Brett Ritchie (Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

Even though the NHL is in the middle of a nasty lockout right now, with no apparent end in sight, the junior hockey leagues’ (WHL, OHL, and QMJHL) regular seasons are in full swing and some of the Dallas Stars prospects have had hot starts. Below we will look at some prospects and their current progress and how their team is doing.

Radek Faksa- Center, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

It’s been a pretty hot start for the Stars first round pick in this years entry draft. In four games this season Faksa has registered four points (3g, 1a) and registered these points in three of the four games.  Faksa scored two goals in Kitchener’s opening game agianst the Mississiauga Steelheads, and scored another goal in Kitcheners victory against the London Knights.  Kitchener is 3-1-0 to start the season.

Brett Ritchie- Right Wing- Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

The IceDogs are 3-0-0 to start of the season and Ritchie has been a big part of his teams success registering four points in the three games (1g, 3a) with a plus minus of +3.  Ritchie struggled last season playing for the Sarnia Sting and was traded mid season to Niagara where his game picked up completely and he became a big part of their success. Ritchie looks to continue that success this season.

Gemel Smith- Center- Owen Sound Attack (OHL)

Drafted by the Stars in the fourth round of this years draft, people compared Smiths game to that of a young Steve Ott with his grit and physical play, along with his physical stature (5’10 164 pounds) . Last season with Owen Sound Smith scored 60 points (21g, 39a). This season Owen Sound is off to a hot start after 3 games as they are 3-0-1 to start the season and in these four games Smith has registered three points (1g, 2a) in helping his team look for a successful year this season.

» Continue reading “Prospect Update: Junior Hockey in full swing”

Cartoon drawing of Colton Sceviour and Jordie Benn (Art work done by Stephanie Lynne Diorio)

Hoctober is almost here. At the Cedar Park Center, the ice is pristine and ready. The players are starting to trickle in. The anticipation of live hockey is almost too much. Hoctober is almost here. Although the hockey faithful face the doom of an NHL lockout, all hope is not lost. There is still plenty of live hockey to enjoy if you are lucky enough to live in a city that has an AHL team, ECHL team, CHL team, etc. Cedar Park has the honor of being the host city for the Dallas Stars’ minor league affiliate.

On October 14^th, the Texas Stars are ready to take the ice in the season opener against the Charlotte Checkers. This time they will be led by a new coach, Willie Desjardins. Many veterans will be returning such as Wathier, Sceviour, and Fortunus. The prediction is that Wathier will be wearing the C this season. The faces that we began to know at the end of last season will hopefully be back as well, pending camp and the roster release. Fans who fell in love with the likes of Campbell and Smith hope for their return. Some players are gone and have moved on as is the usual par for course in minor league hockey.

Wishful thinking to those hoping to catch a glimpse for NHL superstars at the CPC as only the players with two way contracts would be eligible. Garbutt, Larsen and Bachman all signed one way contracts with the Dallas Stars so we will not see them this year with Texas.

In less than 19 days Hoctober will officially arrive at the Cedar Park Center. Stay tuned for a winning season! This time the road to the Calder Cup will not end in defeat.

Loui Eriksson (Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr)

Some pretty big news was released a few days ago that could affect several Dallas Stars players. Sweden said they weren’t accepting any players that were involved in the NHL lockout. This decision was deemed illegal, meaning that Sweden could welcome some NHL talent to its leagues.

This news is good news for Loui Eriksson, as it looks like he will be playing some hockey during the lockout. He is currently in talks with his hometown team, Frolunda HC, of the Swedish Elitserien league. This is the team that Loui played for before he made it in the NHL with the Stars.

Frolunda is an established team who regularly make the playoffs. They struggled last season but with some NHL recruits they should be a strong outfit. This will benefit both Loui and the Stars as he will be playing several games at a decent standard.

It has also been rumored that Tom Wandell could be heading back to play some hockey in his home country of Sweden during the lockout. The team he is negotiating is yet unknown but if he does get to play some hockey in will be a great boost.

Whilst Jaromir Jagr and Loui Eriksson (most probably) are now playing in Europe, the Stars have said that Jamie Benn is staying put for the time being. It would be good if he could get a bit of hockey under his belt during the lockout but it looks as if the Stars staff may want to keep him fresh and hockey-free.

