SB Nation Dallas: All Posts by Luther Xue
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2013-01-01T11:00:05-06:00
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2013-01-01T11:00:05-06:00
2013-01-01T11:00:05-06:00
NHL Lockout: The 48 game possibility
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<figcaption>Bruce Bennett</figcaption>
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<p>A dramatically shortened season is the only chance for NHL hockey this year. What it would mean for the Stars?</p> <p>The NHL lockout enters month number five of no hockey and the possibility of any games being played is on its last legs. A cut-off date has been set at Jan. 19, the last possible date that a feasible shortened schedule could be played (in this case, 48 games).</p>
<p>Once again, there are talks of how both sides are getting closer, but the agonizingly painful negotiation process is still ongoing. Instead of those same ole details over and over again, we're here to talk about something else today. What would a 48 game schedule look like for the Stars?</p>
<p>We'll start with the main problem a shortened schedule would be for Dallas, the hellish travel. Dallas is still in the Pacific Division so they would once again enter the season with the worst travel schedule in the league. Winnipeg might also have something to gripe about but the league is talking about moving them to the Western Conference and Columbus to the east to alleviate their travel concerns. The Stars would get no such gift.</p>
<p>As many as half of the 48 games would be played against those division foes. 24 games played back and forth between Dallas and the West Coast teams can really wear on a person, especially in a four month span. There's already complain enough about the grueling travel with a full season so imagine how tough it would be with even less rest in-between games and flights. Every other team in the league would have a huge advantage on the Stars in terms of travel and scheduling, especially without inter-conference games.</p>
<p>However, aside from those travel concerns, the shortened schedule would actually be quite beneficial to Dallas.</p>
<p>This team signed a couple of players during the offseason, <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> and <span>Ray Whitney</span> (remember them?), that are in their 40's (as Mike Gundy might say, they're now men) and a long season plus the travel could have really done a number to their body. A shortened schedule keeps them fresher, even with Jagr playing overseas at the moment and Whitney doing uhhhh... whatever he's up to with all his free time (seriously, anyone know?). They can go all-out each and every night if need be and that can only help.</p>
<p>Another guy that the Stars acquired, <span>Derek Roy</span>, is now fully recovered from his shoulder surgery and ready to anchor the Stars' second line. Dallas would have been without him for three or more months if there was a full season but now they would have the full complement of players to roll out there.</p>
<p>Missing Roy would have left a huge whole at the center position that <span>Tom Wandell</span> has no chance of filling. This would be a fantastic boost to their team to be able to roll out a top-six that's actually worthy.</p>
<p>He might have some conditioning issues, but that can be easily solved with some time with the Texas Stars before the short training camp or the season starts. The two teams run similar systems so he could learn on the fly down in Austin and have some grasp on how this team runs its offense when he's called up.</p>
<p>Another bright spot might be <span>Brenden Morrow</span> finally being fully healthy. He's been beat up for the past three years and has never been 100%. With the extended rest, Stars fans might finally see some resemblance of the player that became the captain of the team.</p>
<p>Another positive that could come out of this shortened season would be the end of season issues that Dallas has been plagued with lately. For the past four seasons, the Stars have entered the final two months of the season firmly in a playoff spot and each and every time they've collapsed down the stretch.</p>
<p>Who knows what the reason is for the late season troubles. They might just have run out of gas, or caved to the pressure or just flat out didn't have enough talent. With a shortened season, the Stars shouldn't collapse at the end of the season due to the simple fact that there are fewer games. While those games might be more intense, it still shouldn't be as grueling as a full 82, even with the travel.</p>
<p>The added players in the forward position should shore up the talent issue and Whitney and Jagr should help the mental aspect of things as they've been there and done that. Both guys have won the Cup before and Jagr has done it all with MVP's and World Championships and Olympic gold medals. When it's the critical junction of the schedule, guys like that are invaluable. It doesn't take long for guys like those two to get used to the team and they can help ease the burden on <span>Jamie Benn</span> and <span>Loui Eriksson</span> better by leaps and bounds.</p>
<p>There's been a lot of pessimism about the NHL because of the lockout but <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Dallas Stars</a> fans should be optimistic about the team's playoff chances if a deal is reached and a 48-game schedule is on the docket. With the way sports teams are going at the moment in the Metroplex, we could all use some cheering up.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-stars/2013/1/1/3823012/nhl-lockout-48-game-season
