By Alexander Monaghan
President

On a night with 12 games on the docket, it should come to no surprise that we have not only one, but two controversial hits. Regarding the Jordin Tootoo incident we took a more down-the-middle approach. However, the shoulder-to-head hit from Dallas Stars defender Mark Fistric is a bit more subjective than most.

New York Islanders forward Nino Niederreiter came breaking down the side boards at top speed and just received the puck. The right wing skated from his left to his right, receiving the puck at full speed and clearly did not see the physical defender. The hit could be construed as east-west but the defender was simply stepping up to the play. Niederreiter either did not see the defender at all or thought he could skate by him but it remains abundantly clear that he should have seen him on the ice — Fistric didn’t skate from the center of the ice to the boards, he was already on that side of the ice.

The game of hockey is incredibly fast as is Niederreiter so we can only assume he wasn’t expecting the hit. As much is clear considering the former Portland Winterhawk was unable to protect himself on the play.

As Fistric hit the Swiss right wing, he left his feet but it is unclear whether he jumped pre or post impact. Nevertheless, if he was actually leaving his feet prior to making contact he probably would have fallen differently. Then again, it could be argued that he did not make an attempt to get low enough on the hit. A lower angle would certainly guarantee no contact with the head. Fistric also could miss the hit altogether which would allow for an odd-man rush.

Not making that hit is not in Fistric’s vocabulary. It’s the type of game he plays. Despite playing in only 19 of the team’s 27 games he leads the team in that counting stat. He posted 173 hits last year in only 57 games and 171 hits over 67 games the year before that. The Stars pay him to hit and frankly not to do much more.

Although the Edmonton, Alberta has never been suspended there have been a few close calls with the law. He was almost suspended by hitting current teammate Eric Nystrom with his helmet during a fight when the latter played for the Minnesota Wild. He also concussed Detroit Red Wings power forward Johan Franzen with an elbow to the head, which went unpunished. He has a history of questionable play which probably leads to a suspension of some kind.

In addition, Niederreiter is believed to have a concussion which should further place the onus on Fistric. See for yourself, courtesy of Hockey Fights, and voice your opinion in the comments.

Despite the crackdown on headshots and blindside hits, League referees don’t always make the right call. Last night’s incident is a perfect example of just that when Anaheim Ducks enforcer George Parros delivered his shoulder to the face of Dallas Stars Krys Barch; Barch clearly had no idea it was coming.

While we expected these two to get a bit chippy, a blindside hit is illegal despite the participants. Parros was not penalized on the ice and Barch did not undergo any quiet room procedures as the officials got this call wrong by all accounts. View the play for yourself below:

Luckily for Parros he escaped suspension over his seven-year career so he will not be viewed as a repeat offender, just a bonehead. Nevertheless, he should have some sort of punishment handed to him as he delivered a hit which signified exactly what Brendan Shanahan and company want to get rid of.

Be the judge, lay down the hammer and take a vote:

The Minnesota Wild’s quest to rid themselves of the $1.4 million cap hit belonging to second-generation forward Eric Nystrom successfully ended today. The Dallas Stars acquired the Syosset, NY native, whose contract runs through 2013, today in exchange for future considerations.

With all due respect to Nystrom, the Stars made this deal primarily, if not entirely, for financial reasons. Prior to the deal, the Stars were perilously close to the salary cap floor of $48.3 million because of Sean Avery, yes, THAT Avery. When the New York Rangers moved Avery to the AHL, the Stars’ portion of his cap hit, $1.9 million, came off their books. Consequently, the Stars needed to take on approximately $1.2 million of salary cap space.

The acquisition of Nystrom solved that dilemma (prorated cap hit of $1.34 million for the remainder of the season), but, in doing so, the club added an extra player to their 23 man roster. In addition, defenseman Adam Pardy has reportedly come off the long term injury reserve list, which further complicated matters for the Stars.

In order to become compliant in regards to the number of active roster players, the Stars announced the demotion of forward Tomas Vincour. With 14 forwards, 8 defensemen (including Pardy), and 2 goaltenders still on the Stars’ active roster — per numerous NHL sources — the Stars still need to lose one contract from their active roster. That leaves speculation that the odd man out COULD be 21-year-old defenseman Philip Larsen, who is playing on an entry-level contract and could probably use a bit more seasoning in the AHL.

