As part of a new Player Spotlight series, sharksahl.com is giving fans a chance to read (and see!) more about their favorite Worcester Sharks! This week, we continue with Tom Cavanagh, who was awarded Team MVP after a spectacular 2007-08 campaign.

 

Week 4: Riley Armstrong

This Week: Tom Cavanagh

 

Number: 9

Position: Forward

Date of Birth (Age): March 24, 1982 (26)

Hometown: Warwick, RI

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 203 Lb.

Drafted: San Jose Sharks 6th Round (182^nd overall) in 2001 Draft

Season Highlight: The highlight of his season was playing for San Jose (at Los Angeles on Apr. 3), where he recorded an assist on a Joe Thornton goal less than one minute into his NHL career (and his first-ever shift). With Worcester, Cavanagh had a game to remember on Nov. 9 at San Antonio, when he scored in the third period then added an overtime tally to give Worcester the dramatic 5-4 victory.

Did you know?: Cavanagh attended and played Division I hockey at Harvard University, the same place where his father Joe was a three-time All-American in the early 1970’s.

2007-08 in a Nutshell: Cavanagh’s hard work paid off when he got his first-ever NHL recall in early April. His success with Worcester down the stretch was a big reason why he was named Team MVP. He peaked with a seven-game point streak (eight counting his assist in San Jose) from Mar. 19 through Apr. 6, capping off an already outstanding 2007-08 campaign. 

 

Click HERE to check out Cavanagh’s career stats.

 

Season Highs:

Goals = 2 (4/13 vs. Springfield, 12/30 vs. Lowell & 11/9 at San Antonio)

Assists = 2 (4/6 vs. Springfield, 3/21 vs. Bridgeport, 3/19 vs. Bridgeport & 2/27 vs. Springfield)

Points = 3 (2/27 vs. Springfield)

Penalty Minutes = 15 (2/15 at Norfolk)

 

                        A Goal = 2 (2/27-2/29, 1/19-1/21, & 11/7-11/9)

                        An Assist = 7 (3/19-4/6)

                        A Point = 7 (3/19-4/6)

2007-08 with Worcester & San Jose (NHL): Final Stats – 77 games played, 55 points (19 goals, 36 assists), 55 penalty minutes, -4 rating ... Finished tied for second on the team with 55 points and all alone in second with 36 assists … Tied season-high with two goals on 4/13 vs. Springfield … Credited with an assist on 4/12 vs. Lowell … Extended AHL assist streak to a Sharks’ season-high seven games behind a pair of helpers vs. Springfield (4/6). The seven straight games with a point also ties a team-high. Counting his assist in San Jose, has recorded points in eight straight games and 10 of his last 11 games that he’s played … Reassigned by San Jose to Worcester on 4/6 … Skated in NHL debut in Los Angeles (4/4) and recorded an assist on opening shift on a goal by Joe Thornton (36 seconds into the game) … Recalled by San Jose on 4/2 … Extended point (and assist) streak to six games with an assist at Providence. The six consecutive games with an assist shattered the old team-high of four … Had a goal and assist at Lowell (3/29) … Also had a goal and assist at Hartford (3/28) … Credited with an assist vs. Albany (3/22) … For second-straight game, tied season-high with two assists (3/21 vs. Bridgeport) … Tied season-high with two assists on 3/19  vs. Bridgeport … Had second point in as many games (assist) on 3/15 at Springfield … Tallied a power play goal in 6-1 route over Lowell (3/14) … Credited with an assist on 3/8 vs. Lowell … Added an assist in Sharks’ 5-3 win over Albany (3/7) … Extended point streak to season-high six games after picking up an assist vs. Norfolk (3/2) … Tallied an assist vs. Albany (3/1) … Had the game-winning goal in the third period vs. Manchester (2/29) … Picked up a season-high three points (one goal and two assists) all on the power play,on 2/27 vs. Springfield … Had an assist vs. Springfield (2/24) … Picked up a goal vs. Portland (2/23) … Had an assist on Setoguchi’s short handed goal at Norfolk (2/16) … Found himself in first fight of the season (Smolenak) in third period at Norfolk (2/15) … Had an assist at Hershey (2/10) and at Lowell (2/6) … Picked up an assist on Nate Raduns’ goal at Philadelphia (2/1) … Had second huge goal for the Sharks in five days vs. the Falcons on 1/26 … Scored to tie the score at four, with less than one minute remaining in regulation, a game the Sharks would win in a shootout … Scored second overtime game-winner of the season, when he tipped a Graham Mink shot for the thrilling 3-2 win over Springfield (1/21) … Scored first goal of the game vs. Providence (1/19)  … Scored a goal in the third period to bring the Sharks within one at Hartford (1/16) … Three-game assist streak (1/5-1/12) … Tallied single assists at Albany (1/12) and at Providence (1/11) … Picked up an assist vs. Providence (1/5) and Hershey (1/2) … Scored a pair of goals (Nos. six and seven of the season) on 12/30 vs. Lowell.