Luther Xue
2012-12-11T08:00:58-06:00
2012-12-11T08:00:58-06:00
NHL Lockout: A dark cloud gets darker
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<figcaption>Bruce Bennett</figcaption>
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<p>The aftermath from last week's disastrous negotiations could wash away the rest of the season as well as Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr, both of whom share some blame from what has happened.</p> <p>Roller coasters have nothing on the ups and downs of the CBA negotiations for the NHL. The crazy events that happened last week were a gut punch, roundhouse kick and knockout blow to the emotions to NHL fans everywhere.</p>
<p>A 12 hour meeting on Wednesday between select owners and players raised the optimism to the highest it's been since the negotiations started. It seemed that issues had been resolved and a deal was imminent.</p>
<p>Things looked even better on Thursday as Donald Fehr hinted in a press conference that a deal was extremely close and the NHL was ready to get started again in January. However, two minutes after he finished his conference, everything hit the fan. Fehr checked his voice mail, came back, and told everyone that not only was the deal off; the owners had taken their latest agreements off the table and ended talks entirely.<br><br>Little details then continued to leak out about how the owners were pissed at the players, even after the talks on Wednesday, and how the players were ready to play a season until Fehr told them they should continue to hold out for more. Calling these talks explosive is a massive understatement now. At this point it looks like the next step for the NHLPA is decertification, but they're still mulling that over.<br><br>It seems like I say this every week, but a full lockout has never looked more likely. So where does the NHL go from here? What happens next?<br><br><b>This CBA Won't Be Done For a While</b></p>
<p>At this point the CBA negotiations are irrelevant. For the past month or so, completing the negotiations and getting the game back hasn't been the most important thing on the minds of those in charge. It has been and will continue to be all about the PR battle and who exactly is at fault for the continued failures.<br><br>The NHLPA and Fehr are blaming it on the owners. The owners and Bettman are blaming this on the players and Fehr. Players are in turn taking shots at the owners and Bettman. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/">Boston Bruins</a> owner Jeremy Jacobs and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.diebytheblade.com/">Buffalo Sabres</a> goalie got into a heated exchange during the Wednesday talks.<br><br>During Fehr's press conference on Thursday, he repeatedly stated that a deal was close and how the players had done everything in their power to try to get this done. He set it up so that in case of failure, it would look like all the blame would fall on the owners. In his words, "The players have gone a very, very long way. The players have done far and away the lion's share."<br><br>Fast forward a couple of hours to Bettman's press conference where he states the exact same things except that the owners were ones trying their hardest to get this deal done and that Fehr lied when he said a deal was close and the players union "clearly doesn't want to make a deal." He also chastised Fehr for toying with the fan's emotions in order to make himself and the players look like the good guys.<br><br>Long story short, it's all about swaying the fans onto one side or the other now. Neither side seems to realize that both are culpable for the extended lockout. The owners have rescinded their proposal taken away key elements that would have been in the player's favor. The CBA negotiations are back at square one and any progress from the past two months is lost.<br><br>I don't believe that a deal will be done until next summer, sometime in July or August of 2013. The season will be canceled after New Year's day and labor talks will cease until after the NHL draft. They'll start up again when the free agency talks fire up and hopefully both sides realize by then what the real issues are and to quit the PR battle shenanigans. <br><br><b>Donald Fehr and Gary Bettman have to go</b></p>
<p>If anything has become clear after the labor negotiations this season, it's that Fehr and Bettman have to go away.<br><br>Bettman, regardless of whether or not he truly has power to influence the owners, has been the overseer to three lockouts now in his 20 year tenure. He's done some good things for the league like expansion and the growth of the league's revenue, but his time is up.<br><br>He's been the league's villain now for a decade and the amount of hatred towards him this year is at an all-time high from fans and players alike. I have yet to see any player out there in support of Bettman staying as the commissioner and fans have had their mob pitchforks in hand to overthrow him for a long time now.<br><br>He's a puppet for the owners and can't get control of the league. Everything he's done lately has misfired, from the CBA talks to the relocation of the Thrashers and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/phoenix-coyotes">Coyotes</a> situation to his terrible fines and suspensions system. It truly looks like he has no power over the owners, no respect from the players and no leverage with the league even though he's the commissioner. <br><br>As for Fehr, this season is all the proof anyone needs to see that he can't stay as the NHLPA director. He is absolutely murdering the league with his hardline approach and his constant spin. He knew during his press conference that the league wasn't anywhere close to a deal and had called for the federal mediators to return but he still stated that a deal was really close.<br><br> I have no idea what to believe out of his statements so everything he says has to be taken with a grain of salt. I know he's there for the players but man his complete disregard for the fans is amazing. As soon as he gets the deal that he wants, he needs to go so this doesn't happen again.<br><br><b>Next season is going to suck</b></p>