It is good to see that Jaromir Jagr is happy to head back to the Czech Republic to play for the team he owns, the Kladno Knights. I really hope that if there is no 2012/13 season, Jagr will be back next year to play in a Stars jersey.

So, with Sweden now accepting NHL players, we could perhaps see a few more Dallas players starting to sign a few contracts over in Europe during the lockout.

Ryley Grantham (Photo Credit: 5of7/Flickr)

Allen got a little tougher with the signing of 6’3″ 207lb Forward Ryley Grantham today.  Grantham also comes to Allen via the defunct ECHL Chicago Express.  He began his pro career in the AHL with the Abbotsford Heat, playing there in 09-10 but splitting time with the Heat and the ECHL Utah Grizzlies in 10-11. In 11-12 he split time between the ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators and the ECHL Chicago Express.

Grantham is a tough customer and shows it here in a fight with former San Jose Shark/Columbus Blue Jacket Defenseman Craig Rivet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXf0__dj5hY&feature=youtu.be

Official statement from Head Coach Steve Martinson:

“Ryley Grantham is a tough physical forward with great hands, I expect him to score goals, make plays, and be a tough forward to play against.”

Grantham will certainly add to the deep forward core of the Americans but they still need some blueliners to ink some deals.  Training camp for the Americans opens on October 8th.

(Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

The NHL Lockout is GREAT for business. Let me repeat, the NHL Lockout is great for business. With apologies to everyone who is being affected negatively by the lockout, this might just be the best thing to happen to the Steelheads. Let’s face it. Even though the Steelheads were able to make the conference semi-finals the last two seasons, it has been a bit of a struggle through the regular season. All anyone has to do is look back at least season and see the 10 game winless streak in February, or the lack of goal scoring at the start of the season for examples A and B.

This season should be different. There has been a coaching change as Hardy Sauter and the Steelheads decided to go separate directions after last season and Brad Ralph has been brought in from the Augusta River Hawks of the SPHL to right the ship. There is also returning talent from last season as Ralph has been able to re-sign Matt Case, Deron Cousens, Joe Pereira, Ron Meyers, Patrick Culity (who the Steelheads had the rights to via trade) and Jacob Cepis. The Steelheads have also added some fresh faces, more on them as we get closer to the season. Remember, this is about The Lockout being great for business.

The Lockout so far has cancelled all pre-season games through the end of September which also cancelled the Dallas Stars training camp and the scheduled game between the Stars and the Minnesota Wild. Not good for business. However, the Stars have assigned 26 players to the Texas Stars of the AHL. Roster limits are set at 23. Time for some math; 26 players and 23 spots leaves 3 players under NHL control without a place to go. Hello Idaho and the ECHL.

I don’t know which players will get assigned to the Steelheads, but you can almost be certain that it will be AHL level talent. The only assumption I will make is that the Steelheads are virtually guaranteed a goaltender from within the system. With Jack Campbell starting his career clock late last season, he played his way onto the Texas Stars roster. Add in the fact that the Stars signed Cristopher Nihlstorp to a one year two-way contract, and the Steelheads could be looking at either Josh Robinson who signed on an AHL deal back in June, or, a return trip from Tyler Beskorowany.

Don’t forget that the majority of players at the ECHL and AHL levels are “Free Agents” in that they are not signed or controlled by an NHL team. Let’s assume that on average NHL teams assign 10 players to their AHL Affiliate (300 players). All of those players are going to find a place to play, which means that there are now a little more than half the available contracts 690 (30 Teams x 23 Spots) available. This is where The Lockout is great for business.

Look at three signings that the Steelheads have made in just the past weeks since the Lockout became inevitable. Former Abbotsford Heat Center Justin Dowling, former Hershey Bears forward Andrew Carroll and Cullity. Between these three players the Steelheads have added over 200 games of AHL experience to their roster and 30 points. While those numbers may not sound spectacular, when you realize the competition they are playing against, I’ll take it. Carroll and Culity were signed after the Lockout was announced, but realize that the real trickle-down effect of the Lockout will not truly be realized until after AHL training camps start in a couple of weeks.

