More photos » Rich Schultz - AP

Browse more photos »

For many Stars fans, mention the New Jersey Devils and their face may turn as bright a red as the Devils jerseys.  2000 is still a bit of a sore spot for Stars fans.  It was made even worse yet by the fact that two years later two of the Stars more beloved players in Joe Niuwendyk and Jamie Langenbrunner for what amounted to a bag of pucks and Jason Arnott..  The same Jason Arnott who ripped out Stars fans' hearts two years earlier.

The Stars will open their 2010-11 season in New Jersey against the Devils, so in a way as part of SBN Hockey's 2nd annual "summer fill" series where our network of team blogs pair off and ask each other a series of questions, you can maybe consider this a very, very early game day preview of what to expect from the Devils this season as the fine gentlemen from "In Lou We Trust" - John Fisher, Kevin Sellathamby and Tom Stivali - all took time to answer some questions we had for them.  You can look for our answers to some of their own questions about the Stars over at their blog as soon as they post them!

1 - First guys, lets get the Ilya Kovalchuk thing out of the way. Do you expect to see him in a Devils uniform on opening night in October against the Stars?  If the Devils do sign him, are Devils fans going to be OK giving him the kind of money he's going to command and the amount of salary cap he may end up tying up?

Kevin:  I think he will be a Devil come opening night. It's been pretty quiet on the news front itself, most quotes haven't been too revealing about the situation. This could mean that he's re-negotiating a new deal that's a bit more friendly towards the cap. If he is signed, I'd expect there to be a mixed reaction. Most fans will be happy that Kovalchuk chose New Jersey and the team has an offensive superstar and a big name, while others will be unhappy because this would mean the Devils would have to dump salary and some players who are starting to get popular (like Dainus Zubrus) are prime candidates due to their lack of No Trade Clauses. In some cases, it could potentially mean prospects getting moved in order to compensate for another team taking on a horrible contract (this would be the case if Brian Rolston was to be traded).

Tom: Yes, I do.  I think for the hardcore fans he will be heavily judged on his salary/cap hit.   If it is over 7MM per year, then I can see fan backlash if things aren't going well for the team. Also, if his signing forces out a Patrik Elias or makes it impossible to sign Zach Parise then I think most fans may have some resentment towards Kovalchuk.  The casual fan won't be as bothered and they won't single him out with booing.   Overall, the general fan response to Kovalchuk in his limited time here last season was very positive and unless the Devils nosedive during the regular season or don't show up for the playoffs like they did last year I see Kovy getting a 'pass' with the fans for a year or so.

John: Ultimately, I think the Devils faithful will be happy with Kovalchuk being re-signed. After the contract rejection, even those like myself who weren't total proponents of re-signing Kovalchuk, now want to see him back.  What he will command on the salary cap will definitely make things difficult for Lou to get under the cap in a month; but given the Devils seemingly consistent issue of scoring even with Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, and Travis Zajac on the team - Kovalchuk can fill that need. That's enough for most Devils fans to welcome Kovalchuk with open arms - even if it means dumping Bryce Salvador and/or Dainius Zubrus.   Basically, when Kovalchuk starts racking up the goals and assists, this summer's drama will be laid to rest and he'll earn that money.  If he plays very poorly, then he's going to hear it; though you can say that for any player regardless of salary.

Continue reading this post »

View full size photo »

Don Beaupre
Height: 5-9
Weight: 175
Catches: Left
Style: Upright

While Don Beaupre never played for the Dallas Stars, he was an integral member of the team that eventually relocated to Dallas.

Born in Kitchener, Ontario and raised in nearby Waterloo, Beaupre starred in the OHA as goaltender for the Sudbury Wolves. In the 1979-80 season, he finished with 28 victories and was named to the league's first all-star team.

At the age of 18, Beaupre was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars as their second pick (37th overall) in 1980.

In the 1980-81 season, Beaupre split time in net with Gilles Meloche. He played well enough to earn a spot in the NHL All-Star Game. Better yet, the North Stars pulled off what were considered to be several upsets during the Stanley Cup Playoffs to reach the Cup Finals against the New York Islanders. Although the North Stars lost the series, Beaupre won Game 4 against the powerful Islanders, 5-3.

He spent nine years with Minnesota before being traded to the Washington Capitals for the rights to Claudio Scremin. (Unrelated side note: He faced Dallas only twice in his career - both as a member of the Capitals - losing both decisions in 1994).

After a lengthy stint with the Caps, he was traded for a fifth-round pick in 1995 to the Ottawa Senators. He became the first Senators goaltender to earn a shutout.

As his career winded down, Beaupre was traded yet again, this time to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Damian Rhodes in early 1996. He retired from hockey in 1997.