<p>The longer this lockout goes on, the more firmly I believe that the hockey season next year is going to suck. The league has lost a lot of casual fans and the hardcore fans are becoming disillusioned with the league. The season ticket holders around the league can't wait to cancel their packages. I fully expect attendance to be down next year for a majority of teams. The fan backlash is going to be severe.<br><br>The on-ice product next year is going to suffer as well. A majority of the players aren't going to be in hockey shape to be playing at a high level at the latter stages of the season. You also have to include the additional games that some guys will have to play during the Olympics and travel involved over in Russia. There's going to be more hockey than usual next year and not everyone is going to be ready to play so many games.<br><br>This has been a sad embarrassing situation for those involved and the biggest losers have been the arena workers and the fans, both of whom have been thrown to the wayside. At this point, it would best to just get it over with and cancel the season and seriously work out a deal before training camp next year. If the league is going to this, they need to do it right.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-stars/2012/12/11/3752140/nhl-lockout-2012-gary-bettman
Luther Xue
2012-12-04T08:01:08-06:00
2012-12-04T08:01:08-06:00
Stars could score big in 2013 NHL Draft
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<figcaption>Bruce Bennett</figcaption>
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<p>A lost season would put Dallas right in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in a draft with two franchise-caliber players in it, one of whom is from the DFW Metroplex.</p> <p>As the month of November goes by the wayside, the NHL still sits at zero games played for the 2012-2013 season. CBA negotiations are still going on but the things are still looking as bleak as ever. In the past week, <a href="http://www.csnne.com/hockey-boston-bruins/bruins-talk/Haggerty-Jacobs-should-be-held-responsib?blockID=807091">a big-market owner has been accused of bullying representatives from other teams</a> and <a href="http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2012-11-26/nhl-lockout-guy-serota-twitter-ass-mode-assmode-craig-ferguson-sarah-silverman-m">a federal mediator was hired and then fired within an hour due to his twitter account</a>.</p>
<p>With the likelihood of another lost season very high, the 2013 Draft could be the only NHL related event fans could see this season. And as bad as a full lockout would be, it could also provide an incredible boost to the Stars organization through its effect on the draft. </p>
<p>The lost 2004 season led to a full-on 30-team lottery for the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft. Each team was given a lottery ball based on their playoff appearances and number one picks (or lack thereof) in the previous three seasons.<br><br> Four teams were given three balls: the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.diebytheblade.com/">Buffalo Sabres</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">New York Rangers</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.jacketscannon.com/">Columbus Blue Jackets</a>. None of the four made the playoffs in the previous three seasons. Pittsburgh and Columbus actually had number one picks during the three year time span (the Penguins had the 1st and then 2nd overall pick respectively in the previous two drafts) but the playoff appearances took precedence.</p>
<p>If 2013 follows the same process, Dallas would be one of the teams with three lottery balls.<span style="line-height: 9px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"></span>The allocation of the lottery balls would go something like this:<br><br>Three lottery balls (three seasons of no playoffs): <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.matchsticksandgasoline.com/">Calgary Flames</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canescountry.com/">Carolina Hurricanes</a>, Columbus Blue Jackets, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Dallas Stars</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hockeywilderness.com/">Minnesota Wild</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lighthousehockey.com/">New York Islanders</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/">Toronto Maple Leafs</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arcticicehockey.com/">Winnipeg Jets</a><br><br>Two lottery balls (one year with playoffs): <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.anaheimcalling.com/">Anaheim Ducks</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighhockey.com/">Colorado Avalanche</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.litterboxcats.com/">Florida Panthers</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stlouisgametime.com/">St. Louis Blues</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.rawcharge.com/">Tampa Bay