Dallas Stars Hockey

Dallas, Texas (AP) July 3^rd:  The Texas Stars blueline just got a boost.  The Buffalo Sabres will send defensemen Anssi Salmela to the Stars in exchange for Hugh Jessiman.  Texas was in need of defensemen with so many heading to Europe this off season.  Jessiman was one of a number of forwards schedule to play in Cedar Park this season, but the blueline was a greater need.

Dallas, Texas (AP) June 28^th:  With a crowded blueline, the Stars have come to an agreement with the Ottawa Senators.  The Senators will take on Boucher’s 8 million salary, if the Stars pay 2 million of the taxes.  This will free up 8 million in cap space without the Stars having to buy out Boucher’s contract.   Last season, the Stars had plenty of room for the contract but this year Boucher is struggling and management felt it was wiser to move him.

Dallas, Texas (AP) April 23^rd:  What an exciting year it has been!  The Dallas Stars finished 6^th in the Western Conference and 2^nd in the Pacific Division with a record of 43-31-8 for a total of 94 points.  Jason Pominville lead with Stars in goals scored along with Simon Gagne.  Pominville also led in assists (54) and total points (87).  On the blueline,  Francois Beauchemin led the way with a total of 36 points.  Tim Thomas held steady with a record of 42-29-7 in spite of a .880 save percentage and 3.06 GAA.  Although they are several UFA’s on the Stars roster, there is no need to fear.  Travis Zajac appears to be ready for a bigger role, and Iowa Stars Loui Eriksson, Ryan Callahan, Roman Polak, and Josh Gorges are ready to make the jump to the Stars roster.  Now the Stars will take a well needed day of rest as they prepare to take on the San Jose Sharks in round one of the playoffs.  It’s a great time to be a Stars fan!

Dallas, Texas (AP) February 12^th:  As expected, we didn’t have to wait long.  The Stars have moved Todd Marchant, Florida’s 2^nd round pick in 2009 and Tampa Bay’s 5^th round pick in 2009 from top prospects Marc-Andre Gragnani and Tim Kennedy.  Gragnani and Kennedy will stay with the Iowa Stars for the next few seasons before making the jump to the Dallas pro roster.  Expect big things from these two, when they are ready.

Dallas, Texas (AP) February 4^th:  In a minor deal, the Stars have brought over center Doug Weight from the Pittsburg Penguins for an undisclosed cash advance.   Weight will take over 4^th line center duties and play with PJ Axelsson and Todd Marchant.  Considering that the Stars prefer to play with 7 defensemen, expect either Axelsson or Marchant to be moved out before the trade deadline.  Weight has been moved around all season, registering a total 14 goals and 35 assists in 64 games with the Los Angeles Kings and the Pittsburg Penguins.

Dallas, Texas (AP) January 6^th:  The Dallas Stars are once again becoming active in the trade market.  This one brings top pairing defenseman Fedor Tyutin to Dallas, while the Stars will send their 1^st round pick in the 2010 draft, and Iowa Stars Andy Greene and David Jones to the Atlanta Thrashers.  Prospect Kendal McArdle and Washington’s 4^th round pick will also move to Atlanta.  While at first glance, the Stars give up quite a bit for this deal.  It consists of mainly depth players and they do gain a young top pairing D man in the process.  With names like Tyutin, Vlasic, and Michalek on the Stars blueline, one can’t help but get excited about their future.  Tyutin had 8 goals and 10 assists in 62 games with the Atlanta Thrashers and the Anaheim Ducks.

Dallas, Texas (AP) December 27^th:  The Dallas Stars have made a move to bolster their forward lines.  The trade brings center Mike Sillinger and a 7^th round pick from the Los Angeles Kings for Iowa Star blueliner Aaron Johnson.  Sillinger will jump into the 2^nd line center spot between Simon Gagne and Petr Sykora.  Travis Zajac will skip back to the 4^th line.  GM McClanahan was quoted as saying that Aaron Johnson wasn’t in the Stars future plans, so the move won’t affect the youth movement.  “It’s a great deal for me,” Sillinger said. “I’ll do everything I can to get the Stars to the playoffs.” We hope so, Mike.  We hope so.

