From watching his brother sign an eight-year contract to inking a three-year extension of his own, Jordie Benn has had a pretty eventful summer. He talked about both deals, as well as what it was like to help out at one of the team’s summer hockey camps, with Mark Stepneski.
Tuesday’s camp was run by the Dallas Stars Xtreme Team and led by Stars director of hockey development Dwight Mullins, who coached Benn when both were with the Allen Americans. Stars director of alumni Bob Bassen was on hand as well. Forty-six kids were on the ice with Benn on Tuesday.
“In football heaven, hockey is getting pretty big. The people that have put these camps on have done an unbelievable job,” Benn said. “Some of these kids are huge. I heard they were five to 12-years-old, and some of them were almost as big as me. They’ve got some pretty good talent out there.”
Here’s what the elder Benn had this to say about his brother’s contract.
“He deserves every penny he gets,” Jordie said. “He’s the captain. He’s the heart and soul of the Stars right now. He works really hard, and he leads on and off the ice. It’s nice to see where he is and where he has come from. He is getting what he is worth, that’s for sure.”
There’s more from Jordie—including his optimistic take on the upcoming season—at the link. [Stars Inside Edge]
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The Stars will play four nationally televised games this year.
Here are the Stars’ nationally televised games for 2016-17. Note time changes on three of them. pic.twitter.com/wAhKjo4uz1
— Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) July 21, 2016
You can check out the rest of the schedule here.
Sean McIndoe takes a look at the offseason problems we thought would already have been solved by now—like the Stars’ goalie woes and a blockbuster move for the Avalanche. [The Hockey News]
Brad Richards announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday.
Congratulations on an incredible 15 year career, Brad! pic.twitter.com/mw89MG6WCk
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) July 20, 2016
Sports Illustrated’s midsummer power rankings put the Stars in fifth place heading into 2016-17. [Sports Illustrated]
Jim Nill chatted with The Ticket yesterday, and if you missed it, you can listen below.
Audio: Jim Nill on The Ticket https://t.co/5SPfGGKJLO
— Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) July 21, 2016
The Texas Stars have signed forward Caleb Herbert, who was selected by the Capitals in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Draft, to an AHL contract. [Wrong Side of the Red Line]
After being traded by both the Stars and the Bruins, Reilly Smith feels right at home with the Panthers. [Miami Herald]
Dominic Moore shared a little about Smashfest before last night’s festivities.
On the fifth anniversary of @_Smashfest, @MooreDom talks the importance of . https://t.co/VtOn8SRKPu pic.twitter.com/wifd2Q6pOz
— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) July 21, 2016
And for the second straight year, Patrick Eaves walked away with a trophy.
Drum roll please… Your @_Smashfest winner (and defending champion) PATRICK EAVES! #SmashfestV pic.twitter.com/WaqceKzm14
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 22, 2016
Team Canada has a pretty good chance of winning the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. [Sportsnet]
Rumor has it that the Islanders would like to make the move from Brooklyn to Queens. [TSN]
Good news for Maple Leafs fans: Auston Matthews signed a 3-year entry-level contract.
Have received confirmation of @reporterchris tweet that Auston Matthews received max ELC. 3 yrs @ $925,000 cap hit, $3.775M AAV.
— General Fanager (@generalfanager) July 21, 2016
Could Kevin Shattenkirk be headed to the Rangers? [The Hockey News]
From Thomas Vanek to Cory Conacher, the players who are entering make-or-break-it years in 2016-17. [ESPN]
And finally, if you couldn’t make it out to last week’s Party in the Park, here’s what you missed.