Lightning</a><br><br>One lottery ball (at least two years with playoffs): <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/">Boston Bruins</a>, Buffalo Sabres, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.secondcityhockey.com/">Chicago Blackhawks</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/">Detroit Red Wings</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.coppernblue.com/">Edmonton Oilers</a>, LA <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/">Kings</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/">Montreal Canadiens</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ontheforecheck.com/">Nashville Predators</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a>, New York Rangers, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silversevensens.com/">Ottawa Senators</a>, Pittsburgh Penguins, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.broadstreethockey.com/">Philadelphia Flyers</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/phoenix-coyotes">Phoenix Coyotes</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthefin.com/">San Jose Sharks</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.nucksmisconduct.com/">Vancouver Canucks</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.japersrink.com/">Washington Capitals</a><br><br>I assume Edmonton will only get one ball since they've had the number one overall pick for three straight years now.<br><br>There would be a total of 51 balls in this lottery (three more than 2005) and the Stars would have about a 6% chance (5.88% to be exact) of getting the number one pick. Each middle tier team would have about a 4% chance while the best teams would have about a 2% chance.<br><br>Granted that doesn't sound like great odds, but that's a result of a really crappy lottery system that is itself a result of a horrible situation with the lockout. Remember that the Penguins won the lottery last time with a 6.2% winning chance. No matter what happens with the lottery though, the Stars would be guaranteed a top-nine pick.</p>
<p>More importantly, the No. 1 overall pick in 2013 is as big as it was in 2005 when <span>Sidney Crosby</span> was the top prize. This year is all about two guys: Nathan MacKinnon and Seth Jones. <br><br>MacKinnon might be the best center prospect since Crosby and would easily a top-three player on this team.</p>
<p>Jones, meanwhile, is a guy that would be absolutely perfect for the Stars organization. What better player to market to the fanbase and metroplex than a highly touted skill defenseman that just happens to be a local kid? How much better is it that the local kid also happens to be the son of former Maverick Popeye Jones? And the leadership qualities are all there as he was the captain of U-18 National team.<br><br>The possibility of a short 48 game season is still there, but that window is closing quickly. The good news is that if the lockout stays and the draft process is the same as last time, the Stars might actually find themselves with a gift come draft time.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-stars/2012/12/4/3723406/nhl-lockout-2012-seth-jones
Luther Xue
2012-11-12T08:01:20-06:00
2012-11-12T08:01:20-06:00
NHL Lockout 2012: Donald Fehr takes the lead
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<figcaption>Bruce Bennett</figcaption>
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<p>After four days of serious negotiations last week, it's becoming clear that the fate of the 2012-2013 season will come down to the decision-making process of the NHLPA.</p> <p>It took eight weeks into the lockout for the NHL and NHLPA to finally get down to seriously discussing the CBA situation. In a welcome departure from the usual once-a-week meetings they've had for the past two months, both sides met for four straight days to really try to hammer out a deal.</p>
<p>The weeklong negotiations (some lasting eight hours a day or longer) gave some wild optimism to NHL fans that a deal would be reached that would allow the season to begin in December. By Friday though, that optimism had died a twisting flaming death as the negotiations got progressively worse (and more confusing).</p>
<p>Despite all that, some things did finally become clear though, including what exactly the NHLPA wants this season and that Donald Fehr is running this show. Here's a basic rundown on what happened last week.</p>
<p><b>Make Whole</b></p>
<p>The big talking point during the beginning of the week was the make whole issue. At its core, the make whole issue means that in the event that the players' hockey-related revenue is cut from 57 to 50, either the owners or players would pay money out of their own pockets to honor the contracts that the players signed in the previous CBA and "make it whole". A more detailed explanation <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-whole-makeover-players-lead-lockout-end-142807727--nhl.html">can be found here</a> and <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/19925/deal-revolves-around-solving-make-whole">here</a>.</p>
<p>The big deal during this week was that the owners were willing to pony up a significant amount of money for make whole for the next two years instead of their original offer in which the players would have to pay to it.</p>
<p>The problem here is that Fehr doesn't think the proposal is good enough for the players. He wants every single dollar paid for by the owners and wants the make-whole provision to continue for three seasons.</p>
<p><b>The Leaked Memo</b></p>
