Alex Petrovic Has Found a Second Coming in Dallas

(Credit: Ross Bonander/Texas Stars)

Alex Petrovic celebrated his 700th career game in professional hockey, picking up a pair of helpers in a 5-2 win over the Manitoba Moose on November 10, 2024. Just a few months later, the veteran defenseman has once again found himself as a key contributor on the backend deep in the NHL playoffs.

Petrovic’s goal in Game 3 against Winnipeg, his first NHL playoff goal since 2016, has the makings of a momentum swinging, series shifting moment.

Tied up at 2-2, Petrovic found the back of the net for his first playoff goal in almost a decade, scoring the go-ahead goal just minutes into the final period. Dallas ultimately took a 5-2 victory Friday night to go up 2-1 over the President's Trophy winners.

“It was good, kind of a different feeling from the one that went in back in April of 2016,” Petrovic told 100 Degree Hockey on Monday. “It was a shot from the blueline… It’s been such a long time. To have a goal in that moment, it’s special.”

Outside of the lengthy discussion during and after the game, at an individual level, it was a break that was bound to happen after the performance the veteran defender has had in the playoffs.

Improving every night, one of the big components of the success for Petrovic has been the chemistry he built with 20-year old Lian Bichsel. Their time in Cedar Park has translated seamlessly now that the two are in Dallas.

“Things happen quick out there… that chemistry definitely helps,” Petrovic said. “We played together last year, this year, and even during the regular season up here a couple times too. It's big, takes a little bit of uncertainty out.”

Nobody in the current iteration of the Texas Stars roster has played more NHL games than Petrovic, who is quickly approaching the 300 mark. Since returning to the state of Texas, the former second-rounder has found a new life in hockey as a Star.

Unlike his younger contemporaries down in the minors, callups can pose interesting challenges for a veteran like Petrovic, who is married and a father of two young boys.

“My wife and I have been through packing up our houses and loading up, traveling the last four or five years, especially, we had a new kid every year,” Petrovic said. “For our first couple of years, we had to bring two cribs that the boys were in — take those apart, put them back together, take them apart. It's a lot easier now, them being a little bit older.”

Fortunately for the Petrovics, they have found a home in Cedar Park for the past couple of years, with the organization assisting them when Alex has been called up for Dallas’ playoff runs.

“The team has been a really, really great help to find accommodations and everything,” Petrovic said. “Nowadays it's a lot easier. They got Airbnb, so tons of options, we're just happy to utilize it.”

Grinding his way up from the minors in San Antonio and cracking the Florida Panthers lineup for five seasons, Petrovic’s career has not gone the way many had thought the 2011 second-rounder would have. After the 2018-19 season, Petrovic has been a mainstay in the AHL.

Signing with the Dallas organization in 2021, Petrovic has embraced his new role in this phase of his career, being mostly a veteran depth piece and providing a support role in fostering the next generation of Dallas Stars.

“I knew that was my role coming in,” Petrovic said. “I love it because when I'm working with those guys, I'm teaching you stuff. I'm working on it as well — I'm not just telling them. I'm out there, working on different skills, different things, talking about the game, just always a student of the game.”

With the organization consistently acquiring quality talent, even Petrovic is taken aback at the skill level some of the younger Texas Stars bring to the table.

“There’s little moves and stuff that those guys do nowadays, which is stuff unheard of back when I was their age,” Petrovic said. “I think we’ve built a pretty good culture down there.”

Many players never get another shot at the NHL, some can get stuck in the minors for years and never crack a roster again, but Petrovic has stuck around and has proven he still has worth in this league. His contributions to Dallas in this season’s playoff run have not gone unnoticed.

“I don’t know if there’s a person that’s watched us in the last 3-4 weeks that can say that he’s not an NHL defenseman,” Jake Oettinger told The Athletic. “He’s earned that position, and I don’t think he’s playing in the AHL again after how well he’s done this playoffs.”