"A restructuring at the Sharks' parent company has resulted in 19 layoffs, but none come from the hockey ranks at Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment.

"Like many companies, we went through an evaluation process of our business and the ventures we were in," Malcolm Bordelon, executive vice-president of business operations, said Wednesday, "and unfortunately, that resulted in some staff reductions as part of our reorganization."

Bordelon called the process "pruning for future growth." He noted that most of the cuts came from the elimination of an entire merchandising division that enabled outside companies to put their own logos on everything from pens to T-shirts.

The cutbacks came after a yearlong review by the team's ownership group, assessing all aspects of the operation following the resignation of president and CEO Greg Jamison last September.

The process is ongoing, but Bordelon indicated it was unlikely that any cutbacks would be imposed on the hockey department in the foreseeable future.

Bordelon would not identify each job that was eliminated, but other sources indicated at least two longtime members of the SVS&E management team -- senior director of communications Ken Arnold and vice president of sales and marketing Kent Russell -- were among those given pink slips."