<p>On Thursday, there was a memo that Fehr sent out to the players that basically says the two sides are really far apart from an agreement and the NHLPA isn't happy at all with the NHL (<a href="http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/09/exclusive-donald-fehrs-post-meeting-memo-to-players-there-is-still-a-lot-of-work-to-be-done/">the memo can be found here</a>).</p>
<p>There were two big problems here. First was that this memo was not supposed to get out to the media and some player out there leaked it. The second problem is that there were accusations from the NHL that Fehr purposely left out important details in what the owners offered and did not accurately show the owners stance. Fehr, of course, denies all of that. It's up to whoever you believe but both sides aren't happy about this situation regardless of what happened.</p>
<p><b>Revenue Sharing is Still a Major Problem</b></p>
<p>This is always going to be the number one issue and it reared its ugly head again this past week. While both sides have agreed that a 50/50 split is okay, they haven't agreed as to how that will happen.</p>
<p>The owners want the 50/50 split to happen immediately and be put into place the instant hockey starts up again. The players are sticking by their original offer of a gradual decrease until it reaches the 50/50 split in year three of the deal.<br>One of these two sides will have to cave in for this to get done.</p>
<p><b>The NHLPA Is Out of Its Mind</b></p>
<p>A new thing to come out of last week's negotiations was that the NHLPA wants the totality of this season's salaries to be paid for even if the season is shortened. They want to be paid for a full 82 game season no matter how many games they play this year, whether it's 40 games or 60.</p>
<p>I find it highly doubtful that the players will be able to get all of their money.</p>
<p><b>Donald Fehr is the Final Boss</b></p>
<p>This was made abundantly clear last week. Donald Fehr is running this show and he's going to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He's the Bowser of this situation (with 50% less fire-breathing and 30% less kidnapping).</p>
<p>Baseball fans are well aware of what Fehr can do and now hockey fans are getting a good look at it as well. He might be the best thing to happen for the players, but for fans that just want the season to start he's the worst thing that could happen.</p>
<p>The NHL is going to have to clear every single one of Fehr's hurdles if a deal is to be completed.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-stars/2012/11/12/3634112/nhl-lockout-2012-donald-fehr-takes-the-lead
Luther Xue
2012-10-25T08:01:07-05:00
2012-10-25T08:01:07-05:00
NHL Lockout 2012: The point of no return
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>With games being cancelled on a weekly basis, how much longer do negotiators have before it's to late to save even a shortened season?</p> <p>The NHL is slowly heading towards the point of no return as the league heads into the third week of cancelled games. If the NHL and NHLPA cannot agree to a deal by Oct. 25, the next wave of cancelled games will likely never be made-up and a shortened season would be the best case scenario.</p>
<p>Unfortunately that looks to be the likely case as the negotiations have taken, in Gary Bettman's words, a step backwards in the past week. Until a deal is reached, the NHL will continue to cancel games week-by-week.</p>
<p>Stretching this lockout into mid-November will bring more complications. The Winter Classic, which was supposed to be played by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/">Detroit Red Wings</a> this year, now faces a looming deadline. If there is no conclusion to the labor dispute by Nov. 20, hockey fans can kiss the annual New Year's Day game goodbye.</p>
<p>As bleak as all of this seems, there is still a chance there some NHL hockey gets played this season. The process this year is pretty much the same as what happened in the 2004-2005 lockout. The league canceled games in weekly or two-week chunks before finally deciding that the entire season would be done on Feb. 16, 2005.</p>
<p>There's still three and a half months for this group to get an agreement done, though there doesn't seem to be any urgency to the negotiations. The two sides are still meeting once every week/two weeks and it doesn't look like any games will be played before the New Year rolls by. </p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-stars/2012/10/25/3552148/nhl-lockout-2012-the-point-of-no-return
Luther Xue
2012-09-27T07:04:33-05:00
2012-09-27T07:04:33-05:00
How many Stars will play overseas during lockout?
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The NHL may be closed for business for the foreseeable future, but that doesn't mean there won't be places for Stars fans to watch many of their favorite players.</p> <p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.661395475268364">NHL fans should have been preparing to attend training camps this week, but the breakdown in CBA negotiations has put the league on hold for the foreseeable future. </span></p>
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.661395475268364">No NHL season means that hockey is effectively off the TV screens in the United States. However, that doesn't mean there isn't hockey to watch. Players have started to head overseas to play hockey while they wait for the lockout to end.<br><br>The Stars haven't had the mass exodus like some teams have, but a couple of players have gone overseas, with a few more possibly on their way. Overall though, Stars fans won't be seeing much of the players that they love unless the lockout ends. It would be a surprise if more than three Stars players go overseas. A majority will just stay in the area and work out to stay in shape.<br><br>Here are the leagues and teams that Stars fans should try to keep an eye on this season (extended off-season?) in order to keep up with the players on the team (or if they just want to watch good competitive hockey). <br><br><b>Texas Stars (AHL) - Austin, TX</b><br></span></p>