Beaupre now lives in Bloomington, Minnesota with his wife Lisa and their five children. He owns Beaupre Aerial Equipment, Inc., a high-reach equipment rental company.

After the jump, Defending Big D talks with Don Beaupre:

Continue reading this post »

View full size photo »

Perhaps because of the fact that many of the top draft picks for the Stars in recent years are playing with the team (and possibly due to certain draft choices), the Stars are rated towards the bottom of the NHL when it comes to their level of prospects. A lot of the focus on the Dallas Stars' farm system and their prospects has been centered around Ivan Vishnevskiy, Scott Glennie and up until just a few months ago, Jamie Benn. Yet despite the lack of flashy talent or big names in the system, there are a number of players whom Stars fans should feel excited about as they move towards taking the next step into the AHL and beyond.

Matt Tassone is one of those players.

Continue reading this post »

The network of SBNation hockey blogs this summer has a great series on going where all SBNation team blogs get partnered up and we have the chance to ask the other some questions about their team in a little bit of a preview of the upcoming season...  Defending Big D was fortunate enough to get paired with the fine folks over at PensBurgh who of course cover the current reigning and defending NHL champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Look for PensBurgh's questions to us and our answers on their website later today here. As for our questions for them, one may wonder just what exactly do you ask the bloggers of a team that has won everything? We got thoughts from them about their sudden turnaround last spring, about the amount of hockey played in the steel city the last few seasons and how much they miss pro baseball.

DBD: In 07/08 the Pens were one of the top teams in the east during the regular season, and within a game of winning it all. The next season with almost the same roster the team falls apart and a new coach is brought in with 20+ games left. Suddenly they become that same dominating team they were the year before and this time win the Cup. What went wrong with Michel Therien behind the bench and what did Dan Bylsma bring to the team that was so different?

PensBurgh: A lot of writers, fans and so-called theorists suggested that Michel Therrien just lost the team. I feel that's a pretty accurate assessment. You could almost see what players were feeling during Therrien's final days. It was boring, depressing, miserable hockey. Not many players stood as advocates for his dismissal and many of them (Marc-Andre Fleury, Max Talbot to name two) felt like they were to blame for the team's poor play, not MT. Yet hardly anyone would argue with the year-end result of a Cup win. Disco Dan, as he's often called, just has a way with keeping it loose around the team. He knows how to use the players but he also knows how to inspire them to motivate themselves. I guess he really just played a big part in letting the reigns go so the guys could play to their full potential but also made sure they were going in the right direction.

Continue reading this post »

In Part Two we discuss the issue of team access, the credibility of blogs and the new ways journalists can reach out to readers.

Today Defending Big D presents the second half of our two-part discussion on the changing landscape of sports journalism. In this half of our discussion we switch gears a bit and talk about blogs and the business of sports websites. You can find part one here.

This discussion stemmed from an interest in analyzing just how things have changed recently and where things were going, I thought it would be interesting to be able to get the opinions of the journalists that are "on the other side", and are facing this rapid change head on. I set out to get the opinions of the top hockey journalists in Dallas and on the web, that cover a wide spectrum of the sports media. They are:

• Greg Wyshynski, creator and editor of Yahoo! Sports' Puck Daddy, the most popular hockey blog on the internet.
• Mike Heika, Dallas Stars beat reporter for the Dallas Morning News and blogger on the DMN Stars Blog.
• Bob Sturm, host of BaD radio on 1310 AM The Ticket, the #1 sports station in North Texas. He is also a writer for Inside Corner, the excellent sports blog at D Magazine.

Once again, I want to express my sincere gratitude to these three for taking the time to answer our questions. I'd also like to thank all of the outstanding writers here at SB Nation for assisting me in putting this presentation together. I was overwhelmed by the response we received for part one and I hope that part two is just as intriguing, informative and entertaining.

Follow the jump for part two.

Continue reading this post »

Defending Big D sits down with three experts to discuss the changing landscape of sports journalism.

The topic of "new media" is one that has become hotly debated among journalists and bloggers alike, and just how we all fit together is under constant scrutiny and change. With newspapers being forced to embrace the changing landscape of how media is presented to the consumer and with blogs and niche websites becoming more prominent each year, it's a journey that is just beginning with both traditional media and bloggers still unsure of what the future might bring.

As a blogger and member of SB Nation, I cannot even begin to express the feelings I had when I learned that Defending Big D would be getting credentials for the NHL Draft. It wasn't just a big step for this website, it was leap forward in the fight to gain credibility among blogs and websites that worked tirelessly to provide the best content they could for their readers. While in Montreal I was surprised by the level of respect shown towards our small group of writers by the journalists in attendance, when I was expecting something much, much worse. So that got me thinking about what had changed in the landscape of sports media that while bloggers weren't exactly welcomed with open arms and a hug, we were at least shown a decent amount of professional respect. Three of four years ago this wouldn't have happened.

