Stars Young and Old Converge on Training Camp as Season Nears

(Credit: Texas Stars)

[Editor's note: This should be our last story from the editor's pen but authored by another writer. Today's debut comes from Nicholas Kingman,who will also get his intro post before the season.]

The Stars were shining these past three days at the Dallas Stars headquarters in the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The Dallas Stars concluded their final day of training camp before the NHL preseason slate begins this evening against the St. Louis Blues. 

58 players filled out the Stars roster; the team was made up of a diverse group of players such as Dallas Stars veterans, skaters from the Stars’ minor league affiliates in Cedar Park and  as well as young talent from the various junior hockey leagues in Canada converged on the three-day camp. 

Out of the 58 players invited to camp, 22 players started or spent time with the Texas Stars last season. Throughout camp, Texas Stars’ skaters showed great chemistry with each other when they were grouped together on their respective lines.  

Defensemen Gavin White and Christian Kyrou played very well together. The pair looked like veterans on the ice during the forecheck drill Saturday morning. The pair put a lot of pressure on the younger guys from the juniors during the drill forcing a turnover. 

White had a very impressive final day, he exhibited great vision and skill during the Green-White scrimmage. He was very physical throughout the scrimmage, pinning an opposing skater to the boards forcing a turnover. During the second period of the scrimmage, White had himself a nice wrist shot that slid past goaltender Remi Poirier for a score. 

The disparity in talent was evident throughout the three-day camp though. Stars’ staff mixed up the lines and substitutions especially on the final day. Harden NHLers such as Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen caught a lot of guys off caught for a handful of breakouts at goal throughout the first two days. 

Freshly-signed center Matt Duchene toyed with the younger guys, snowing the opposition on a hard cut and exhibiting fancy stick work whenever he got a chance. Duchene passed the puck between the legs of a defender, earning cheers from the crowd.

Despite being pitted against NHL veterans, the younger guys still gave it their best and were not intimidated. AHL defenseman Michael Karow made a big hit breaking up a developing play along the boards. Texas Stars that were pitted against each other did not let up on the physicality aspect. Defensemen Luke Krys brushed his captain, Curtis McKenzie, for a turnover. 

McKenzie and center Chase Wheatcroft displayed great chemistry with each other during morning skate passing the puck smoothly at full speed. Texas’ goaltender Ben Kraws is developing very well and had a great day three, blocking every shot that came his way during the Green-White scrimmage. 

Poirier struggled during day three of camp letting four goals pass through him during team scrimmage. Right winger Matthew Seminoff displayed great leadership, waiting for his teammate by the door and accompanying Poirier to the locker room. 

The Texas Stars’ players have really grown together as a group and are a very tight knit team; they showed it in front of the big club’s coaching staff the past three days when they were grouped on the ice.