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.661395475268364">The easiest place for (local) Stars fans to watch hockey will be down in Austin, where the Stars' minor league team plays. There's really nothing new for Stars fans here and tickets should be pretty easy to get. The future of the team is here and the influx of talent from the locked out teams will provide good competition for the Stars youngsters.<br><br>The Texas Stars will be able to add NHL ready players in <span>Tomas Vincour</span>, <span>Brenden Dillon</span>, <span>Cody Eakin</span> and <span>Reilly Smith</span> as a result of the lockout.<br><br>If Stars fans are waiting for an exciting game to watch, any game against the Oklahoma City Barons should be fantastic (there're 12 matchups between the two teams this season). OKC will have the services of young superstars <span>Ryan Nugent-Hopkins</span> and <span>Jordan Eberle</span>.<br><br>The Texas Stars' season starts on Oct. 3.<br><br><a href="http://ahl.neulion.com/ahl/">The AHL can be seen online</a>, but it's going to cost a pretty penny ($350 for full access, $150 for all the games of just your favorite team).<br><br><b>Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL) - All part of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL)</b></span></p>
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.661395475268364">The next best spot for Stars fans to watch hockey would be the CHL (which is made up of the OHL, QMJHL and WHL), where a number of Stars prospects are playing this season:<br><br>F <span>Radek Faksa</span> - Kitchener <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">Rangers</a> (OHL)<br>F <span>Brett Ritchie</span> - Niagara IceDogs (OHL)<br>F <span>Gemel Smith</span> - Owen Sound Attack (OHL)<br>F <span>Mike Winther</span> - Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)<br>F <span>Matej Stransky</span> - Saskatoon Blades (WHL)<br>D <span>Branden Troock</span> - Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)<br>G Maxime Lagacé - Prince Edward Island Rocket (QMJHL)<br>D <span>Troy Vance</span> - Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)<br><br>Each of these leagues will cost a fair amount of money for online streams so unless you sleep on a bed of money; it's going to be awfully tough to watch all three leagues.<br><br> If you're going to spend money on any of them, spend it on the OHL ($290 for full access, $180 for your favorite team) and watch the Kitchener Rangers. Faksa is the Stars best prospect and should dominate the OHL this season. He'll be fun to watch.<br><br><b>Swedish Elitserien (Swedish Elite League)</b><br></span></p>
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.661395475268364">The Elitserien had made it illegal for any of their teams to sign a locked-out NHL player to a short-term contract but the Swedish government actually stepped in last week and declared that illegal. <br><br>The NHL is full of top Swedish talent so there should be a good number of players heading to Sweden. The names from the Stars to watch here are <span>Tom Wandell</span>, <span>Philip Larsen</span> and most importantly, <span>Loui Eriksson</span>.<br><br>Wandell's last season before starting his Stars career was with Timra IK, a lower level team in the top division. Larsen and Eriksson spent a good part of their careers with Frolunda HC, one of the better teams. <br><br>Neither has made the move over, though <a href="http://www.svt.se/sport/ishockey/frolunda-forhandlar-med-lundqvist">Eriksson has recently been in talks to rejoin the team</a>, (you'll need a translation for all the Swedish) so there should be a move soon.<br><br>There are three prospects in the Stars system already playing in the Elitserien:<br><br>F <span>Emil Molin</span> - Brynas IF<br>D Ludvig Bystrom - Modo<br>D <span>John Klingberg</span> - Skelleftea AIK<br><br><b>Czech Extraliga:</b></span></p>
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.661395475268364">This is the only overseas league so far that a Stars player has already gone to in order to play some hockey. <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> is currently playing for Kladno, a team that he actually owns. His team has already seen four other players from around the NHL join him, so he's playing some high level hockey right now.<br><br>I have no idea where to find streams for this league though, so Youtube highlights and box scores might be the best Stars fans can do.<br><br><b>Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) - Russia:</b></span></p>
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.661395475268364">There are six teams here and there from Central European countries, but this is mostly still a Russian league. It's usually where most NHL players go during the lockout, but the Stars have not had any players head over to the KHL yet, possibly because they have no Russian players on the pro roster.<br><br>Stars fans don't need to watch this league yet as a result, unless they want to watch NHL superstars like <span>Pavel Datsyuk</span>, Alexander Ovechkin and <span>Evgeni Malkin</span>. <a href="http://www.sportlemon.tv/c-3.html">Games for the KHL can be seen online here</a>, which I haven't had problems with yet. There are probably a few others but this seems to work pretty well. A few Swedish league games can be found here too.<br><br><a href="http://en.khl.ru/news/2012/9/21/24731.html">There could be some games on American TV in the near future</a> if the lockout continues, so this might be the only hockey fans can watch.<br><br><b>SM-liiga - Finland:</b></span></p>
