Ryane Clowe hopes he doesn't have to play with SF Bulls

With the NHL lockout dragging on, players are trying to determine whether they should turn to other leagues to make some money, stay in shape, etc. Some, like San Jose Sharks forward Ryane Clowe, have stayed stateside, signing with minor league teams to keep in shape. Clowe signed with the San Francisco Bulls of the ECHL earlier this week, mostly for conditioning purposes. CSN Bay Area's Kevin Kurz writes while Clowe is officially a member of the Bulls, but don't expect to see him in action with the team anytime soon.

"Just being in the practices is nice, getting a good team and organized skate is something you're looking for," Clowe said on Thursday. "Skating on your own kind of gets old, so I'm happy they let me come up."

Still, Clowe said, "I honestly can't say that I hope to play in two weeks, or that I have a date. I just really have no plans on playing."

Clowe said he doesn't expect the lockout to last too much longer, but added that he didn't expect the Winter Classic to get cancelled either.

The seven-year veteran is one of few NHL players taking to the minor leagues to stay in game shape. Some players have continued skating in informal practices with their teammates while others have headed to Europe.

The Bulls are in their inaugural season and are the ECHL affiliate of the Sharks.