Here’s the payoff, the Idaho Steelheads fans enjoy winners. They enjoy a competitive product on the ice. They EXPECT a team that will contend for the division title EVERY YEAR. Due to the NHL Lockout and the subsequent trickle-down that will occur not only with Dallas & Texas Stars contract players, but with AHL level free agents looking for jobs, the games will be competitive, the Steelheads will once again contend for a division and conference championship and more fans will come out to watch, and THAT is great for business.

Texas Stars victory (Photo credit to Stephanie Robinson)

The Texas Stars were made a part of the American Hockey League quite recently. In 2008, the Dallas Stars announced that the Iowa Stars would no longer be their affiliate team, meaning Stars prospects would have to play their hockey elsewhere. Prospects were sent to teams including the Hamilton Bulldogs and Grand Rapids Griffins.

A year later, the Texas Stars entered the AHL on the basis that they purchased an existing league franchise within a year. They bought the Iowa Chops and established themselves as an AHL outfit. They currently play at Cedar Park Center in Austin, Texas.

The first year of hockey was a very successful one for the Texas Stars. In 2009/10 they managed to rack up 46 wins and earn a place in the playoffs. In the playoffs they surprised a few and went all the way to the finals, but fell short and lost out by 4 games to 2 against the Hershey Bears.

Their second season of hockey was another good one, as they recorded over 40 wins again. The playoff success didn’t happen this time around though as the Stars crashed out in the first round to the Milwaukee Admirals.

Last season was a season of disappointment for the Stars. They could only manage 31 wins, which wasn’t good enough to secure a playoff spot.

Texas will be hoping for a different 2012/13 season though. With the NHL lockout in place, the Texas Stars will get a lot more attention from hockey fans in Texas with no Dallas Stars hockey to watch. A few of the Dallas Stars players have been released to be able to play for the Texas Stars. This should strengthen and add depth to the squad. I expect a decent campaign for the Texas Stars, but it will certainly be a tough season as other AHL sides will have been strengthened with some NHL players on their rosters.

(Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

The NHL lockout has begun as they canceled their preseason games including the Dallas Stars who were suppose to have their training camp in Boise, Idaho. Here is the rest of the info on the Dallas Stars Official Site about the games the four games the Stars lost in the preseason:

FRISCO, Texas – The National Hockey League announced today the cancellation of the 2012 preseason schedule through September 30. The cancellation of the schedule was necessary because of the absence of a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL.

The Dallas Stars had four preseason games scheduled in the month of September. The Stars were scheduled to take on the Minnesota Wild at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday, Sept. 25, as well as a return game against the Wild in Saint Paul on Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Dallas was slated to face off against the Florida Panthers in San Antonio on Friday, Sept. 28, and host the Panthers at American Airlines Center on Saturday, Sept. 29.

With the league’s announcement today, the club’s scheduled training camp in Boise is also officially cancelled.

Here is another article talking about the games being cancled from the Idaho Statement: NHL Cancels Preseason Game, Training Camp In Boise

Mike Modano (Photo Credit: Les Stockton/Flickr)

Shocking news came from ESPN that former Dallas Stars player Mike Modano lost $7 million in the last lockout. $7 million dollars. Wow. That is a shocker. Here is more about Modano telling ESPN that the last lockout wasn’t worth it:

As NHL players get ready for the potential of another prolonged lockout in their sport, one former star still feels the pain of the last one.

Mike Modano, the all-time leading point scorer among American-born players, estimates the last lockout cost him more than $7 million in salary by sitting out a year. To him, the payoff wasn’t worth the sacrifice.

“In hindsight, it wasn’t worth it,” he told ESPN The Magazine for a story gauging former players’ opinions of the last lockout. “It was a waste of time. We thought we were stronger than we were. We started falling apart as the months clicked by.”

The Livonia, Mich., native retired last summer after playing in 1,499 career NHL regular-season games, and winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Dallas Stars. He’s being inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in October and is a lock to earn the same enshrinement in the Hockey Hall of Fame when he’s eligible.

Even with all his on-ice accomplishments, losing millions stings.

“It’s money you feel you never get back. At some point, we were sold a bill of goods,” he said. “Everybody was buying it. Everybody thought, ‘Let’s not let each other down. Let’s do it for the future of the game. Blah, blah, blah.’ You’re only in the game so long.”