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.661395475268364"> This is the top league in Finland and traditionally a place where the Stars find a good amount of their overseas talent.<br><br>There have been a few players around the league that have gone over to Finland, but none from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Dallas Stars</a> so far. <span>Kari Lehtonen</span> spent a good number of years playing for the Jokerit youth team and he could always go back there, though there has not been any indication of that so far. He's really the only Stars player I can see traveling to Finland.<br><br>Dallas may not be exporting a bunch of players, but they have a couple of draftees playing in the Finnish league this year in G <span>Henri Kiviaho</span> (KalPa Kuopio) and D <span>Esa Lindell</span> (Jokerit Helsinki),<br><br>There are a few other leagues in Europe, but very few players go there and the Stars have no ties to any of those other leagues. Most of the current team will just be skating around in the area to stay in shape and try to wait out the lockout. The Stars are just one of those teams that aren't ex</span>porting many of their players. </p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-stars/2012/9/27/3416306/nhl-lockout-2012-update
Luther Xue
2012-09-12T07:00:22-05:00
2012-09-12T07:00:22-05:00
NHL Lockout 2012: It Doesn't Look Good
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<p>As the Sep. 15 deadline looms, there's been almost no progress in negotiations between the players and the owners. At this point, the season is clearly in jeopardy.</p> <p>There's only a few days left in the CBA negotiations between the NHL and the NHLPA, but the situation is no better than it was a month ago. There have been numerous meetings in that time (though no formal meetings for the past week) but the main issues have still gone unresolved and it looks the NHL is surely headed towards a lockout.<br><br>Two points in particular though have been the biggest issues in the CBA negotiations and are the main talking points of the meetings:<br><br>1) The biggest issue here is revenue sharing between the players and owners. Owners are losing a significant amount of money with the current CBA. As it currently stands, players get 57% of the revenue while owners get the remaining 43% and those owners are dead set on significantly reducing the players' percentage. <br><br>At worst, the owners want the even 50-50 split but they're aiming for 55% or even more of that sharing. The players' last offer here was a 52-48 split in the player's favor that would get closer to 50-50 with each passing year, but the owners promptly rejected that and want the players to get 46%.<br><br> Unless the players are willing to go there, I just don't see how there's an agreement here. The owners are desperate to get some of their money back.<br><br>2) The other gigantic issue has to do with the salary cap and reduction of player contracts. Owners have proposed limiting contracts to five years max and reducing the salary cap to $58 million, $12 million less than the current cap. <br><br>The problem here is that it would immediately put 16 teams over the salary cap.<br><br>Another problem is that owners have been more than willing to hand out contracts that go over the five-year limit. Just take a look at the extensions and contracts given out this summer, a majority of which were given out after CBA negotiations started:<br><br><span>Shea Weber</span>: 14-years, $110 million with Nashville<br><span>Zach Parise</span>: 13-years, $98 million with Minnesota<br><span>Ryan Suter</span>: 13-years, $98 million with Minnesota<br><span>Taylor Hall</span>: Seven-years, $42 million with Edmonton<br><span>Jordan Eberle</span>: Six-years, $36 million with Edmonton<br><span>Jeff Skinner</span>: Six-years, $34.35 million with Carolina<br><span>Max Pacioretty</span>: Six-years, $27 million with Montreal<br><span>Wayne Simmonds</span>: 6-years, $23.875 million with Philadelphia<br><span>Scott Hartnell</span>: 6-years, $28.5 million with Philadelphia<br><br>While owners campaign for a limit on contract years, they've been more than willing to hand out massive ones at the same time to try and circumvent than own rules if there's an agreement. It'll be a miracle to figure out an agreement here.<br><br>There's been some fascinating activity in the negotiations the past few days though. The NHLPA has stated that they would be willing to start the season without a CBA and continue negotiations concurrently with the season, but the NHL rejected that as well.<br><br>Meanwhile, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/">Montreal Canadiens</a> are <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/sports/nhl/story/2012/09/09/sp-nhl-nhlpa-bettman-fehr-daly.html">attempting to take the NHL to court</a> to avoid being locked out, claiming it's against Quebec law. If nothing else, it's a sure sign the lockout is on its way and fans should prepare for a year without NHL hockey.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-stars/2012/9/12/3318638/nhl-lockout-2012-news-update
Luther Xue
2012-08-22T08:00:38-05:00
2012-08-22T08:00:38-05:00
NHL Lockout 2012: Could It Aid Derek Roy's Recovery?