In my quest to analyze just how things have changed and where things were going, I thought it would be interesting to be able to get the opinions of the journalists that are "on the other side", and are facing this rapid change head on. I also wanted to get the thoughts of someone who has been on both sides of the line, someone who was once a newspaper journalist and who now is a professional blogger. Incredibly, the first three I thought of and approached were all enthusiastic and eager to share their thoughts. In no particular order, they are:

• Greg Wyshynski, creator and editor of Yahoo! Sports' Puck Daddy, the most popular hockey blog on the internet.
• Mike Heika, Dallas Stars beat reporter for the Dallas Morning News and blogger on the DMN Stars Blog.
• Bob Sturm, host of BaD radio on 1310 AM The Ticket, the #1 sports station in North Texas. He is also a writer for Inside Corner, the excellent sports blog at D Magazine.

To the Dallas hockey fan, Mike Heika and Bob Sturm need no introduction. They are without question the top authorities in the DFW area when it comes to the Stars and hockey. If you are a hockey fan and you don't read Greg Wyshynski's Puck Daddy blog every day, then you need to start immediately. Having all three of these highly respected hockey writers and broadcasters agree to answer our questions is a big honor.

Greg, Bob and Mike were good enough to answer our questions on a variety of topics, covering the business of journalism, blogs, the internet and more. Part one of the interview is below and part two will be posted tomorrow.

Follow the jump for part one.

Continue reading this post »

• Tanya Lyon of Hockey's Future sat down for a Q&A with James Neal. The very humble James Neal as it turns out.

Q: What’s it been like to be a rookie in the NHL and to be such a big part of the team as you guys battle for a playoff spot? A: It’s been nice to be able to come in and play with such good players and get a good opportunity. I never thought it would turn out like this or that it would happen this way and you just go with it. It’s been great. Playing with Modano, playing with a guy like that it helps you so much and things just started off good and I can’t say enough. Things have been rolling ever since and hopefully I can keep things going here and make a name for myself going into next year.

• Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News caught up with former Dallas Stars general manager and current Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey to reflect on Gainey's past in Dallas and how that's helped him with the current issues he's dealing with in Montreal.

"I definitely think you are affected by all of the experiences of your life, and I was with that organization for 12 or 13 years," said Gainey, the former Stars GM who built the team that won the 1999 Stanley Cup. "By going out in the world, you find out there are a lot of different ways to look at a problem."

• The Stars were idle last night. A few of the teams they are battling with for playoff spots, weren't.
  

Continue reading this post »

Mark Stepneski from Andrew's Dallas Stars Page has graciously answered a few of Defending Big D's questions about the Dallas Stars and gives his opinion on a variety of Stars topics. Mark has an excellent website that has a ton of information about the Dallas Stars, as well as pages about player's salaries and updates on the Stars' prospects. If you are a Dallas Stars fan I highly encourage you to check it out.

Defending Big D: It's been well documented that the Dallas Stars' turnaround coincided with the suspension of Sean Avery. Other than the end of the Avery saga, in your opinion what has been the key ingredient in the Stars' improvement over the last two months?

Mark Stepneski: I think you have to look at why they struggled early. They lost a lot of key players from last season - Mattias Norstrom, Stu Barnes, Niklas Hagman and Antti Miettinen - and then had Jere Lehtinen and Sergei Zubov on the shelf with injuries. That's one third of the team's forward skaters from last season gone and being replaced by different players and youth. That much change is tough to overcome and led to some poor play. Throw in Marty Turco and some other top players struggling, and it was a mess. But as time went on the play became better, Turco stabilized and the Stars got back to playing their brand of hockey. Overall, their team defense is a lot better, their goaltending is better and everything else builds off that.

DBD: There are some in the media that have labeled the Fabian Brunnstrom signing as a bust. Do you see him as an improving playmaker or a defensive liability for a suddenly contending team?

MS: He's not a bust. He's got ten goals in 31 games, which is pretty good. He had some significant issues with his defensive play early in the season and that cost him some playing time. The Stars said at the beginning of the season it would take time for him to get acclimated to life in a new country, playing hockey in a new league and on a different sized ice surface. They preached patience and Brunnstrom has shown progress. Just before he went out with the high ankle sprain he was playing his best overall hockey of the season. The assignment to Manitoba was for conditioning purposes and not a demotion as it was portrayed by some. The bottom line on Brunnstrom is that he has had his ups and downs, but the Stars like him and seem to be happy with the progress he is making. He's not a bust.

Much more after the jump.

Continue reading this post »