Comments / New

Dallas Stars Daily Links: Jim Nill and His “Culture of Excellence” Here to Stay

Yesterday, the Stars announced that they signed general manager Jim Nill to a five-year contract extension, keeping him in Dallas through 2022-23. (Erin has the basics and the team’s press release here.) Mike Heika examined what it means for the franchise that Nill will be around for the foreseeable future.

Nill has spread the mantra of being an “everyday professional” since his arrival. It’s something he wants from the players, it’s something he wants from the coaches, it’s something he wants from the staff. It’s something he requires of himself. Nill is always prepared, and he’s always ready to react. One front office friend said he’s amazed at the rapidity at which Nill responds to even simple requests. Something that could be set aside and answered in a day will be returned via e-mail in five minutes. Documents that could wait until the end of the week show up signed within an hour.

Heika points out the important decisions that will need to be made in the future—from the goaltending situation to the logjam on defense—but reminds us that Nill is the guy you want running the show.

When you do things the right way, good people who want to do things the right way want to be a part of your organization. It seems simple, but it’s a hard thing to live every day.

Jim Nill lives it.

He has to, because it’s also easy to make mistakes in his job.

For more on how Nill handles things in Big D, head on over to the link. [SportsDayDFW]

Tonight, head over to the AAC to see the Stars attempt to tame the Wild at 7 p.m. [Stars Inside Edge]

Jamie Benn, Lindy Ruff, and Jim Nill himself sounded off on the GM’s extension. [SportsDayDFW]

The Hockey Writers’ Jordan Dix takes a turn as Jim Nill and discusses who he’d target at the trade deadline. [The Hockey Writers]

Thankfully, most of us no longer have to take midterms, but if you did, here’s what you’d need to review about each Western Conference team. For the Stars, it’s that old habits die hard. [Sports Illustrated]

More news on the trade front:

If there were such a thing as the Midseason Hart Trophy, The Hockey News would give it to Patrick Kane. Jamie Benn would be next in line, though. [The Hockey News]

As we wait to see how the Lightning will handle Steven Stamkos, the Department of Hockey Analytics dives into what the superstar is actually worth. [SI]

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety handed out a two-game suspension to Capitals forward Marcus Johansson.

The tightly contested Central Division is just one of the storylines to watch as the rest of the season plays out. [ESPN]

You can count Shea Weber among those in Nashville who were especially sad to see Seth Jones leave for Columbus. [TSN]

After fans pointed Oilers captain Andrew Ference toward this story in the Edmonton Journal, the Edmonton captain was happy to help out.

Hockey is fun. The NHL is not. Or, at least, that’s how Dave Lozo sees it. [VICE]

Which teams have the best taste in hockey teams? Let’s find out. [Business Insider]

Midway into Evander Kane’s seventh NHL season, questions still remain about the former fourth-overall pick. [TSN]

Denna Laing’s family released an update on Laing’s condition after she crashed into the boards at the Outdoor Women’s Classic.

Tragically, Denna suffered a severe spinal cord injury playing the sport she loves. As of today, Denna has limited movement of her arms and no feeling in her legs.

Thoughts to her and her family during this time. [NHL]

A blockbuster trade went down in the OHL, with Travis Konecny and Sam Studnicka heading to the Sarnia Sting, and Sasha Chmelevski, Chase Campbell, and eight draft picks going to the Ottawa 67s. [Puck Daddy]

And finally, Molson continued its #anythingforhockey campaign by building a rooftop rink.

Talking Points