Dallas Stars Promote Neil Graham to NHL Bench as Assistant

(Credit: Texas Stars)

One way or another, everyone knew that Neil Graham would not coach another game in Cedar Park. After Glen Gulutzan was rumored as head coach of the Dallas Stars, it was only a matter of time before Neil Graham's assistant coach announcement came down.

At 12:15 this afternoon, that news came.

Life is a curious thing with regards to timing. I was texting the other day with Dallas scribe Robert Tiffin about the way that openings and opportunities have to match up with what's available. I think about the house I live in now or the job that I have. The house had to be on the market right at that moment I decided to look. If I'd waited two more weeks, maybe it would have been taken and the course of my entire life would have been different. We all have moments like this in our own lives.

And so it was in 2019 when Bob Jones moved from his assistant role with Texas to be an assistant in Ottawa. Neil Graham, who had been dutifully serving with the ECHL's Steelheads since 2012, was ready for the next step and elevated into the role.

Jim Montgomery's departure created a chain reaction that elevated Derek Laxdal to Dallas just over a season into Graham's time in Texas. It was suddenly Neil Graham's bench in Cedar Park.

Now Graham has served his time in the AHL as a head coach and was getting interest from the wider NHL for assistant jobs. At just the right time for his career arc, Dallas had an opening.

And now, he himself is making the drive up I-35 that he has sent so many of his players on over his career.

There are certainly still a few pieces yet to be sorted out, but let's look at the biggest names. Under the tutelage of Graham, you've got Thomas Harley, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Jake Oettinger, Lian Bichsel, Alex Petrovic, Mavrik Bourque and Oskar Bäck. You've also got the next generation including Justin Hryckowian, Arttu Hyry, Tristan Bertucci and Trey Taylor (the last two a little less).

Graham brings instant credibility with half the roster from their time working together in the AHL. While he hasn't won the big one for Texas, his teams have had pretty remarkable consistency and haven't always had the aces up their sleeve on the roster in every season. He's coached veteran talent like in 2022-23, a team we all thought was Calder bound. He's coached the rawest of rookie squads like in 2023-24.

Now he gets to do it in the show.

For my part, I really enjoyed working with Neil. Of course, I also get the benefit of continuing to work with him in a more limited capacity now. He was incredibly gracious with his time. Always went beyond the cliches (when we asked a non-cliched question to get there). He embraced the new writing squad this year in a way that I both expected and did not at the same time. One of the nice things about hockey, I've found, is that people who have every right to big time you or treat you as not as worthy almost never do, at least in the Dallas organization. It's part of the team and organizational culture. Neil Graham is definitely part of that.

Now Texas begins a search for their next head coach. There is always going to be the question of whether the solution exists internally to the team or the organization. And we can get into all of that. But now it's fine enough to revel in the fact that yet another Texas Star got the callup. For that, we can all be proud.

(If you'd like an inside look at my early experiences with Neil Graham, read this article from 2017 when I visted Boise for a weekend series.)