Gord Baldwin Earns a Contract; Texas Signs Jones to PTO

Gord Baldwin (Credit: Steven Christy)

The Stars announced two signings today. Gord Baldwin has been signed to a standard player contract after 18 games with the Texas Stars and forward Doug Jones has been signed to a PTO out of the ECHL's Gwinnett Gladiators.

Baldwin, who started the season in Idaho, has been become a steady hand on the Stars' blue line with all of the callups and injuries to the roster. Locking him down for the season puts Texas into a good spot on defensive depth. As the season end draws near, the Stars need to make sure they have the pieces necessary to make a run. Remember Ethan Graham?

Secondly, the signing of Doug Jones can't be good news for the Stars overall roster health. There was some hope that the assignment of Austin Smith indicated that someone was coming back from injury this evening to allow for the extra forward spot. That appear to not be the case.

In an interesting connection note, Jones played with Richard Bachman in Cedar Rapids of the USHL in 06-07.

Here's the release:

The Texas Stars, proud American Hockey League affiliate of the Dallas Stars, announced today that the team has signed right wing Doug Jones to a professional tryout contract, calling him up from the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL. Texas also announced that defenseman Gord Baldwin has been released from his PTO and has signed a standard AHL contract.

Jones, 25, began his first full professional season with Gwinnett and has 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists), 22 penalty minutes and a +16 rating in 54 ECHL games. The Marietta, Georgia native leads the Gladiators in shots (197), he is tied for the lead in goals and ranks third in both points and plus-minus. He signed a PTO with San Antonio on January 31st and made his AHL debut with the Rampage on February 1st against Rockford. Jones played in two AHL games for San Antonio, recording zero points, before returning to Gwinnett on February 10th. The 6-foot 205-pound forward played four years of NCAA Division I college hockey for Dartmouth College of the ECAC. In 127 career NCAA games for the Indians he tallied 107 points (29 goals, 78 points) and 107 penalty minutes. Jones led Dartmouth in scoring during his freshman year (2008-09) and was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team.

Baldwin, who turns 26 this Friday, is in his sixth pro season and has 3 assists, 24 penalty minutes and a +1 rating in 18 AHL games for Texas this season since signing a PTO on December 28th. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native began the season with the Idaho Steelheads, the Stars’ ECHL affiliate, where he recorded 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists), 39 penalty minutes and a +11 rating in 26 ECHL games. Baldwin was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the third round (69th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and spent parts of four seasons with the club’s AHL affiliate in Quad City and Abbotsford. To date he has appeared in 252 career AHL games and tallying 51 points (8 goals, 43 assists) and 231 penalty minutes. Baldwin (6’5”, 225 lbs) played three seasons of junior hockey with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League, where he played for Texas Stars head coach Willie Desjardins. He was a member of the Medicine Hat squad that won the 2007 WHL Championship and went to the 2007 Memorial Cup Tournament.