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<p><i>The sixth in a series looking at how a potential year-long lockout would affect the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Dallas Stars</a> as a team and an organization.</i></p>
<p>This might be the only part of the lockout that may turn out in the Stars favor. Roy underwent shoulder surgery in July and is assured to be out until at least the end of November. The loss of training camp and time playing with teammates probably means he won't really get into the flow of the offense until January.<br><br>Now Dallas knew about his injury and told him to get the surgery so they had to have had some sort of inkling that a lockout was likely. A lockout means that his surgery won't hurt the Stars at all during year and allows him to return fully healthy and with a full knowledge of the team next year. It's still a small consolation though.</p>
<p>The NHL and NHLPA will be burning the midnight oil trying to hammer out a deal so hopefully it gets done. They might even have a shortened season like the NBA had this past season. In any case, the Stars and Stars fans have to be hoping that no lockout comes to pass.</p>
<p><i>For more coverage of the Stars as well as further NHL lockout news and analysis, check out <a href="http://www.defendingbigd.com/">Defending Big D</a> as well as the <a href="http://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/8/14/3242409/nhl-lockout-2012-news-analysis">SB Nation Dallas StoryStream</a>.<br></i></p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/8/22/3259244/nhl-lockout-2012-news-derek-roy
Luther Xue
2012-08-21T08:00:54-05:00
2012-08-21T08:00:54-05:00
NHL Lockout 2012: Joe Nieuwendyk's Last Stand
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<p><i>The fifth in a series looking at how a potential year-long lockout would affect the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Dallas Stars</a> as a team and an organization.</i></p>
<p>GM Joe has only been around since 2009, but he's been in a number of controversial moves already: The non-trade of <span>Brad Richards</span>, letting <span>Mike Modano</span> walk away, trading for <span>Alex Goligoski</span>, trading away Steve Ott. He was handcuffed at the start of his GM career by the Tom Hicks mess, but he's still not getting a lot of leeway with the fans. <br><br>The moves he made this past offseason really signaled the changing of the guard and the beginning of the Nieuwendyk stamp on the team as the young players on the team would be brought in under his tenure. This looked like the critical year in his plans and a lockout could shoot that all to hell.<br><br>What happens in the next couple of seasons will determine whether the team extends him or whether his time is up as GM of the Stars.</p>
<p><i>For more coverage of the Stars as well as further NHL lockout news and analysis, check out <a href="http://www.defendingbigd.com/">Defending Big D</a> as well as the <a href="http://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/8/14/3242409/nhl-lockout-2012-news-analysis">SB Nation Dallas StoryStream</a>.<br></i></p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/8/21/3257261/nhl-lockout-2012-news-joe-nieuwendyk
Luther Xue
2012-08-20T08:00:47-05:00
2012-08-20T08:00:47-05:00
NHL Lockout 2012: Would Jaromir Jagr Retire?
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<p><i>The fourth in a series looking at how a potential year-long lockout would affect the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Dallas Stars</a> as a team and an organization.</i></p>
<p>Dallas was in a difficult position after the past season finished. They were a non-playoff team filled with older players on the downside of their careers or young guys who just weren't ready for the NHL just yet. The organization had to find a way to put out a team that could contend for a playoff spot while still allowing the young guys to grow at their own pace.<br><br>By the end of the offseason they had done a magnificent job in completing that plan. The older players that they brought in (Jagr and <span>Ray Whitney</span>) are better than what they sent away (<span>Mike Ribeiro</span> and <span>Sheldon Souray</span>). They would have gone into the season with a solid top-six group of forwards and watched their solid young prospects grow at the AHL level or as a fourth line player in the NHL. The team of the future would have been set to go next year with this plan in place.<br><br>That plan goes out the window if the season is locked out. Jagr and Whitney have been around since Moses parted the Red Sea and while they may still be in good shape; I can't imagine them going for another year, especially Jagr. <br><br>At least one, probably two of the top-six forwards on the team are gone next season and the expectation would be for the young players to step up. <br><br>Would they be ready though? A lockout in the NHL won't cancel anything in the AHL, but it could really jumble up rosters. Current NHL players that have two-way contracts could conceivably spend their time in the AHL next year if they wanted to. <span>Jason Spezza</span> of the <a href="https://www.silversevensens.com/">Ottawa Senators</a> absolutely tore up the AHL during the 2004-2005 lockout and was the MVP that year (he had already been in the NHL for two years).<br><br>Guys with two-way contracts that had expectations of playing in Dallas this season include: <span>Reilly Smith</span>, <span>Tomas Vincour</span>, <span>Cody Eakin</span>, <span>Brenden Dillon</span> and <span>Jordie Benn</span>. I'd imagine that all of them would head down to play in AHL. Dillon, Vincour and Eakin are guys that shouldn't be spending any time in AHL anymore as they all are NHL ready (possibly Smith as well).<br><br>As it is at the moment, the AHL roster looks to have a solid collection of youngsters that will all get ample playing time. Throwing in a mix of five more NHL players could mean less time for the new kids. It may not change the Stars plans that much, but I'd still prefer that guys like <span>Jamie Oleksiak</span>, <span>Radek Faksa</span> and Alex Chiasson get as much time in the AHL as they possibly can. They're the guys that need the time and experience to get used to the higher speeds of the pro game.<br><br>An influx of NHL talent in the AHL levels should raise the intensity of play and could help out the young guys. I just feel that the team actually had a great plan for the future and I'm worried how a lost year changes it.</p>
<p><i>For more coverage of the Stars as well as further NHL lockout news and analysis, check out <a href="http://www.defendingbigd.com/">Defending Big D</a> as well as the <a href="http://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/8/14/3242409/nhl-lockout-2012-news-analysis">SB Nation Dallas StoryStream</a>.<br></i></p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/8/20/3254527/nhl-lockout-2012-new-jaromir-jagr
Luther Xue