 

2006-07 with Worcester:  Assigned to Worcester from San Jose on 9/21 … Scored his first goal of the season on 10/27 vs. Manchester …Had a three game assist streak snapped on 11/19 at Lowell … Scored a short-handed goal and added an assist on 11/22 at Hartford … Scored his second short-handed goal of the season on 12/16 vs. Manchester … Registered three assists on 2/2 vs. Bridgeport in 6-2 win … Registered his career best 11^th goal of season and fourth multi-point game (2g) on 3/18 vs. Portland, including his first game-winning goal of the year … Had a goal and assist, including the game-winner on 3/23 at Hartford … Recorded his sixth multi-point game of the year with two assists on 4/4 vs. Manchester … Established a career-high for goals (12), assists (32), and points (44) during the regular season … Calder Cup Playoffs (Worcester):  Scored a power-play goal in Game 6 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals on 04/28.

 

2005-06 with Cleveland (AHL):  Did not skate at San Jose training camp due to injury … Missed first 16 games due to off-season surgery … Made professional debut on 11/19 vs. Grand Rapids, scoring three points (1g, 2a) in losing effort … Tied for second on the team with three game-winning goals.

 

2004-05 with Harvard (NCAA):  Led Harvard in points (29) and goals (10) for the second straight season … Graduated with 48 career goals and 69 career assists for 117 points … Set the Harvard school record with 138 games played, never missing a game in Crimson career … Assistant Captain in Senior season … ECAC Defensive Forward of the Year … Earned Second Team All-ECAC honors and a consensus First Team All-Ivy Selection … Finalist for the Walter Brown Award, given to the top American-born player in New England … Led the team with eight multiple-point games

 

2003-04 with Harvard:  Led Harvard with 36 points (16g, 20a) … Finished Second in ECAC Tournament scoring with nine points … ECAC All-Tournament team selection … Won ECAC Player of the Week honors twice (12/29/03 & 03/15/04) … Finalist for the Walter Brown Award … Honorable Mention All-Ivy selection.

 

2002-03 with Harvard:  Finished sixth on Harvard in scoring (27 points) and third in goals (14).

 

2001-02 with Harvard:  Shared the George Percy Award as the team’s Rookie of the Year with classmate Noah Welch … Led Harvard freshmen in scoring with 25 points (8g, 17a) and finished fifth overall on team … One of only three players to dress in every game that season … Tied for second among ECAC first-year players in scoring … Led Harvard in ECAC Playoff scoring (five pts: 2g, 3a).

 

Other Career Notes:  Played 2000-01 season at Phillips Exeter Academy and set the single season scoring record with 42 goals … Earned Rhode Island All-State First Team honors in 1999 and 2000 while playing at Toll Gate HS of the Rhode Island High School League … Led his HS league in scoring as a junior and senior … Captained the golf team in HS as well as the hockey team as a senior … Third Team All-Division pick for golf in 1999 and 2000 … Father, Joe, was a three-time All-America selection (69, 70, 71) and is a member of both the Beanpot and Harvard Varsity Club Halls of Fame …Uncle, Dave, also played at Harvard.