Dallas, Texas (AP) December 19^th:  Bryan Smolinski has been traded to the New York Islanders for the Isles in 6^th round pick in the upcoming draft.  With the acquisition of Morrison, Smolinski had been pushed off the depth chart and the Star could not justify the salary hit for a scratched player.  Smolinski had 2 goals and 2 assists in 27 games for the Stars.

Dallas, Texas (AP) December 18^th:  The rumor mill said that there was another trade brewing between the Stars and the Yotes, apparently they were right.  The deal brings Brendan Morrison and Phoenix’s 4^th round pick to the Stars in exchange for Tom “healthy scratch” Preissing.  Morrison will instantly become the Stars number one center, moving Mike Cammalleri to the right.  Jason Pominville will continue to play left on the top line.  Morrison had 9 goals and 14 assists in 41 games with the Phoenix Coyotes and the Detroit Redwings.  Considering he has just jumped into a top line roll, expect those numbers to dramatically increase.

Dallas, Texas (AP) December 16^th:  Another sunny afternoon, another deal goes down between the Atlanta Thrashers and the Dallas Stars.  This one actually sends Valtteri Filppula, who was acquired over the summer, back to Atlanta with Dallas’ 4^th round pick in the 2009 draft.   Dallas gains one of the best defensive and face off centers in the game today, Samuel Pahlsson.  This gives the Stars arguably the best shutdown line in the BRHL2 with Pahlsson centering Chris Kelly and Paul Gaustad. And considering the length of the contracts, GM McClanahan will rely on that line for some time.   The trade moves winger PJ Axelsson back to 4^th line duty. 

Dallas, Texas (AP) December 14th:  And the first move in the great defenseman reduction campaign has happened, although not the one we predicted.  We didn't expect an RFA to be moved.  Henrik Tallinder is now a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The Dallas Stars gain gritty young forward Ryan Callahan from the deal.  Tallinder’s movement cannot come as a complete surprise.  He had stuggled this season and there were rumors that he wasn’t comfortable with the new system being used by Coach Murray.  As for Callahan, he will finish the season playing for the Iowa Stars but he will challenge for a bottom six roster spot this coming Summer.  Rumor has it that GM McClanahan is big on this kid due to his physical style of play.  Only time will tell.

Dallas, Texas (AP) December 12^th:  If there is anything that we have learned, it’s that Dallas deals come in groups.  Another deal has been brokered with the Ottawa Senators.  It sends defensive stalwarts Willie Mitchell and Rod Scuderi to Dallas, in exchange for blueliner prospect Mark Fistric and a handful of picks, including Dallas’ 2^nd rounder in 2010 and a few late round selections in 2009.  This move makes the Dallas blueline very crowded with several healthy scratches every game.  Both Mitchell and Scuderi are both locked into a long term contract, so assuming that GM McClanahan sticks to his guns regarding along term plan, Tom Preissing becomes the odd man out although one should doubt if he's the only one.  Fistric should continue to play in the AHL, but could jump to Ottawa's pro roster as early as next season.

Dallas, Texas (AP) December 11th:  Another addition to the Dallas’ long term philosophy has happened.  This one brings over young defensive stud Marc-Edouard Vlasic from the Vancouver Canucks.  Going to Vancouver is defenseman Chris Campoli and Dallas’ 1^st round pick in the next draft.  Campoli had not developed as GM McClanahan had hoped, when he was taken in the BRHL2 dispersal draft years ago.   And while 1^st rounders are nothing to move lightly, Dallas gets a young BRHL2 ready D man with a long bright future ahead of him here in Big D.   We can seen Michalek and Vlasic being a future top pairing in Dallas for years to come, so expect Vlasic to get a trial by fire here in Dallas.  Vlasic scored 3 goals and 12 assists in 45 games with the Canucks.

