Rivet on a Cup run

Craig Rivet has only been in San Jose for just over a year but this spring may be the North Bay native’s best chance at bringing home the Stanley Cup.

The Sharks finished as the #2 seed in the Western Conference and begin their quest for the Cup against the Calgary Flames Wednesday night.

The long-time Montreal Canadiens defenceman was traded to the Sharks at last year’s trade deadline and made an immediate impact with the Sharks – scoring two goals and 3 assists in 11 playoff games with the Sharks before they were knocked out in six games by the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals.

Rivet’s success continued during the regular season where he posted a career high in points with 35 and has become a leader on the Sharks blueline serving as an alternate captain.

“It’s probably among my best years,” Rivet said on the Sharks website.

“It’s been one of my most enjoyable. Ron (Wilson) has given me a chance to be a regular guy on the power play and I’m taking advantage of playing with Patty (Marleau), Joe (Thornton), Milan (Mihalek) and Cheech (Jonathan Cheechoo)."

Still, Rivet is best enjoying the fact that he is playing on a club focused on winning a Stanley Cup.

“It’s nice to look in the papers and see the statistics,” said Rivet. “It gives you that warm fuzzy feeling, but what I enjoy the most is winning hockey games and that is the only focus anyone should have. If you’re not winning hockey games, statistics mean absolutely nothing.”

Not under the microscope

Aside from the weather it’s a whole new environment Rivet is experiencing on the West Coast. In Montreal, Rivet was constantly under the microscope playing in one of the toughest hockey markets – enduring knocks on his front door late at night by Montreal reporters looking for reaction to the end of the 2005 lockout.

His expression of truly enjoying San Jose was genuine and the Sharks were grateful in return – with a four-year, $14 million contract extension. Rivet had a new home, far from where his career started.

“Montreal is an incredible place with all the history and what comes with that is all the attention they get," said Sharks teammate Joe Thornton, who experienced a similar start to his career playing for the Bruins.

“To come out here (San Jose) and you have five writers, max, it’s much more laid back. There's no tabloids with who’s where, who’s dating who, things like that. You can just really focus in on hockey.

“He (Rivet) didn't know what San Jose was all about, but he quickly learned to love it out here.”

Rivet will love it even more if he’s able to get his first Stanley Cup championship in his new home – one that could take him through his former home in Montreal.

With files and photo courtesy San Jose Sharks Website