The NHL owners locked its players out at midnight Saturday for the third time under commissioner Gary Bettman as both sides continue to fight for an agreeable way to divide record revenues. Modano’s advice for players digging in for the fight is to be prepared for disappointment.

“I would say (to them) that it’s not a battle you’re going to feel like you’re going to win,” he said. “It’s a negotiation. You feel at some point that both sides will be upset about what they have to give up.”

Modano is right that the lockout wasn’t worth it if you are going to be losing money. Maybe the last lockout will teach Bettman, the NHL and NHLPA a valuable lesson that yes this lockout is not worth it.

John Mulhern (Photo credit: steve connor photography)

I know its cliché and I know it’s worn out, but I would like to take the time to introduce myself to the Keep Dallas Pesky fan base and readership. First of all thank you to Missy for allowing me the privilege to cover and write about the Idaho Steelheads for the website.

Next, before you all start thinking, “Who the hell is this guy” and Why should we care what he thinks?” I owe you a little bit of background. I am a 4 year film assistant for the Idaho Steelheads and I was a 5 year color analyst for the Penn State Men’s Hockey team. I’ve been a hockey fan since 1987 when Ron Hextall and the Philadelphia Flyers took the Edmonton Oilers to a 7th game in the Stanley Cup finals.

Also in the interest of full disclosure and at the risk losing all of my readers before I actually ever get any, I am a lifelong Flyers fan. Also based on the rules at the time, and I think you might know where I am going with this, Brett Hull’s goal to win the Stanley Cup should not have counted. I tell you this, so that you’ll know that I will call something like I see it. If there is an issue, or something that needs to be discussed, I am willing to take an unpopular stance if I have too.

I’m not going to promise a ton of groundbreaking information, but I will promise to honestly asses what I see or hear about the Idaho Steelheads both on and off the ice. I’ll tell you what I think of moves the team has or hasn’t made. How will they affect the team? Will a decision be a net gain or net loss? Also, I’ll point out who might be at fault for a losing streak and the hero(s) for a winning streak. I’ll also stand up and admit I was wrong about something if that is what is needed as well.

You’ll get game recaps either in a game by game format or on a weekly basis. I’ll make sure that scores are posted and some sort of a brief recap will be posted as soon as possible. From time to time, I’ll also give some updates about all things ECHL when things warrant it.

The next article that I will write will reflect a bit on the Steelheads offseason and some signings the team has already made. I’ll also take a look at how the lockout might affect those that have already signed with the Steelheads as well as will the Steelheads get any players from Dallas/Texas because of the lockout.

Justin Greenberg (Photo Credit to Robert Dombkowski)

Today, the NAHL announced their Stars of the Week and Justin Greenberg of the Texas Tornado was named one of the stars of the week for his performance. Here is more about Justin Greenberg being named Star of the Week from the NAHL offical website:

South Division Star of the Week: Justin Greenberg, forward, Texas Tornado
The last time Justin Greenberg, 18, touched a puck in an NAHL game, it was flying off his stick and into the back of the net for the game-winning goal in the National Championship game in May.  Judging by his performance this past weekend at the NAHL Showcase, it looks like the Dallas, Texas native hasn’t missed a beat.  “I thought Justin was very solid this past week,” said Tornado head coach Tony Curtale.  “He has unbelievable speed and his skill set has really improved.  His performance at the Showcase generated a lot of NCAA Division I interest.”  Greenberg (5’8/170), registered eight points (1 goal, 7 assists) at the event as his Texas Tornado went undefeated with a perfect 4-0 record and claimed the 2012 NAHL Showcase title.

Runner-Up: Spencer Viele, goaltender, Topeka RoadRunners
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Kyle Bauman, forward, Wichita Falls Wildcats – Paul Berrafato, goaltender, Amarillo Bulls – Lawrence Cornellier, forward, Odessa Jackalopes – Sean Gaffney, forward, Topeka RoadRunners – Eliot Grauer, forward, Wichita Falls Wildcats – Anthony Mousseau, defenseman, Texas Tornado – Taylor Portner, forward, Odessa Jackalopes – TJ Sarcona, forward, Amarillo Bulls – Rudy Sulmonte, forward, Corpus Christi IceRays.

Congrats to Justin Greenberg on being named one of the NAHL’s star of the week!