Melissa Grissom
NHLHS Dallas Stars Correspondent

On September 21, 2011, Mike Modano, the face and voice of the Dallas Stars franchise, decided to hang up the skates. He’s known as one of the greatest American born skaters in the NHL. He was a fast, smooth skater who had the knack for goals and changed his style of play to win more games. He went from a rookie who scored many goals to become a great two-hockey player. In his 21 years in the NHL, he played 1499 games, scored 561 goals, with 831 assists and ended up with 1374 points, but the stats with Modano wasn’t the biggest impact of his game. It was the impact off the ice as well, as he started the Mike Modano foundation, which raises funds to improve the quality of life for at-risk and under-served children in the Dallas, Texas area.

When I first started this tribute article for Mike Modano, I asked many fans to write what they thought of Mike Modano and how he changed the game of hockey for them:

“Mike is the epitome of hockey players. There’s no words to express what he meant to the Stars or the sport in general from” @hockeyarcher (Mohammad Bakhach)

“Mike Modano was one of the best American born hockey players of all time” @odf371 (Dawn Crupi)

“When @9modano skated he was poetry in motion creating excitement for fans who anticipated that high labeler” @NewYork Puck (Derek B. Felix)

“I have Modano to thank for everything, he truly got me into the sport back in 2000 when we were in the playoffs, I think my first game I watched was against the Av’s.. He stood out to me, not because he was good looking but the plays he made were awesome. I am truly blessed and thankful for being able to watch him for the better part of my life.” @KaPow18  (Kayla Powers)

“Mike Modano was the best of a group of Americans who were inspired by the 1980 US Men’s Olympic team. A natural athlete, he could’ve played just about any sport, yet he chose hockey and US hockey is all the better for it.” @happygirl2525 (Kris)

“I’ve been a Stars fan since I was a kid in the mid 80′s growing up just north of Edmonton. That’s right, while Gretzky and Messier were hoisting Stanley Cups just miles from my house, I was cheering for the Minnesota North Stars. I remember hearing about Mike Modano a little before the draft in 1988 and realized that we were on a collision course as the North Stars were destined for the #1 pick that year. I watched his draft that Saturday morning on June 11 of 1988 and I, as well as my youngest sister, eventually became a fan. I had favorites over the years like Dino Ciccarelli, Neal Broten, and Dave Gagner, but Mike Modano set a whole new standard. A standard that’s not likely to ever be matched. He’s been that Gretzky and that Messier to me, and he’s someone us Stars fans can brag about with confidence when talking about the greatest players to ever play the game. His skill level on the ice was nearly untouchable and so is his class off of it. He’s the definition of idol and it’s been an amazing 23 year ride. Impossible to put in to words. Thank you Mike !” Travis Currie, Gibbon AB (travcurrie)

“Mike Modano is the reason I became a fan of hockey and the Dallas Stars. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him play, his jersey flapping in the wind behind him as he glided across the sheet of ice at Reunion Arena. From that moment on, I was hooked and he’s someone that I have looked up to for the last 14 years. He made hockey relevant in a non-traditional hockey market and he’s done so much for the city of Dallas the surrounding communities. Thank you Mike for all that you’ve done in Dallas. Thank you for all the incredible memories that you’ve given not just your fans, but your teammates, your friends and your family. You will be missed on the ice by many, but you’ve paved the way for future hockey players. Thank you for being an inspiration on so many levels. Good luck in all your future ventures. Welcome back home to Big D, Mike!”  Casey (@StarStruck1409)

As you can tell, Mike Modano had a big impact in the NHL and outside of the whole hockey business. Modano will always be remembered as the greatest American goal scorer who loved the game like we all do. Now he’s retired and maybe he will be coaching or maybe he will be with the Dallas Stars organization. Right now he’s enjoying retirement.

An American icon has retired from the NHL, but his legacy will be remember by the fans who loved him. So good luck, Mike Modano to whatever you do in the near future.

By Jeff Quirin
NHLHS Associate Editor

Every season several players rise from the depths of obscurity in all its various forms. In this premier series of the X List I take a look at the top 10 players to come out of obscurity and forge their way into (back into in some cases) the NHL limelight. Here are numbers 5 and 6.

