San Jose, CA (My Sportsbook) - San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov will not participate in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey due to minor knee surgery he underwent in July. Nabokov, who was slated to represent Russia in the tournament, had a procedure performed on his knee to remove loose cartilage. "My knee just isn't 100 percent yet," said Nabokov. "I wish I could be on the ice to help my teammates but I don't want to risk getting hurt." Russia is already without such notable names as Sergei Fedorov and Nikolai Khabibulin. The team will begin competition Thursday against the United States at the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota. Last season for San Jose, Nabokov went 31-19-8 with a 2.21 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. |
