When it comes to the NHL, there isn’t much diversity. For instance, if Dallas Stars prospect Jason Robertson makes the team out of training camp, he would become the first Filipino-American to play in the NHL.
That’s a pretty significant accomplishment, and would put him in a position to inspire many Filipinos and other Asians alike. In fact, Robertson has already left his mark on one young Korean player in particular:
“He’s like, ‘This kid looks up to you because you’re Asian and there’s not a lot of Asians that play in the NHL, who make it somewhere,’” Jason said. “At that time, I thought, that’s something that I can be a role model towards. Not a lot of people can do that.”
Of course, while simply becoming an NHL regular would be significant in and of itself, Robertson has bigger plans. He has the potential to be a key contributor to a possible Stanley Cup contender team in Dallas, all thanks to his top-tier offensive skills:
“…We really think that’s where Jason found his calling in terms of passing and learning the game, because he, as a bigger player, couldn’t move as fast,” [Robertson’s mother] said. “So what the coach found was get the puck to Jason in the neutral zone and just sprint to the net because Jason will find you. That’s what he does.”
You can read more about Robertson’s heritage and his path moving forward from Matthew DeFranks here.
Stars Stories
Here are a couple of stories a bit on the older side. First up is a piece on Nicholas Porco, who is destined to do great things as the Stars’ latest fifth-round draft pick:
🏒 @TheAthleticDFW: Stars selected an 18-year-old kid in the 5th round of the 2019 draft. Coincidentally, he was teammates @vaughankingsAAA with Dallas’ 1st-round pick, Thomas Harley, AND he used to score on Marty Turco as a kid.
Meet, Nicholas Porco👇https://t.co/TJabfkuGsm
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) August 2, 2019
And here’s a look at everyone’s favorite Norris-caliber defenseman, John Klingberg:
He drives possession. He scores goals. He racks up points.
Need we say more? 😏
Klinger looks to keep leading the Stars’ blueline in 2019-20. https://t.co/oeNoTQGRFq
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) August 3, 2019
Around the League
This new series should be a good way to become more familiar with various prospects around the league:
In a brand-new column from @THNRyanKennedy, we’ve got dispatches on prospects from all 31 NHL franchises. In the first edition, Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion talks about Lassi Thomson’s future, while the #WJSS provided a ton of material to cover.https://t.co/Wuzgz2CdiG
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) August 5, 2019
This is a bit of a long read, but it’s worth every second:
The downfall of Paul Fenton: @RussoHockey goes inside the GM’s turbulent 14 months with the Wild:https://t.co/4O52teXPeG
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) August 3, 2019
The Arizona Coyotes have a new majority owner, one who might finally bring stability to the oft-troubled franchise:
In buying the Coyotes, Alex Meruelo is the first Hispanic majority owner of an NHL club. https://t.co/qD9z4uONXd
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) August 2, 2019
Finally, here’s your daily dose of Mitch Marner discussion:
Mirtle: Where the Mitch Marner negotiations are at – and why they’re holding up so many other RFAshttps://t.co/TGBtyjmCUn
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) August 4, 2019