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Image via Herman Von Petri (Flickr)

6. Jamie Benn – Forward – Dallas Stars

For most NHL players scoring 22 goals and registering 54 points in just 69 games during a sophomore effort would garner more attention. But when your franchise is mired in financial trouble and you skate behind one of the hottest lines in the conference it’s easy to get lost in the mix. So went the 2010-11 season for Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn.

His 2011-12 campaign will not likely go the same.

On the ice the biggest barriers to notoriety have been removed. Benn started last season on the Stars second unit behind their top trio (and arguably the second best in the West) of Loui Eriksson, Brad Richards and James Neal. That line is no more as two thirds have left Dallas. Neal was the first to go in a February trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins which netted defenseman Alex Goligoski. Richards moved on when he signed one of the biggest free agent deals of the summer with the New York Rangers. Taking his team leading 77 points in 72 games with him.

Benn won’t be a stranger to the increase in responsibility that comes with first line opportunity. Returning from injury on February 22nd he stepped in to a larger role with Neal no longer his teammate. In the 23 games that followed during the race for playoffs Benn tallied 9 goals and 14 assists while playing more than 21 minutes a game. Proving that his previous success was not just because of the Richards line taking the tougher match-ups and he can be a clutch performer.

Part of being a trusted option for a head coach is excelling in all situations and areas of play. Like Marian Hossa, Benn realizes that he has defensive responsibilities at even strangth. Like Ryan Kesler he is capable of handling important man advantage and penalty kill minutes. While Benn’s skill set is not as progressed as those two, nor is his resume as defined, their styles are similar. Big bodies making big plays for their team.

Now that the ownership situation is about to resolve itself, Benn’s time to shine on the frozen sheet has arrived.

(Suggested further reading complements of Defending Big D)

Image via BridgetDS (Flickr)

5. Jordan Staal – Forward – Pittsburgh Penguins

A 2nd overall selection. A 29 goal rookie season. One of three 2010 Selke finalists. A key figure in back to back Stanley Cup appearances. An important player in a Stanley Cup championship. Such a resume would lead the average puckhead to think that unnamed player would be well known. Certainly Jordan Staal is to some, but far more know of his teammates Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and owner Mario Lemeuix.

The opportunity to edge his way in to more of the Pittsburgh hockey spotlight has never been stronger.

Staal’s prowess as one of the top checking centers in the league is common knowledge. The silky smooth skater lead the best third line in hockey with Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy on his wing for quite some time. Tackling the toughest defensive assignments for head coach Dan Bylsma. Not only taking care of their own end, but also chipping in more than their fair share of goals.

The Penguins are a club built to be strong down the middle. With question surrounding Crosby’s return from post concussion symptoms and how strong Malkin will be coming off a serious knee injury said strength is challenged. Staal will need to take his offensive game to the next level and fulfill his draft pedigree as a top line, do it all centerman.

The supporting cast is present to aid the Thunder Bay native. James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Steve Sullivan are all experienced producers. Kennedy may be a diamond in the rough consistent 20 goal scorer. Pascal Dupuis knows how to do the dirty work freeing up the skilled players. There is the ever present offensive presence from the point lead by Kris Letang and Paul Martin.

This same group, sans Sullivan, were all present for Staal’s shortened 2010-11 campaign. In which Crosby and Malkin were both missing for the vast majority of games. From the Winter Classic forward he registered 11 goals and 30 points in 42 games. Roughly a 59 point pace projected out over 82 games. The best pace of his career. All while averaging over 21 minutes on ice a night.

The 2011-12 season appears to be the one where Staal takes his place along with the Ryan Kesler‘s, Jonathan Toews‘ and Mike Richards‘ of the league.

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Thanks for reading. As always you are welcome to follow me on Twitter: @JTQ_1.

Greetings Stars’ Fans!  The day we have all been waiting very impatiently for, has finally come:  Tom Hicks is being kicked to the curb per the Stars Press Release.  It is usually not nice to kick someone when they’re down, especially since Hicks is really hurting right now (Google Cache link), but exceptions can be made.  In true Hicks fashion, this sale process has been a rigamarole of conjecture, rumor, “facts”, and countless stories of “as soon as next week…”.  To say that Stars fans are exhausted from the news of ownership or lack thereof over the last year, is an understatement.