Dallas, Texas (AP) December 10th:  This morning your Dallas Stars made a huge splash shipping veteran blueliner Brad Lukowich to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defensemen Philippe Boucher, Washington’s 4^th round pick in 2009 and a cash addition.  Why such a price for a huge upgrade?  The Stars were one of the few teams to be able to afford Boucher’s huge cap hit, whether the Stars will allow it to transfer over to next season only remains to be seen.  However for this year, Boucher is a huge boost to the Dallas defense and will pair with François Beauchemin in the top pairing.  Fans should expect him to also play a huge part in all special teams’ situations.  Boucher scored 4 goals and 24 assists in 47 games with the Los Angeles Kings, expect those numbers to increase with a better supporting cast in Dallas.

Dallas, Texas (AP) November 3^rd:  GM McClanahan continues to trade like a man possessed.  This time the deal is with the New York Rangers.  The Rangers will gain the newly disgruntled Jaroslav Modry.  The Stars add forward Jaroslav Hlinka, defenseman Mattias Norstrom, and Tampa Bay’s 5^th round pick in the upcoming draft.  This trade is surely a cap move for the Rangers.  Nortstrom will be a great boon to the Stars with his defensive presence and outstanding leadership qualities.  Expect him to become the new partner for the newly acquired Zybnek Michalek, mentoring him for a bigger role.  Jaroslav Hlinka will take a first line roll in Iowa, where he will play with Loui Eriksson and Trent Whitfield.

Dallas, Texas (AP) October 21^st:  Your the next contestant on “If the Price is Right”.   Dallas continues its' quest for blueliners on a budget.  Dallas has purchased Lukowich’s services from the Phoenix Coyotes for an undisclosed cash amount.  Lukowich will be a solid depth addition and play with Henrik Tallinder on the Stars 3^rd pairing, as well as on the Penalty Kill.  "It's great to be in Dallas." said Lukowich.  It must be, since Lukowich has already been modeling his Star's jersey for the fans.  The move also pushes defenseman Jaroslav Modry to a 7^th D man role.   Expect a change there soon, we doubt such a roll with sit well considering Modry’s pricey contract.

Dallas, Texas (AP) October 19^th:   While Dallas appears to be making an effort to get youth, they will grab a vet to bolster their changes for this year for the right price.  Blueliner Tom Pressing is now a Dallas Star.  He was brought over from the Phoenix Coyotes for Iowa Stars’ Travis Roche and Graham Mink.  Preissing will play with Zybnek Michalek on the Star’s 2^nd pairing.  Preissing puck movement skills should complement Michalek’s defensive prowess nicely.  As the Stars continue to shape for this season, only GM McClanahan knows what is around the corner.

Dallas, Texas (AP) Nilsson’s tenure as a Dallas Star only lasted a few days.  This morning he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashes along with a handful of 2009 picks:  Dallas’ 2^nd, Florida’s 3^rd, Florida’s 4^th, and Philadelphia’s 6^th.  Coming back to Dallas is versatile sniper Mike Cammalleri.  Coming off a down year, a move to Dallas might be just what he needs.  With Gomez departure, Cammalleri takes over the #1 center role.   Also expect top Power Player minutes with line mates Jason Pominville and Petr Sykora.  GM McClanahan said that like Gausted, fans should expect Cammalleri to be wearing a Star’s sweater for years to come.  More changes appear to be around the corner.  Stay tuned sports fans!

Dallas, Texas (AP) September 4^th:  In an effort to save an eventual buyout, the Stars have sent Bryan Smolinski to the Los Angeles Kings for an undisclosed cash amount.  “I can’t say I didn’t see this coming.” said Smolinski in a morning interview,” But I would have thought that they would have gotten more for me on the open market.”  Due to the Stars lack of depth at center last season,  Smolinski spent most of his time jumping between the 2^nd and 3^rd lines, a role that he struggled with all of last season.  “I was never really comfortable with that role,” Smolinski continued. “The move is probably for the best.”  Smolinski’s move gives the Stars over 20 million dollars in cap room for the upcoming free agency period that starts tomorrow night.

Dallas, Texas (AP) September 4^th:  In a deal not quite as mind blowing as the first,  Dallas has shipped two prospect to Boston.  The trade sends prospects Chris Holt and Timofei Shishkanov to Boston in exchange for Florida’s 7^th round draft pick in 2009 draft.  Holt and Shishkanov were both acquired by the Dallas Stars in the BRHL2 dispersal draft.  Shishkanov continues to thrive in Russia, playing for CSKA Moscow last season but will move to St. Petersburg SKA of the newly formed KHL for this upcoming season.  Chris Holt was the odd man out in a three headed goalie monster in Iowa last season, along with Jean Sebastin Aubin and Patrick Lalime.

