While he may fall short of winning the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s best rookie, Jason Robertson’s rookie season was nothing short of incredible. Perhaps the only thing more impressive than what he accomplished was how much he had improved:
“If you go back to January in training camp, he didn’t have a good camp when we put him with our top players,” explained [head coach Rick] Bowness… “He just wasn’t ready for that. He’s got to be the most improved player in the league. His improvement from [where he was] in January to where he is now, there’s absolutely no comparison. His competitive nature has improved, his intensity has improved, his play without the puck has improved.”
What’s more, Robertson’s impact goes far beyond Dallas. As one of the few NHL players of Asian descent, the Dallas Stars forward is becoming somewhat of a role model for similar young hockey players, something Robertson takes pride in:
“It’s an honor to be someone that anyone can look up to,” he said. “It’s nice to be a role model for Asian Americans and Filipinos, but I just want to be a role model for everyone. Whatever background they come from or wherever it is they’re from. I’m from California and eventually moved to Michigan. You don’t expect a lot of NHL players coming out of California, so it’s a neat story that some people certainly can relate with.”
You can read more about how Robertson got to where he is today from Kyle Shohara here.
Stars Stories
Here’s some more Robertson love, as well as some for fellow rookie Jake Oettinger:
The incredible rise of rookies Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger https://t.co/siLGKnJYg2 via @NHLdotcom
— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) May 12, 2021
The pair will also be representing the US in this year’s IIHF Men’s World Championship, alongside Texas Stars defenseman Ryan Shea:
Introducing the 2021 U.S. Men’s National Team! #MensWorlds 🇺🇸
Details → https://t.co/pDjcbc3hrs pic.twitter.com/0OUe5TmydW
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) May 13, 2021
With exit interviews underway, we can officially start saying goodbye to the Stars’ 2020-21 season:
Feels like yesterday Jamie Benn was a 24-year-old captain, Tyler Seguin was on the rise and John Klingberg was the youngster.
Talking to those three yesterday, it just hit home how time flies… Benn changing positions. Seguin a mentor. Klingberg a fatherhttps://t.co/TUq1fjG0vF
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) May 12, 2021
Around the League
David Quinn is the latest New York Rangers casualty — who might the franchise tag as his replacement?
New York #Rangers Fire Coach David Quinn
So who does new GM Chris Drury bring in to replace him? As @THNRyanKennedy notes, this first hire will be crucial for the rookie boss: https://t.co/1olLC3UuBE
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) May 12, 2021
Here are some other names whose seat might get too hot to handle in the coming weeks:
Who’s on the hot seat at this point in the 2020-21 NHL season?@OvertimeScottB takes a look at the players, coaches and GMs with the most on the line ⤵️https://t.co/Kqfa36T2j9
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) May 13, 2021
Some deeply troubling news out of Chicago:
A WBEZ exclusive: Former Chicago Blackhawk sues NHL team over 2010 allegation that he was harassed and sexually assaulted by an ex-coach and that the team did nothing. “This entire man’s life has been destroyed,” player’s lawyer says. https://t.co/Vw1oqBZGzE
— Dave McKinney (@davemckinney) May 13, 2021
Goaltending is everything in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so which teams stack up at the top?
“Washington is in trouble.”
“Jordan Binnington has been the best goalie in the NHL over the last month and a half.”
ESPN’s hockey staff ranks the playoff goalies, and @VallysView gives his expert takes on each of them. Great stuff here:https://t.co/aEaK7JTeti
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 13, 2021
Finally, could the NHL play a larger role in women’s hockey in the near future?
The NHL informed the PWHPA and NWHL that if the two entities come together with a plan, the league would be inclined to participate.@JeffMarek has more. ⤵️https://t.co/gtF56qmM0h
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 13, 2021