But alas, the time has come…to wait longer.  60 – 75 days to be exact.  While we have training camp and the first quarter of the season to focus on and keep our mind off things (seriously who isn’t ready for the season to begin?), the Lord of the Debt trilogy will be wrapping up the epic conclusion.  This time period could prove tenuous and nerve racking and with so much possible legal jargon being thrown about, it would surprise no one if Law & Order sues for copyright infringement.

Hope is not lost, Stars fans.  Someone once said ” its darkest before the dawn”.  We can survive and even thrive during these coming weeks.  The ways are numerous but here are the top 5:

#5 – Become a Bankruptcy Expert

Everyone else has (I think the NHL employs a permanent team these days for this) or will become one, so why not join the club.  We can then talk about assumed debt, unsecured creditors, reorganization, and court approved operations to our heart’s content on the message boards and twitter.  In the end, we’ll realize how crazy and delusional we are for watching this debacle but it was still better than watching any preseason game.

#4 – When visiting AAC for games, be sure to bring extra cash and some thick skin

While operations will continue as normal, we may start to see a few changes.  Cost cutting is a way of life these days and its no different for the Stars.  Creativity will be king.  Lower quality food at higher prices wouldn’t be hard to fathom.  Maybe even the removal of the brand-name beer we all enjoy and replaced for, well, beer-like substances.  All of this at the low, low price of $20 for an AT&T 12 ounce cup and $15 for the Reebok 6″ hot dog (the foot long ones were just too expensive).  Don’t forget the Chili’s Trifecta Ketchup!!

#3 – Community Outreach

Charity is chicken soup for the soul.  What better way to make a difference and feel good about it, than to donate to the Stars’ inaugural “Adopt an Unsecured Creditor” drive.  There are some very notable creditors for the Stars and we should do everything in our power to make sure that these poor, poor souls can recover some of the money owed to them.  Sean Avery thanks you in advance.  Joking aside, these people deserve their money before Tom Hicks sees a cent, but I digress.

#2 – Twitter-ing

If you’re not into Twitter, this is the time to join.  To see 5,000 opinions flying at you in 30 seconds is a very magical thing.  I highly recommend the guys at @DefendingBigD as well as @DalStarsWriter.  Follow the #Stars hash and join in on everyone’s opinion or create your own.  While completely unproductive, at least boredom will not be an issue.

#1 – Drinking

Last and certainly not least, while not advocating any illegal activities (DWI, underage drinking, etc), I highly encourage every fan (that is every fan of legal age in your respective area) to continually put back some brew, wine, or your favorite liqueur profusely while watching, discussing, or tweeting about the Stars.  Stars fans are the greatest fans in hockey and drinking is just the Texas way.

As any Stars fan will tell you, this has been the news we’ve all been waiting for (well since we finally got our answer about Brad Richards).  It’s taken a long, long time and then took more but here we are waiting again for one final time.  The payoff is worth it as the Dallas Stars will be a better team and organization once this saga is over.  Goodbye Mr. Hicks, please don’t let the door hit you.

Feel free to add to the list in the comments section.

Kevin Navarre
NHLHS Correspondent
knavarre@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @jabberwockkie

By Jeff Quirin
NHLHS Associate Editor and St. Louis Blues Correspondent

The temperature dropping in to the mid-40′s Thursday morning was a brisk reminder that hockey season is just around the corner.

Just walking out the door was like stepping in to the rink. The smell of “cold” and the quickly browning leaves rustling in the wind like skates carving through the ice. Come Friday morning at 9 a.m. blue bleeding fans will no longer have to imagine the sights, sounds and smells of St. Louis Blues hockey. They’ll be able to experience it for real as the 2011 Training Camp gets under way at the St. Louis Mills Ice Zone practice facility.

There are some noticeable changes in the schedule of events from the last few years.

While camp will start at the Mills over the weekend and then transition to Scottrade Center as it has previously, there will be additional dates open to the public after the first few days. The first four sessions from September 16th through 19th will take place Ice Zone as will September 26th and 27th. In the past once the team moved downtown they did not go back to the Mills for camp activities.

The widely attended Blue vs Gold Scrimmage is not likely to return per comments made by General Manager Doug Armstrong and head coach Davis Payne the August media summit.

There is speculation that the equally as popular FANFest is going the way of the scrimmage as well. The one time weekend long festival has been continually pared down to the half day event prior to the final preseason home game it was last season. Announcements regarding FANFest typically come during training camp, so check back for details.

