minute and 47 seconds, and fifth in goals.

Tierney has made 202 NHL appearances, all with San Jose. He holds 64 points (24 goals and 40 assists), five game-winning goals, and two shorthanded goals. He played in all of San Jose’s 24 games in the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs before being defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins. During that run, Tierney ranked first on the team with a 33.3% shooting percentage and posted nine points (five goals and four assists).

Between the Sharks’ affiliates, the Worcester Sharks and San Jose Barracuda, Tierney has appeared in 31 games from 2014-2016. He holds 32 points (nine goals and 23 assists), 1.03 goals per game, and a plus-11 rating.

Before going pro, Tierney spent four seasons (2010-2014) in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), playing for the London Knights. He helped lead the team to back-to-back OHL Championships in 2011-12 and 2012-13.  In 2013-14, his last season in the OHL, Tierney, then-captain, exceeded his teammates in goals with 40 and ranked second in points with 49. Additionally, he exceeded the Knights in the playoffs with 17 points (six goals and 11 assists) and, in the OHL Coaches Poll, he was appointed the OHL Western Conference’s Smartest Player.

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