The writing was on the wall for Tyler Beskorowany when the Dallas Stars signed Cristopher Nilstorp this offseason.
Nilstorp was brought in to compete with Jack Campbell for the job in Austin, leaving Beskoworany, the Stars second-round pick from the 2008 draft, potentially out of the rotation. And the Texas Stars made that pecking order official this week when they assigned Beskorowany to the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL.
Last season was a rough one for Beskorowany. He’s hoping the turning of the hockey calendar, as well as returning to a place he’s familiar with, will help him find his game again.
“Last year was one of those years where I looked in the mirror and said, ‘What happened?’ ” Beskorowany said. “It was my eye-opener.”
The Canadian was 10-19-0 for a last-place team that finished 31-40-5.
“We didn’t do as well as we wanted to last year, on a team level and a personal level,” said Beskorowany, who arrived in Boise on Tuesday and will practice with the Steelheads for the first time Wednesday. “It was really rock bottom for me … and to have another opportunity to start over is big for me.”
Also in today’s links, the league continues its interminable march toward oblivion, Eddie Belfour tells us why he shouldn’t play defense in the CHL and Jaromir Jagr was one stylin’ dude in 1992.
- Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The NHL and NHLPA met again on Wednesday but have made no substantial progress on the financial gulf that still separates them. [DallasNews.com]
- This is a fun little article speculating (idly, and I’m sure with lots of sarcasm from the former players) on if the new Allen American owners, including Mike Modano, Richard Matvichuk and Ed Belfour, would return to the ice for their new team. My favorite quote of many options is this offering from Belfour. “I used to be a defender too,” he said. “Though I’m not really sure if that would work now because the first time I got hit I would probably club the guy over the head with my stick.” [Star Newspapers]
- The Texas Stars aren’t going to have the prohibitive favorite in the AHL, even in their division, thanks to the loaded roster of the Oklahoma City Barons. But they are poised to have a strong season nonetheless. [The Hockey Writers]
- I apologize for not embedding this Jamie Benn interview, but the combination of the Hamburg Freezers’ website and the German language have conspired to defeat me. But if you follow this link, you can see the Stars young stud talk about why he decided to go to Germany during the lockout. Sticktap to Tsudbury for the direct link. [Hamburg-Freezers.de]
- Thanks to some quick-thinking teammates and a well-stocked arena, Phoenix Coyotes forward Brett MacLean survived his heart arrhythmia episode. And even though he has to retire from hockey because of the incident, he’s vowed to take something positive from the experience. [GlobalToronto.com]
- Thursday was supposed to be opening day of the 2012-13 NHL season. Todd was ready with his opening-day guide. [Thursday Morning Cupcheck]
- I’m not quite sure what to make of this YouTube video where a girl has set part of the Krys Barch Twitter diatribe to music. It’s definitely a… unique way to spend your time. [YouTube]
- Sometimes when I look back at the fashion of the early 1990s, I’m glad I was just an elementary school girl at the time. My fashion sins were limited to slap bracelets, puff-paint shirts, side ponytails and leggings with stirrups at the bottom. Jaromir Jagr, however, apparently loved him a stonewashed jean. [Backhand Shelf]
- With the Stars season supposed to be just two days away, it’s a depressing time to be a hockey fan. So take a look back at some of the most amusing moments from last season, not the least of which is Vernon Fiddler’s Kevin Bieksa impression, and try to find something to laugh about.