An eight game in twelve day preseason schedule kicks off on Tuesday, September 20th as Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning come to St. Louis. The game is the first of five consecutive.

Sept. 20th – vs. Tampa Bay
Sept. 21st – @ Tampa Bay
Sept. 22nd – vs. Minnesota
Sept. 23rd – @ Colorado
Sept. 24th – @ Dallas
Sept. 27th – @Minnesota
Sept. 29th – vs. Colorado
Oct. 1st – vs. Dallas

The lineups for the ten warmups will be derived from the 57 man camp roster which breaks down in to 34 forwards, 18 defensemen and 5 goaltenders as listed on the Blues official website.

Forwards
Jason Arnott – David Backes
Jay Barriball – Cody Beach
Patrik Berglund – Jonathan Cheechoo
Adam Cracknell – BJ Crombeen
Matt D’Agostini – Stefan Della Rovere
Evgeny Grachev – TJ Hensick
Jamie Langenbrunner – Stephen MacAulay
Andy McDonald – Philip McRae
Derek Nesbitt – Scott Nichol
Anthony Nigro – TJ Oshie
Anthony Peluso – David Perron
Chase Polacek – Chris Porter
Ty Rattie – Ryan Reaves
Tyler Shattock – Chris Stewart
Vladimir Sobotka – Brett Sonne
Alex Steen – Brett Sterling
Ryan Tesink – Yannick Veilleux

Defensemen
Brock Beukeboom – Carlo Colaicovo
Ian Cole – Mark Cundari
Joel Edmundson – Brennan Evans
Cade Fairchild – Jake Gannon
Kyle Hagel – Kent Huskins
Barret Jackman – Nikita Nikitin
Alex Pietranglo – Roman Polak
Brett Ponich – Kevin Shattenkirk
David Shields – Danny Syvret

Goalies
Jake Allen
Jordan Binnington
Ben Bishop
Brian Elliot
Jaroslav Halak

This camp will be like none other in recent memory as few NHL roster spots are available. Primarily due to the number of one way contracts and added veteran depth, but also because of the superior level of play from Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk who are both on entry level contracts. Closing the window the only potential openings on the back end.

One exception is the battle to backup Jaroslav Halak. Local boy Ben Bishop has paid dues in the AHL with the Peoria Rivermen and looks to make the jump to the big show full time. Free Agent signing Brian Elliot hopes that his starting experience with the Ottawa Senators gives him a leg up in the battle. Both will see an ample number of pucks through out the entirety of camp to determine who starts the season in St. Louis. It’s clear whoever performs the best will win the job. It’s a straight forward, winner take all contest.

Jake Allen cannot sit back an relax and just let Elliot and Bishop duke it out. No matter how well he performs in games and at camp, he is destined for Peoria. But how many games he will start correlates directly to how he compares to the loser of the NHL backup battle.

As far as Halak is concerned, camp is about confirming he is in shape and ready for a full starter’s workload.

The 13th and potentially 14th forward openings will likely go to more seasoned role players rather than first or second year pros. Look for Chris Porter, Adam Cracknell and Ryan Reaves to all be in contention. All three performed very well in a late season showcase and the front office wants to see who can follow up the best. Reaves has the edge in physicality, but Porter has the best chance of earning the job.

Jonathan Cheechoo will be in the mix as well, but not just to be the safety net in the pressbox. He will compete with Traverse City Prospect Tournament scoring leader Phil McRae, AHL scoring aces Brett Sterling and TJ Hensick, as well as Evgeny Grachev for call-up priority when a skill player is needed. McRae’s 7 points in 4 games run will give him a leg up, but there can be no let down at camp or he will slide down the list.

The Blues top pick in the 2011 draft had a solid showing as McRae’s linemate, but now Ty Rattie will truly be tested. He will not just be among comparable young players as he was in Traverse City, but up against much stronger and more experienced competition. His stock is already high, but he could lock his place in just below Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz as the third highest rated forward prospect in the organization with a solid camp.

There may not be an official battle between top two centers David Backes and Patrik Berglund, but their level of play will be closely monitored. The organization’s faith clearly rests in Backes as he now the captain and Berglund agreed to a “prove your worth” contract this summer. The question is how much must be put on Backes’ shoulders. Will he need to shoulder some of Berglund’s burdens or can Payne utilize them as centers “1A” and “1B”?