Dallas, Texas (AP) September 4^th:  Rumored salary reductions have continued to occur.  With free agency just around the corner, blueliner Glen Wesley has been moved to the Edmonton Oilers for their 6^th round pick in the upcoming draft.  Wesley played on the Stars 3^rd defensive pairing last season, along with young power play specialist, Chris Campoli.  Wesley has made noise of possible retirement after this upcoming season, which no doubt contributed to the possibility of a trade.

Dallas, Texas (AP) September 3^rd:  Two more Dallas prospects have been moved out of town.  The deal moves forward prospects Joey Tenute and Darin Olver to the Pittsburg Penguins in exchange for Penguin’s 6^th and 7^th round picks in the 2009 draft.  The Stars acquired Tenute as part of the trade that brought Loui Eriksson to Dallas.  In spite of putting up solid numbers as the Iowa Stars #2 center last season, he was never considered a good fit by the coaching staff.  He will play for Jokerit Helsinki of the Finnish SM-Liiga league next season.  Olver was selected by the Stars as part of the BRHL2 dispersal draft.  He played for the Bremerhaven REV of the 2.GBun league last season.  He excelled there, scoring 21 times with 35 assists in 52 games.  He recently signed a one year deal with the Straubing Tigers of the DEL.  Rumor has it that the trade had to be renegotiated due to complications at the leagues front office.

Dallas, Texas (AP) August 30^th:  The second shoe has dropped.  Blueliner prospect Ryan Lannon has been moved to the Detroit Red Wings for their 5^th round draft selection in 2009.  “The window was closing for Lannon,” said GM McClanahan. “We didn’t see him making the Iowa Stars this season, better for all sides that he be moved where he’d have a better shot at a pro career.”  Lannon was selected by the Stars as part of the BRHL2 dispersal draft.  He played for Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL last season where he netted 3 makers with 10 assists in 75 games.

Dallas, Texas (AP) August 29^th:  In an effort to stockpile picks for future drafts, Dallas has begun what will no doubt be a series of trades to that end.  The first one happened today.  It sends rear guard prospect Anthony Aiello to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Ottawa’s 7^th round selection in the 2009 draft.  The Stars selected Aiello 200^th Overall in the 2007 draft.  “We saw that Anthony wasn’t a good fit for our system post draft last year.” said GM McClanahan. “He was unable to adapt to our play style, so we felt it would be better to move him to an organization where he would have a better chance to succeed.”  Aiello had 3 goals and 10 assists in 43 games as a junior at Boston College.  He should play out his college career before moving to the pro ranks.

Dallas, Texas (AP) August 28^th:  Your Dallas Stars have begun addressing their scoring line issues before free agency has even started.  They have acquired Petr Sykora from the Boston Bruins.  The full deal brings Sykora, prospect Ryan Potulny, and Boston’s’ 4^th and 6^th round picks in the 2010 entry draft to Dallas.  Heading to Boston is defensive center Manny Malhotra and Iowa Stars’ Jed Ortmeyer and Kyle Cumiskey.  “I can’t wait to get started,” said Sykora in an evening interview,” When I was told that I was being shopped Dallas was on the top of my list as a possible destination.” Sykora will play on the Stars top 2 lines, while Potulny is expected to spend this season in Iowa.  Malhotra and Ortmeyer spent last season on the Stars fourth line, roles that they will most likely continue in Boston.  Cumiskey led Iowa’s blueline last season, expect that role to continue in Providence.

Dallas, Texas (AP) June 1st:  Today the Dallas Star's Simon Gagne was presented with the Maurice Richard Trophy, which is awarded to the indivdual that scores the most goals within a single BRHL2 season.  This season that magic number was 49, two ahead of the runner up Chicago Blackhawk Alexander Frolov.  Rather fitting since Gagne was the runner up himself last season. "We are really happy to see Simon win this honor," said Star's Head Coach Andy Murray. "He's been gunning for that trophy since the BRHL2's conception."  Gagne had this to say,"The battle went down to the wire.  Frolov was on my back the enire way." He laughed, "I guess I got more lucky bounces this year than he did.  I look forward to next years fight, as I'm sure he does."

