Dallas-Texas Connection Grows with Scrimmage Announcement

Francis Wathier and Stephane Robidas battle
in the 2009 edition of the Dallas v. Texas
matchup. (Credit: Ron Byrd/Texas Stars)

I've been out of the country for the past week in Toronto. Yes, I visited the Hockey Hall of Fame and that post will be coming soon. For now, recapping the biggest story of the last week....

The whispers and rumors of the last month were verified this past week when Jim Lites confirmed that the Dallas Stars would be visiting the Cedar Park Center for a practice and scrimmage as part of their preseason training camp in early October.

The Stars will open training camp in Fort Worth, as they did last season, and then play a slate of preseason games. After their final game on September 30th, the club will head to Cedar Park for a practice on October 3rd and a scrimmage between the Texas Stars and Dallas Stars on October 4th. Lites noted that both teams will be taking the game seriously and it will include referees as well. It's a great tune-up for the AHL club as they start their schedule and helps Dallas keeps its legs under it during the week between the end of the preseason and the start of the regular season.

This is the second time such an event has happened. Before the first season, Texas hosted the Dallas club in the "Bud Light Battle of the Stars". For a taste of that game, take a look at this Dallas forward lineup:

Ja. Benn – Ribeiro – Morrow
Eriksson – Richards - Neal
Ott – Modano – Petersen
Brunnstrom – Wandell - Sutherby

One player remains in Dallas from that roster. The names above have been replaced now by names familiar to Cedar Park fans: Sceviour, Roussel, Garbutt, and Eakin. That doesn't even include your defensemen, who weren't listed in gamesheets I could find.

The game also helps to reinforce the 'team of the Southwest' message that the Dallas Stars are pushing. This game, combined with yet to be announced marketing events around it, will help raise the profile of the NHL club in Austin.