Dallas Stars Daily Links: Radek Faksa’s Long, Strange Trip To Stardom

Radek Faksa’s journey to the NHL is the stuff of modern legend – although it’s interesting to note that NHL Draft classmate Esa Lindell had never heard it until last week.

The bones of the story are familiar to most fans: Faksa’s mother, Alena, made the wrenching choice to let an 11-year-old Radek move to a different city. The agreement with the HC Oceláři Třinec youth program provided her talented son with opportunities she would not otherwise be able to give him. But living 90 minutes from his family in the Euro-hockey equivalent of a Holiday Inn was about as hard for a child as it sounds, as Faksa told Sean Shapiro:

“The first two years was really tough for me because I was still young, and every time I was home I was pretty much crying,” Faksa said. “After the first season, I almost came back to my hometown because I was couldn’t handle it anymore. But my mom and GM for the team I played for, he gave me such good conditions and made such a great speech that made me stay in Třinec. I’m happy I did that.”

As Faksa grew up in a hotel, he dreamed of staying in Třinec and playing for HC Oceláři Třinec in the Czech Extraliga.

“I was never really thinking about the NHL because just few guys from the Czech make it,” Faksa said. “I was thinking about playing men’s league hockey there because that was the best league I knew. I never imagined I could make it this far (to the NHL).”

With the Dallas Stars, Faksa has long surpassed his goal of playing 100 NHL games. Now he’s second only to Tyler Seguin among the Stars’ top centers:

“He’s hated to play against; ask the top players who come into this barn or when asking people who do you not like playing against. A guy like Faksa always comes up,” Seguin said. “He’s always on the right side of the puck. Guy that competes hard. And it starts on the opening draw.”

There’s much more behind the paywall. [The Athletic DFW]

Stars Stories

Now that you feel good about the team, Sean is also here to rub your nose in last night’s shutout by the New Jersey Devils.

Head coach Jim Montgomery says the team needs to adjust its intensity level on the road:

Matthew DeFranks looks at the monster that has haunted the team’s nightmares for too long: the specter of the road loss.

At least Jamie Benn’s 7 PIM and his fight with Miles Wood were fantasy-relevant, according to Ian Gooding.

Early Fight of the Year candidate? Yes, of course you get the video.

Around the League(s)

Not the best night for #Murder:

• Henrik Lundqvist notched his 59th career shootout victory as the Colorado Avalanche lost on the road to the New York Rangers. [Blueshirt Banter]
• Connor McDavid decided to just do it himself, and the Winnipeg Jets took the L to the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 in overtime. [Copper and Blue]
• But the Minnesota Wild benefited from a historically bad start by the Arizona Coyotes to win 2-1 at home. [Hockey Wilderness]

Marc-Andre Fleury joined some impressive company after the Vegas Golden Knights’ 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Auston Matthews is on a scoring tear, and people are talking about it.

The Carolina Hurricanes are off to a fast start, and young superstar Sebastian Aho is a big part of it.

Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park

The Texas Stars take on the Iowa Wild twice this weekend, and you can watch for free.

Meanwhile, Ringo the Ringtail has a competition of his own on Thursday.

Finally

The banner meme is not only still here, it’s spreading. Enjoy.