Who flanks those two in the middle will also largely determine line order. Expect to see significant experimentation with the top six combinations. The most likely scenario is that trios which have already displayed chemistry will be the defaults. Andy McDonald and Matt D’Agostini with Backes and TJ Oshie and Chris Stewart with Berglund sound about right.

Consensus belief is that Alex Steen will join summer acquisitions Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner to form the “third line”. Payne does prefer an all purpose group group to a shutdown line in that role. Throughout the preseason they will likely be tested together in all situations.

Two players who stand to loose quite a bit at this camp are Chase Polacek and Brett Sonne. Polacek is a former NCAA scoring star and Hobey Baker finalist. Sonne was a solid center in the WHL and put together an impressive final season as an overager in 2008-09. They could easily fall behind the insurgence of veteran depth (Sterling, Cheechoo) and growing fringe prospects (Tyler Shattock, Anthony Nigro) and find their first opportunity to the NHL closed. For Sonne it’s all about maturing and playing as a professional. For Polacek, it’s about proving his skill set is good enough to compensate for size at the professional level.

In assistant coach Brad Shaw’s world of defenseman there are plenty of questions needing answers.

In general the Blues greatly favor balance in their pairings. A left handed shot with a right handed counterpart. Someone with offensive skill skating with a steady stay at home type. A dynamic the Blues have if they want it. Barret Jackman can pair with Pietrangelo, Carlo Colaiacovo with Roman Polak and Kent Huskins with Kevin Shattenkirk.

That said, tedious tinkering in the preseason is in store to maximize situational match-ups. In offensive zone draws moving Pietrangelo to his off hand left side to get Shattenkirk out there with him. Partnering Colaiacovo and Pietrangelo to pair Jackman with Polak to ice a shutdown pairing.

Russian import Nikita Nikitin will see a good amount of ice time in the preseason and be under the microscope in camp. The organization feels Nikitin is more like a fifth year than second year pro because of his KHL career and expect him to perform as such. If he can it will make keeping Huskins in the lineup difficult for the overall game Niktin brings.

Both Ian Cole and Mark Cundari come to camp pushing for top pairing minutes in Peoria as well as priority on the recall order. Since Cole has already made his debut on NHL ice, he has an obvious advantage. Don’t discount Cundari though. Small he may be, but he is deceptively strong, slick skating and carries a respectable offensive armament.

Are there more stories to follow at Blues training camp? Of course, but they’ve yet to be written. Check back for updates throughout the preseason.

Thanks for reading.

You’re welcome to follow me on Twitter: @JTQ_1 for news and thoughts on the Blues, Western Conference and the NHL at large.

All it took was a tourney opener reminder to shake the St. Louis Blues prospects squad of their summer rust. In the final day of pool play the Baby Blues defeated the Dallas Stars contingent 6-1.

The top unit of Ty Rattie, Phil McRae and Jay Barriball lead the way. The trio combined for four goals and eight points. McRae and Rattie are tied for the tournament scoring lead with three others. Both have two goals and three assists for five points.

Second year pros and linemates Anthony Nigro and Tyler Shattock performed well again. They accounted for the other two Blues tallies.

Top goalie prospect Jake Allen bounced back from his difficult outing against the Rangers. He stopped 27 of 28 Stars shots on goal.

Fellow 2011 draft picks Yannick Veilleux and Jamie Oleksiak fought in the second period. Agitating forward Stefan Della Rovere racked up 10 penalty minutes. Five minutes each for elbowing and fighting majors.

Matt Tassone was the lone Dallas goal scorer.

On Wednesday the Blues will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets prospect in the tournaments third place game. The Blue Jackets are lead by 4th overall pick in 2010, Ryan Johanesen, and 2009 4th round selection David Savard. John Moore, the 21st overall selection in 2009 is also on the roster. A pair of 2008 draft picks, Tomas Kubalik (5th round) and Cam Atkinson (6th round) both appear to be having solid tournaments. Both are averaging a point a game or better.

The Columbus line boasts eight of the top ten prospects per Hockey’s Future. Ninth and tenth rated prospects Will Weber and TJ Tynan are unable to compete since they play in the NCAA.

After Wednesday’s game most of the Traverse City group will head back to St. Louis to prep for training camp which kicks off Friday. Of those on the roster only McRae and Della Rovere have a chance at breaking camp with the Blues. A very small chance.

