Beaupit, Gaudreau assigned to juniors clubs

Sep 30, 2022 - 2:52 AM

Two players have come off the board in the 2022-23 San Jose Sharks goaltending war. Netminders Ben Gaudreau and Mason Beaupit have been released from training camp and will return to their respective juniors teams. Six goaltenders remain on the roster: Aaron Dell, Zachary Emond, Kaapo Kahkonen, Eetu Makiniemi, Strauss Mann and James Reimer.

The WHL’s Spokane Chiefs confirmed that Beaupit was re-assigned by San Jose and will be available on Oct. 1 for the team’s home opener against the Kamloops Blazers. The 19-year-old will be entering his second season as the team’s starter, having played 62 regular-season games with Spokane over the last three seasons. The Sharks drafted Beaupit in the fourth round (108th overall) in last summer’s draft.

Later in the day, Gaudreau was spotted at practice with the Sarnia Sting, confirming his re-assignment.

Gaudreau, also 19, was drafted in the third round (81st overall) in the 2021 Entry Draft. His OHL career was deeply derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the netminder has shined internationally for Team Canada. This season is a critical one for Gaudreau to prove that his third-round selection was a sneaky steal for the Sharks.

If there are no additional cuts, the training camp roster now stands at 48 players. The Sharks will be playing a split-squad series on Friday night, with one team in Southern California to face the Anaheim Ducks and another in Nevada, playing against the Vegas Golden Knights. The need to field two rosters tomorrow night means further cuts are unlikely to come before the weekend.