The Traverse City tournament is often many fans’ signal to wipe the off-season crust from their eyes and get ready for the NHL season. The eight team tournament takes place in Traverse City, Michigan from September 8th to September 12th this season, and is just a week before many teams start their training camps.
The Dallas Stars will once again take part in the Traverse City tournament, along with the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, and St. Louis Blues.
The roster that Dallas takes to the tournament is often a mix of recent draft picks and undrafted guys that they’ll take a look at for potential depth signing for the farm system. Here’s the full roster, as per Mark Stepneski of DallasStars.com:
Stars roster for Traverse City. pic.twitter.com/b0SKa3qq1n
— Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) September 5, 2017
Denis Gurianov will attend the tournament for the second time since he was drafted, and is one of the best offensive weapons the Stars are taking to the tournament. I personally can’t wait to see how Jason Robertson does at the tournament. He did not get nearly as much fanfare as Miro Heiskanen when he was drafted this summer, but every interview since has portrayed a young man with a dedication and drive that makes it hard not to root for his success.
Heiskanen is a notable exclusion on this roster, having sustained an injury to his mouth that required stitches playing in a Champions Hockey League game a few days ago. Stepneski reported that Heiskanen is still expected at training camp.
Dallas will open play at the Traverse City tournament on Friday when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets prospects. Here’s a full list of their games:
Friday, September 8th: Columbus Blue Jackets vs Dallas Stars
Saturday, September 9th: Dallas Stars vs St. Louis Blues
Monday, September 11th: Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild
The Stars play in the Lindsay Division, with the Howe Division made up of the Rangers, Hurricanes, Blackhawks, and Red Wings. There is no playoff bracket at this tournament, and final finishes are based on the following games that will be held on Tuesday, September 12th at the end of the tournament:
3:00pm – 7th Place Game: 4th Lindsay Division vs 4th Howe Division
3:30pm – 5th Place Game: 3rd Howe Division vs 3rd Lindsay Division
6:30pm – 3rd Place Game: 2nd Lindsay Division vs 2nd Howe Division
7:00pm – Championship Game: 1st Howe Division vs 1st Lindsay Division
The Stars won the 5th place game in last season’s tournament.