Sharks D Andrei Zyuzin, who remained absent from the
team earlier this week, has "evidently switched agents," and
the Sharks are "becoming increasingly concerned about his
well-being," according to Dan Wood of the CONTRA COSTA
TIMES. Though team officials have yet to speak with Zyuzin
directly, it is believed that he has dropped N.Y.-based
agent Jay Grossman in favor of Russian countryman Vitali
Shevchenko. Because Shevchenko is not certified by the
NHLPA, the Sharks are in a "sticky situation" because NHL
rules prohibit teams from dealing with uncertified agents.
Sharks Assistant GM Wayne Thomas: "The agent won't let us
talk to Zyuzin and the agent is not certified with the
players association, so we can't talk to him, either."
While Shevchenko "apparently has sought certification from
the NHLPA," a union spokesperson said he did not know how
long that process would take. Since the Sharks "were not
certain" of Shevchenko's intentions and felt he was trying
"to influence" the team to trade Zyuzin, they asked the
NHL's security department for assistance. The Sharks did
not trade Zyuzin yesterday as the trade deadline passed, and
have suspended him without pay (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 3/23).