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| (Credit: Texas Stars) |
I know I'm not being original with the thought, but it is very weird this liminal space that exists between December 26 and 31, isn't it? Here are a few random notes as Texas approaches their final two games of the calendar year in Iowa tonight and tomorrow.
Nathan Bastian heads to Texas on conditioning loan
The Texas Stars have received forward Nathan Bastian on a conditioning loan from Dallas. Players can come to the AHL on conditioning loans for up to 14 days but players have to consent to being sent. Bastian has been out of the lineup for much of the past month in Dallas, playing just three games total in December and having a lengthy gap between his games on December 5 and 27.
The conditioning loan allows Bastian to keep at game speed and stay warm for Dallas. For whatever reason, Texas fans have had bad luck when it comes to conditioning assignments and many have happened on the road. The most notable home assignments were Stephen Johns and Ben Bishop returning from lengthy injuries to tune up in Cedar Park.
Bastian may or may not play in Cedar Park against Milwaukee this weekend, but you'd bet on seeing him in Des Moines tonight and/or tomorrow.
The ECHL and the PHPA announced over the weekend a tentative agreement to end the players' strike. This morning they made it official. The new agreement is a five-year pact going through 2029-30. Details of how the deal came together aren't available yet.
In talking to sources, it sounded like the PHPA played their cards tactically in terms of when they decided to strike. The games immediately after Christmas are some of the biggest draws across the league. They struck just ahead of those contests to inflict maximum pain.
For Idaho, they will have missed just two games during the strike, both away games at Utah. For the Steelheads, at least, it shouldn't be as painful to reschedule those games as if they had been playing a more far-flung competitor. It's not clear if games will be rescheduled at all at this point.
My understanding was that NHL/AHL contracted players were set to stay in Idaho for this week and possibly be recalled to Texas before the homestand this coming weekend versus Milwaukee. That is a moot point now.
Idaho resumes their schedule Friday at home against Rapid City.
Hoping for a PWHL Takeover Return in Dallas
Finally, I had a chance to sit on the glass with my family for the PWHL Takeover Tour in Dallas. That was an amazing experience. I don't know if the PWHL will come back to Dallas next year, but I highly encourage anyone who hasn't been to seek out a ticket if they do. The fan engagement, the youth hockey engagement, the fun of the game... all were top notch. And as a sidenote, glass seats were very affordable and created a quick alignment of my family's rooting interests and the team that warmed up in front of us.
Texas plays Iowa tonight in Des Moines.
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