Travis Morin Recalled to Dallas; Hubert Labrie to Texas

Travis Morin (Credit: Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars)

Well, it couldn't last long, could it? The Texas Stars lose their leading scorer to the Dallas club as Ray Whitney goes down with an injury. Whitney is out for at least the next two games. Morin will head to Edmonton to meet the team. Does Coach Desjardins move Mueller to the top line or shuffle Dowling in? Dowling has been near invisible this season and was demoted to the third line, if you will, over the weekend.

In a separate transaction, Texas received Hubert Labrie back from Idaho.

Here's the release:

The Texas Stars, proud American Hockey League affiliate of the Dallas Stars, announced today that Dallas has placed left wing Ray Whitney on injured reserve and has recalled center Travis Morin from Texas. Dallas also reassigned defenseman Hubert Labrie to Texas from the Idaho Steelhead, its ECHL affiliate.

Morin, 29, leads the entire AHL with 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) and has recorded at least one point in 12 of his 13 games with Texas this season. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward was selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Month for October, registering 19 points in eight games (8 goals, 11 assists). The native of Brooklyn Park, Minn., has appeared in three career National Hockey League (NHL) contests, all as a member of the Dallas Stars. Originally drafted by Washington in the ninth-round (263rd overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft, Morin was signed by Dallas as a free agent on July 12, 2010.

Whitney, 41, has skated in all 17 games for Dallas this season and ranks third on the club with seven assists. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward from Ft. Saskatchewan, Alta., ranks third among active NHL players in games played (1,278) and is sixth in points (377-669=1,040). Whitney was San Jose's second-round selection (23rd) overall in the 1991 NHL Draft and was signed by Dallas as a free agent on July 1, 2012. Whitney was placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 9th when he suffered a lower-body injury against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Labrie, 22, is in his third pro season after being signed by Dallas as an undrafted free agent to a three-year entry-level contract on September 18, 2009. The Victoriaville, Quebec native has played in 90 career pro games, including 60 AHL games for the Stars, with six points (2 goals, 4 assists) and 63 penalty minutes. Labrie has played in three ECHL games for the Steelheads this season.