Three weeks from today, my friends. Three weeks from today the Dallas Stars prospects will take the ice at Traverse City and begin their tournament there and the NHL level players will be at the Galleria in Dallas to sign autographs and kick off the hockey season. Just 21 short days. We're almost there.
Pretty soon we'll look back on these hockey-less 106 degree days and laugh. Right? ...Hello?
- Puck Daddy continued their guilty pleasure series with Razor Reaugh yesterday, and he named Corey Perry and Tomas Holmstrom as players that he hates that he loves. I am sorry for making you throw up a little in your mouths this morning. [Puck Daddy]
- Here's a neat little piece on Scott Oke, an undrafted power forward that the Stars invited to development camp in July who will also play for them in the Traverse City tournament in September. Let's hope he's another diamond in the rough in the making. [Telegraph-Journal]
- A discussion of all the young coaches in the NHL these days and the trend of bringing up an AHL guy to the big leagues, including Dallas' own Glen Gulutzan [cheap seats.ca]
- As Prince Edward Island anticipates the Stars' return for training camp, they can't help but notice that Brad Richards' absence (via Joe Nieuwendyk quotes) might have an effect on local interest. The Guardian also posits that the City of Charlottetown swallows some $30,000 in costs (a benefit to the Stars?) but expects to make it back ten-fold in related revenue and economic activity. [The Guardian]
- Here's a second piece from the Guadian featuring more quotes from GM Joe: "I attribute a lot of our success last year, especially with the start that we had, to the team getting here and coming together as a team right off the get-go here in Charlottetown. The community embraced us. We had a great time. It was all positive and I anticipate this (next camp) will be as well.'' [The Guardian]
- CSN "Bay Area" takes a look at the Sharks upcoming season and has a lot of nauseating things to say about them, including the fact that the division is a two horse (LAK, SJS) race. [CSN Bay Area]
- The Stars released their local television schedule and to the surprise of no one, there won't be any pre-season games televised and TXA-21 will televise nearly all of the Saturday night games. FS SW will carry the rest. All 82 in HD. Just like last year. It's good to have all 82 televised. Just ask the Hurricanes (etc). [Dallas Stars]
- Hundred Degree Hockey analyzes the Texas Stars newly released regular season schedule. The good news: They went from seven "3 in 3's" to only four. The bad news? That league still features three games in three nights. What a reduction in product that third night must be sometimes...Pray for Brad Lukowich. [HDH]
- None of the proposed rule changes from RDO camp are expected to make their way to the NHL this year, aside from the curved glass near the player bench stanchions, which could be implemented as a safety thing. Joe Nieuwendyk gave quotes in this piece about the "bear hug rule" that's getting a little attention. [National Post.com]