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Dallas Stars Daily Links: The Hockey Season Begins At Prospect Development Camp

Posted on by Kathleen Tibbetts

If hockey season doesn’t seem close enough for you yet, here’s some perspective: The Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament is six days away. Six. Days. Away.

And the perfect precursor is the Dallas Stars’ Prospect Development Camp. The Stars moved this year’s event from July to this weekend, just before the big showcase in Michigan. Texas Stars head coach Neil Graham is running the show, and it marks a welcome return to a kind of normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled last year’s gathering.

It’s also a milestone for players on the cusp as well as for the Stars’ newest picks, writes The Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks:

For [Thomas] Harley, [Ty] Dellandrea and [Riley] Damiani, it will be the start of their attempt to crack the NHL lineup this season. All three should be some of the best players at Traverse City, and will try to use development camp as a springboard towards Dallas.

“They’re going to be our veterans, they’re going to be our leaders,” Graham said. “It’s easy to have those guys lead by example. They’re going to understand the systems. They’re going to understand a lot of the things that I look for and demand as a coach.”

The whole experience is designed around one principle – showing the kids what Stars hockey will demand from them:

“I think it’s a great opportunity to implement some of the structure and systems, so when these players return and then go to Dallas main camp, they’re not seeing it for the first time,” Graham said. “They have a chance to see it in development camp, they have a chance to see it in Traverse. Now, when they go and do it in the main camp, it’s not new to them.”…

“We want these players to be given a chance to succeed and perform,” Graham said. “As you’re planning a development camp, Traverse City, you’re thinking of lines, special teams. You want to make sure these kids have a chance to show themselves.”

Matt has more. [SportsDayDFW]

Hockey is here, and life is beautiful. Keep an eye on @DefendingBigD for news from Frisco.

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So close. Enjoy your weekend.

Talking Points