Dallas, Texas (AP) April 10^th:  This year it appears the Stars will start the off-season a tad early as they miss the playoffs by 4 points.  They finished with a record of 33-42-7-5, which was good for 87 points, 3^rd place in the Pacific Division, and 11^th place in the Western Conference.  This leads one to ask what will be different next year.  Well, first of all, an off-season of practice.  GM McClanahan brought many new faces in last year which had the end of this year and will have an off season to get ready.   In net,  expect Tim Thomas to get the call as the number one netminder and Manny Legace to be franchised tag to be his backup.  They will be one best one-two punches in the BRHL2.  On the blueline,  Sergei Zubov will be back to lead a quality group of defensemen.  Expect the Stars blueline to be much better with the late season acquisitions of Francois Beauchemin, Tom Poti and Henrik Tallinder to join Zubov as the Stars’ top four.  Glen Wesley’s return is questionable, as he has begun to speak of retirement.  Campoli is likely to continue as the Star’s seventh defenseman.  With the minor league defensemen not quite ready to make the jump to the pro club, the Stars could target one or two third pairing type bluliners in free agency.  Up front, the Star’s will also look to fill a few holes.  Scott Gomez will center the top line of Milan Hedjuk and Jason Pominville, but they seem to lack consistent scoring from the other lines.  Simon Gagne complained about constant headaches through out the later portion of the season and the Stars are hoping this will not affect his play going forward.  Expect Miroslav Satan to be traded or bought out in the off-season, as his production does not warrant his salary these days.  That leaves at least two top six forward spots open for the off-season, which will no doubt be harder to fill than the weaknesses on the blueline.  The Stars have a great checking line for next season with the emergence of Chris Kelly as a premiere defensive forward.  Add Todd Marchant and Manny Malhotra and it’s each to see that Dallas is set up for the long haul. 

Dallas, Texas (AP) March 1^st:  The Dallas Stars have inked another deal with the Ottawa Senators.  The deal sends defenseman Derrek Morris and prospect Casey Borer to Ottawa and defenseman Henrik Tallinder to the Stars.   We were looking for a penalty kill specialist and in Tallinder's case the price was right both trade and salary wise,” said Dallas GM Ryan McClanahan.  “I love the move,” said Tallinder. “Dallas is a quality organization and I’m all set to help bring a cup home to Dallas.”  That’s what we like to hear!  Expect Tallinder to get top 4 defenseman minutes and even strength and play on the first penalty kill unit.  Tallinder had 2 goals and 26 assists in 62 games for Ottawa this season.

Dallas, Texas (AP) March 1^st:  With the trade deadline hours away, a deal has been brokered by your Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues.  The trade will send defensive forward Michael Peca to the Blues, while winger Brandon Bochenski as well as prospects Drew Miller and Carl Sneep head to Dallas.  Once Todd Marchant had been acquired from the Ottawa Senators, one had to expect a move of this nature.  Bochenski will skate on the Stars fourth line with Travis Zajac.  He has scored 4 goals with 15 assists in 62 games with the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues.  Sneep will remain at Boston College for at least one more year, where he had 3 goals and 12 assists in 44 games.  Miller will join the Iowa Stars in their quest for the BRHL2 Minors Cup.  He will most likely skate Joey Tenute and Graham Mink on Iowa’s third line.

Dallas, Tx (AP) July 31st:  Well, the first entry draft of the BRHL2 has come and gone.  In spite of not having a first round pick, the Dallas Stars have something to look forward to down the road.  They were able to pick up several additonal late round picks as the draft approached.  Lets take a look at their selections:

56 Overall- Kyle Cumiskey (D), Albany River Rats, AHL:  Cumiskey is a very poised and gifted offensive defenseman.   He is extremely versatile and can be used in all situations. He is a balanced skater with decent acceleration and overall speed. Cumisky has good hands and on-ice vision, which ultimately gives him the upper hand on the rush.  If he's got a negative, it's his size, but his great two-way ability, intelligence and skating eliminates any size issues. Cumiskey scored 7 markers with 26 assists for the River Rats this season.

