Pat Curcio introduces Peter Sivak
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The San Francisco Bulls held a press conference today introducing the first player in franchise history to be signed by the expansion ECHL Professional Hockey team.
Forward Peter Sivak joins the Bulls fresh off a career year with MsHK Zilina, Extraliga, Slovakia’s top professional ice hockey league. Sivak finished the 2011-12 season tied for sixth in the league with 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) and earned a plus-18 team rating.
Peter Sivak
Sivak expressed his excitement in being the first player signed by the Bulls and considers it a great opportunity to play his first year in North America.
Bulls President and Head Coach Pat Curcio said, “We’re extremely excited to have our first signing, and start with such a key piece to the roster. Peter brings invaluable experience and loads of talent. He will be one of our top gunners that fans will enjoy watching every night.”
President and Head Coach Pat Curcio
Curcio also noted that Sivak had an established history of scoring big goals at key times.
Also present at today’s press conference were Olympic Gold, World and U.S. Champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband Bret Hedican. Hedican played an impressive 1,039 games in the NHL and won a Stanley Cup in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes. Hedican was also a two-time US Olympic team member.
Kristi Yamaguchi and Bret Hedican – Always Dream Foundation
Yamaguchi and Hedican were on hand to welcome Sivak to San Francisco and joined coach Curcio in announcing a Bulls partnership with Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation. The Always Dream Foundation was established to empower children to reach their dreams through education and inspiration. The foundation will be the recipient of a fundraising event as part of the Bulls’ upcoming inaugural season.
Curcio also commented that the team remains independent for now, but he continues to pursue an affiliation agreement with an NHL franchise. Curcio has made no secret of his desire and continuing effort to make that affiliation one that involves the San Jose Sharks.
L-R: Hedican%2C Yamaguchi%2C Curcio%2C Sivak and Rawhide
With the current NHL collective bargaining agreement set to expire in September, affiliation agreement attempts will be additionally challenging. Much remains to be done on that front and a lockout is a very real possibility should those negotiations progress poorly. In spite of this, Curcio anticipates signing several more players in the next couple of weeks.
The San Francisco Bulls will make their ECHL home debut on October 12, 2012. As part of the Western Conference their home games will be at San Francisco’s Cow Palace.
The Bulls will host the Stockton Thunder at the Cow Palace on Wednesday, October 3 for a pre-season match-up, which promises to be the beginning of an exciting rivalry.
Contact the writer at
Randy.Thompson@prohockeynews.com
All photos by Jack Lima,
Jack.Lima@prohockeynews.com
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