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Why Remi Elie Deserves Your Attention and Maybe Your Fandom

Posted on by Micah Turman

When you see that number 40 sweater out on the ice, you know what you are getting night in and night out: hustle, effort and physicality. While the stats might not scream out at you, Remi Elie provides something that every coach loves to see in a young developing player with his heart and a work ethic.

At 22 years old, selected 40th overall in the 2013 draft, Remi Elie is starting to prove that he is a NHL regular and can skate with top guys. He is that player who coaches love, and you can tell why he made the roster to begin the season and hasn’t left yet. Elie puts in the work day in and day out, shift after shift you can count on him to provide those three things; hustle, effort and physicality. He will beat his man to the puck and if not well then he will provide the defense to get that puck back.

Coaches love these kinda guys because it shows that they want to be here and will do anything to continue to be here. No young player wants to constantly rotate from AHL to NHL and back and forth through the season. But most of the time that is what happens because the potential flashes but other than that they have nothing to offer. But with Elie the potential flashes spectacularly in moments while in others his presence is known and DOES NOT give up. He gives a team full of star players something to emulate at practice and in games.

Lets take a look at some of Elie’s highlights through the first half of this season:

On November 4th against the Buffalo Sabres, Remi Elie was able to get the rebound off of a Antoine Roussel shot and put it home for the Stars early lead.

This really beautiful backhander past the Panthers’ Roberto Luongo for Elie’s second goal of the season on November 14th.

This hit on November 14th against the Panthers shows his tenacity to finish off each play. At 6’1, 210 pounds he put everything he had physically into that hit and well, Weegar getting stuck in the bench shows just that.

No doubt my favorite play of the year from any Stars player, as Elie flashes the brilliant moves that he ooccasionally hinted at when he was with the Texas Stars. This beauty came on November 30th against the Blackhawks and was his third on the year.

December 2nd, at home against the Blackhawks: Elie sets up Radek Faksa beautifully here. Positioning himself to take the shot, he sees Faksa coming down the middle, and open at that, then dishes it over for his first assist of the year.

Hustle, hustle, hustle and well you guessed it hustle. Elie just simply out hustles for the puck here as it seems the defense could care less about the rebound. He easily finds his way through the defense and slaps one home.

Again, outworking his opponent out to the puck and being able to have that vision tossing into back into the zone for Gemel Smith to put it away. Giving Elie his second assist of the year on Dec 16th against the Flyers.

Any time you can find the captain with a backdoor shot like that, you know it is going to be automatic. And for that we say Dilly Dilly for Elie’s third assist on this campaign.

So yes, his stats might not be “wow,” but his game is about the potential and the spark he provides this Dallas Stars team. Those plays where he gets the assist or gets the goal, it seems like he does it in such spectacular fashion. Last year in only 18 games with the Stars he logged 7 points (1 goal and 6 assists), while this year through 35 games he has put up 7 points as well, with 4 goals and 3 assists. He’s a young guy finding his footing in the NHL, but he is starting to grab hold of that footing, and more importantly, he seems to have found his role within the lines. He is now playing in almost double the amount of games he did last year, and putting up some jaw-dropping plays halfway through this season. Remi Elie: he deserves your attention.

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