85 Overall- Denis Parshins (LW) CSKA Moscow- Parshin was the purest stickhandler that the draft had to offer.  He is a fast, skilled winger that has skated with some of Russia’s best talent in the Super League as well as in international competition. He has great moves, kwowledge of the game and instincts. Parshin can score with an excellent wrist shot and can be a consistent point producer. He scored 18 goals and 14 assists for CSKA Moscow this past season.

111 Overall- Nathan Davis (C) Miami Univerity at Ohio, NCAA- Davis is a highly skilled forward who has become an excellent special teams player for Miami-Ohio this season. He makes great use of his 6’1 frame, particularly when driving to the net with a good, quick shot release. Davis is strong on the puck and intensely persistent in his pursuits for possession and winning faceoffs. Davis is an outstanding skater with powerful strides, good speed and good vision.  He is defensively sound and transitions very well.  Davis registered 21 goals and 23 assists this past season.

114 Overall- David Jones (RW) Dartmouth, NCAA- Jones possesses excellent size and strength. He utilizes his large frame quite effectively and efficiently, most notably in his play around the net or driving to it. Jones is an outstanding skater who is blessed with power and speed. He plays with a bit of an edge and fiercely competitive, making the task of containing and playing against him quite difficult for opposing defenders. Jones is a smart player both with and without the puck and can play in virtually any type of situation. He possesses a good hard shot with a quick release and is versatile in that he can play at both the center and wing positions.  Jones scored 18 goals with 26 assists this season for Dartmouth.

115 Overall- Jeff Zatkoff (G) Miami Univerity at Ohio, NCAA- Zatkoff is a goaltender with size that is extremely poised, confident and mature. What sets Zatkoff apart from many other big goaltenders is his tremendous athleticism. He possesses great reflexes and is good in his lateral movements. Zatkoff is also a fierce competitor and does an excellent job of staying square to shooters. While Zatkoff does a good job of steering pucks away from the crease, his puck handling, particularly in controlling rebounds is an area that should improve with continued growth and development.  Zatkoff finished with an impressive .928 saves % and 2.02 GAA in 20 starts this season.

124 Overall- Jusso Puustinen (RW) Kamloops Blazers, WHL- Puustinen has a good frame to grow into and impressive puck skills.  He does have some of the versatility and tactical adaptability typical of Finnish players, but beyond that he is not an option for a checking role and would have to make the BRHL2 as a scorer.  Puustinen had a successful season with the Blazers last year, netting 32 gaols and 39 assists in 64 games.

137 Overall- Rich Peverly (C) Milwaukee Admirals, AHL- Peverly displayed some late-blooming offensive skills and scoring upside last year. He can play a well-rounded game and is not a liability in the defensive zone.  Peverly had a break out year with the Admirals, putting up 30 markers with 38 assists in 66 games.

145 Overall- Eric Condra (RW) Notre Dame, NCAA- Condra is a smart playmaking forward who is excellent around the net and along the boards. He utilizes his teammates very effectively and has excellent on-ice vision.  Condra is poised and confident with the puck and moves extremely well with it. He is an outstanding skater with speed and quickness. His intensity combined with being strong on his skates, makes Condra a very difficult player for opposing defenders to contain.  While Condra is not an overly physical player, he’s not one to back down when challenged.  He had 14 goals and 34 assists in 42 games with Notre Dame this season.

175 Overall- Chris Conner (LW) Iowa Stars, AHL- Conner is tireless worker, displaying plenty of speed and energy every shift. While he has a limited offensive upside, he is extremely versatile being able to play in most situations and at multiple forward positions.  He played 48 games for the Iowa Stars this season and netted 19 goals with 18 assists.

180 Overall- Mark Fistric (D) Iowa Stars, AHL- An absolute tank on skates, Fistric is a monster physically. A well-conditioned athlete, Fistric's 225 pounds are almost all muscle.  Fistric is deceptively agile on his skates, and rarely gets beaten with speed. In his own zone Fistric is solid, however he sometimes gets carried away on the ice and puts himself out of position when making big hits. His willingness to drop his gloves endears himself to his teammates greatly.  He played 80 games for the Iowa Stars this season, scoring 2 goals with 22 assists.

