#nhl-rookies

#nhl-rookies

Misa, 18, and Dickinson, 19, each found out they had cracked the Sharks' season-opening 23-man roster on Monday and went through their first practices as NHL players on Tuesday. Still, there is no guarantee they'll play against the Vegas Golden Knights in Thursday's season-opener, which begins a three-game homestand. Dickinson was on the fourth defense pair Tuesday with Vincent Desharnais, and Misa was left out of the Sharks' initial line rushes.

According to the NHLPA website, the program is a joint venture between the union and the league, resulting from the collective bargaining agreement reached in 2013. The program's purpose is to educate players early on in their careers on how to enhance life skills, "both generally and as they relate to life in the NHL." Over the course of three training days each summer, players nearing NHL opportunities receive learning material on a wide variety of topics, ranging from "finance to personal branding to sensitivity training."