By Jeff Quirin
NHLHS St. Louis Blues Correspondent

As often is the case in hockey, its not about how hard you are knocked down, but how hard you fight to get back. After a thorough manhandling by the New York Rangers Saturday, the St. Louis Blues bounced back Sunday afternoon. Defeating the Carolina Hurricanes contingent 2-1 to level out their 2011 Traverse City Prospect Tournament record.

Swedish forward Mattias Lindstrom, the 88th overall selection in 2009, opened the scoring to put the Canes ahead 1-0 at the 9:13 mark. Defenseman Austin Levi, the 85th overall pick in 2010, was credited with an assist.

The Blues would not answer till halfway through the final 20 minutes. Ryan Tesink, the 165th pick in the 2011 draft, registers his first point of the tourney with the equalizing goal. Maxime Villemarie, an undrafted invitee playing for the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, was awarded the only assist.

Former University of Minnesota captain Jay Barriball, acquired in a 2007 trade with San Jose, put the Blues up with eight minutes remaining in regulation. Former collegiate teammate Cade Fairchild and Peoria Rivermen teammate Phil McRae assisted on the goal.

Jake Allen was given the day off as 2011 3rd round selection Jordan Binnington was in net for the Note. He stopped 17 of 18 Canes shots.

Mavric Parks, a six year vet of the OHL, started for Carolina. He turned away 24 of 26 Blues attempts on net.

Blues tough guy Cody Beach currently leads the tournament with 11 penalty minutes.

Though he did not end up on the score sheet, injury replacement Mark Cundari provided a stabilizing presence to a shaky group of defensemen. He led the Blues with five shots on goal and ended with a Plus-1 rating. Fairchild lead all plays with a Plus-2 rating.

There are no tournament games on the schedule for Monday. The Blues play next on Tuesday, September 13th against the Dallas Stars. Their lineup boasts the franchises last three first round picks. Goalie Jack Campbell (11th overall, 2010), forward Scott Glennie (8th, 2009) and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak (14th, 2011).

On September 7, 2011, the Dallas Stars lost a friend and teammate when defenseman Karlis Skrastins died in a plane crash just outside Yaroslavl, Russia. He loved the game like everyone did, played through injuries and was the sweetest guy on and off the ice. He was underrated and had the heart of a warrior. I was happy to have met him the past two years and he was the sweetest guy you will ever met. He never skipped the line and waited his turn. He always chatted with fans and signed autographs. He was a family man off the ice, loving his wife and his two daughters. His love off the ice is what he brought to rink every day.

I first met Karlis Skrastins at the last practice of the 2009-2010 season and he signed my Brenden Morrow jersey. He told me how to pronounced his last name before grinning at me. He just had a heart of gold and loved the game like I do. He had a great time at the practice arena and wanted to help a team win a championship.

Karlis Skrastins’s nickname was “Iron Man” for his dedication to play through injuries. He blocked shots when the game is on the line and mentoring players. Nothing would take him out of the lineup. Not a broken wrist or a knee that need to be surgically repaired.

He was warrior on the ice. He played through 302 games with the Nashville Predators from 2000 to 2003 with a beginning record of 495 games. He just played through pain, blocking shot after shot.

He never quits and is the kind of leader that most players look up to. He was the type of guy who brings heart and passion to the Stars that need it. He refused to give up and will play in pain in order to win a championship over his own personal goals. He played with his heart, led by example and never quit when the challenge was hard.

 In this NHL, we are bonded by fans, the team and their loved ones. We get to know them on and off the ice. Every NHL team’s goal is to win the Stanley Cup every year. But when tragedy happens that one goal to win a cup and winning games is not so important and that being with your loved ones are. Do something for me. Don’t take life for granted. Live life to the fullest. Spend it with your family and friends. Hug your family. Hug your mom and dad. Hug your friends and kids. Cherish those days with loved ones because you may never know when you will spend your last day with them.

This tragedy with Skrastins and his team brought a whole hockey community together. The Dallas Stars not only lost a teammate but they lost a friend and someone who loved the game. Karlis Skrastins, you will be sorely missed by everyone who loved your dedication and heart for the game. He will always be remembered as a Dallas Stars in the eyes of the Dallas Stars fan and me.

@DalStarsWriter