200 Overall- Anthony Aiello (D) Boston College, NCAA- Aiello is a smooth skating offensive-minded defenseman that moves remarkably well for a player his size and skates with nice, long strides. While Aiello is not overly physical, he has shown a willingness to play the body and makes very good use of his 6’1/195 lbs. frame and long reach. He is instinctive and follows plays quite well. Aiello possesses outstanding puck skills showing both poise and confidence with the puck. He has a quick release, hard shot and will shoot as often as the opportunity presents itself. He is also solid in the defensive zone.  He had 1 goal and 8 assists in 22 games this season.

Dallas, Tx (AP) May 15th:  Well, a charmed season has come to and end.  Last night, the Dallas Stars lost game 7 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road, eliminating the Stars from the quest for the Cup.  The Stars were up 3-1 in the series when Columbus went on a tear winning the last three games of the series.  The entire series was battle with 6 of the 7 games being decided by one goal.  "I'm very proud of what we accomplished this season," said GM McClanahan. "And I assure you that we'll be back next year."  He continued," I won't pretend that it isn't frustrating,"he continued. "We stayed with them until the bitter end, but we just lost our edge in the final moments.  Clearly, that's something we will work on for next season."  Defenseman Sergei Zubov had some comments as well," Hey, that's my old team.  I'm still friends with a lot of those guys so if it's not us it might as well be them." He laughed," You can count on the fact that we'll be rooting for the Jackets.  After all, everyone wants to say that they were eliminated by the Champs,  right?"  Now the Stars will begin focusing on next season.  Most of the forwards will be back on the roster.  It is reported that Jason Allison will take a year off from the BRHL2, while Jason Pominville may move up to a more active role on a scoring line.  Expect the Stars to look for a replacement in Free Agency or in a trade in the offseason.  On the Blueline, Sergei Zubov will be back leading a young defensive core.  Several Iowa Stars blueliners may make the jump to the pro club for next season, possibilities include Matt Carle, Aaron Johnson and Chris Campoli may take a more active roll.  The big question is in goal.  Manny Legace may take a run at free agency.  Rumors from the front office say that Leagce and the Stars management are in negotiation regarding a possible contract extension but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.  Stay tuned.

Dallas, TX (AP)  April 22nd:  Tonight your Dallas Stars sealed the fate of the Anaheim Ducks and move on to the 2nd round of the BRHL2 playoffs.  It was a great series for the Stars on every front, winning all 3 Dallas home games and splitting the 2 games in Anaheim to take the series 4-1.  Manny Legace was "Mr. Johnny on the Spot" for the Stars, boasting an impressive .937 save percentage over the past 5 games.  The Stars continued to get scoring from every line.  The Stars 2nd line of Cole-Rolston-Satan continued to dominate totaling an impressive 17 points throughout the series.  The top line of Gaborik-Allison-Fisher chipped in a total of 9 points against the Ducks, including 3 game winning goals from Marion Gaborik.  probably most impressive were the 8 points achieved by the Stars third line of Malhotra-Draper-Letowski and the 4 points from 4th liner Chris Kelly.   The Stars defense by committee contimue to work well with 5 of the Stars starting 6 defensemen contributing at least 3 points in the series. For now, the Stars will take a much deserved rest and wait for their round 2 opponent to be determined.

Dallas, TX (AP) November 25th:  Today the Dallas Stars moved veteran center Steve Rucchin in a four for one player deal with the Boston Bruins.   The deal brings forwards Andrei Nazarov, Doug Doull, Krzysztof Oliwa and Stephane Veilleux to Dallas.  This deal strengthens the offense of the Iowa Stars and adds some grit to a young line up.  Of all the forwards involved, only Veilleux is expected to spend any significant time on the pro club.  Veilleux has been centering Chris Kelly and Jason Pominville in practice and reportedly has already developed quite a repore.  Nazarov, Doull, and Oliwa will act as reserves for the Star's pro club.