***

Dallas/Fort Worth – TXA 21 has entered into a four-year contract with the Dallas Stars to broadcast 15 regular season games per season, plus select playoff games, beginning with the 2010-11 season. All of the telecasts will be in high-definition.

Dallas Stars broadcasts will air primarily on Saturday nights on TXA 21 and will include 30-minute pre and post-game coverage. The games to be aired on TXA 21 for 2010-11 will be announced at a later date.

“The Stars are a terrific addition to TXA 21’s sports lineup,” said CBS 11 and TXA 21 President and General Manager Gary Schneider. “They brought the thrill of a Stanley Cup to North Texas and play an exciting brand of hockey. We’re looking forward to bringing that excitement to the fans and viewers with Saturday Night Stars games.”

“The Stars are excited to enter into this agreement with TXA 21,” commented team President Jeff Cogen. “It is very important for us to maintain a strong over-the-air television presence for our fans and TXA 21 is the preeminent sports carrier in our market.”

Forming the broadcast team for the Stars for the 15th consecutive season will be Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh. Strangis begins his 21st season as a Stars broadcaster while Reaugh will serve in his 15th season as the Stars’ color analyst.

TXA 21 sports is always on at TXA21tv.com. Fans can get all of their Stars news at DallasStars.com.

Fabian Brunnstrom (above) signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Dallas Stars on Friday. (Photo Credit: Resolute)

As I mentioned earlier this morning in the BDH twitter feed, the Dallas Stars agreed to terms with Fabian Brunnstrom, hours before his arbitration hearing was about to start.  I’m pretty sure that Brunnstrom and his agent knew the arbitrator wasn’t going to be ruling in his favor, and took the pretty solid deal the Stars were offering.  The money isn’t great for him ($200,000 less than last season), but its’ a one-way contract, pretty much giving him a spot on the roster, barring a trade or putting him through waivers.  He’s got quite a bit to prove, though, so maybe he’s viewing this one-year deal as his opportunity to do this.

Read on for the Stars’ press release and career stats on Brunnstrom.

***

Frisco, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club and left wing Fabian Brunnstrom have agreed to terms on a one-year, one-way, contract for $675,000. The agreement was made prior to a scheduled arbitration hearing this morning in Toronto.

“We’re pleased that we were able to come to an agreement with Fabian,” said Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk. “We are looking forward to having him come to training camp in September and battle for a spot on our roster.”

Brunnstrom, 25, appeared in 44 games last season with the Stars, scoring two goals and nine assists with 10 penalty minutes. The 6-2, 212-pound left wing was signed as a free agent by Dallas on May 8, 2008. Brunnstrom played in 55 games in his rookie year of 2008-09, scoring 17 goals and 12 assists with eight penalty minutes.

Photo by Resolute.

Sawada got brief looks at the NHL level the past two years, playing a total of 10 games with Dallas and scoring one goal.  Last season with Texas, he posted 19 points (8G, 11A) and 92 PIMs.

Here’s the Dallas press release, as it pertains to Sawada:

***

Frisco, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has agreed to terms with right wing Raymond Sawada on a one-year, two-way contract and defenseman Maxime Fortunus on a two-year, two-way contract.

Sawada, 24, spend the majority of last season with the Texas Stars, appearing in 60 games and tallying 19 points (8g, 11a) and 92 penalty minutes. He also played five games for Dallas in 2009-10 recording two shots. The 6-2, 207-pound right wing has played 122 career AHL games, collecting 49 points (16g, 33a). The Richmond, British Columbia, native was Dallas’ second round selection (52nd overall) at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Brad Lukowich, shown above with the San Jose Sharks in 2008, signed a 1-year deal with Dallas on Friday. (Photo Credit: Dinur)

As I promised last night, here is some more on the rumored signing of Brad Lukowich for the Stars.  Dallas has signed the veteran defenseman to a one-year contract for the upcoming season.  The contract is two-way, so there’s a good chance he’ll see time in the AHL with the Texas Stars.  He played with Texas last season for 37 games, on loan from Vancouver, and was a great veteran presence both on the ice and in the locker room.  I like this signing from that aspect alone.  But, the nice upside is he can be a solid 6th or 7th defenseman on the NHL squad, as well.

In addition, the Dallas Stars announced they have also signed defensemen Maxime Fortunus and Trevor Ludwig.  Fortunus is getting a two-year deal, while Ludwig was signed to a one-year contract.  Both are two-way contracts.

Here is the press release:

***

Frisco, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Maxime Fortunus on a two-year, two-way contract through the 2011-12 season and defensemen Trevor Ludwig and Brad Lukowich each to one-year, two-way contracts through the 2010-11 season.

Fortunus, 26, made his NHL debut with Dallas last season, recording four penalty minutes in eight games. He spent the majority of the season with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League (AHL), skating in 72 games and recording 23 points (11g, 12a). The 6-1, 198-pound defenseman helped Texas reach the Calder Cup Finals in the club’s inaugural season in the AHL, playing in 24 games and tallying nine points (2g, 7a). The La Prairie, Quebec, native was originally signed as a free agent by Dallas on July 3, 2008.

Ludwig, 25, split time last season with the Texas Stars and the Idaho Steelheads of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). He finished the season with Texas, collecting eight points (3g, 5a) and 62 penalty minutes in 47 games. The 6-0, 205-pound defenseman also appeared in 19 playoff games for Texas, recording one assist and 18 penalty minutes. The Rhinelander, WI native was Dallas’ sixth round selection (283rd overall) at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Lukowich, 33, has played 653 career NHL games and helped both Dallas (1999) and Tampa Bay (2004) win the Stanley Cup. Over his NHL career he has accrued 113 points (23g, 90a) and 369 penalty minutes. Lukowich has dressed in 71 NHL playoff games notching six points (1g, 5a) and 22 penalty minutes.

The 6-1, 200-pound defenseman played 224 games for the Dallas Stars from 1997-2002. Last season he split time with Vancouver and the Texas Stars, skating in 13 games for the Canucks, collecting two points (1g, 1a) and four penalty minutes. The Cranbrook, British Columbia, native appeared in 29 games with Texas, tallying 18 points (3g, 15a) and 10 penalty minutes.

Photo by: Dinur

Scott Glennie

Continuing a busy day in Dallas-area hockey news, the Stars announced the signing of 2009 1st-round draft pick Scott Glennie to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Glennie, who is just 19-years old, played for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL last season, and competed in the WHL’s Eastern Conference Finals this last spring.  Joe Nieuwendyk has been pretty happy with his progress, and they’re not going to rush him, which is the right move.  This 3-year contract they’ve signed him to will give them some time to develop him in their system, and then bring him up when the time is right.

Read on for the press release:

***

Frisco, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has signed right wing Scott Glennie to a three-year entry-level contract.

“We are excited to reach an agreement with Scott (Glennie),” Nieuwendyk said. “He is a skilled player that we have seen develop very quickly over the past year. We are expecting great things from him as he continues progressing toward the NHL.”

Glennie, 19, spent last season with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL), skating in 66 games collecting 89 points (32g, 57a) and 50 penalty minutes. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native also added 10 points (3g, 7a) in 15 playoff games in 2009-10.

The 6-1, 185-pound right wing has played in 182 WHL games, recording 217 points (86g, 131a) over three seasons with the Wheat Kings. Glennie finished in the top 30 in WHL scoring in each of the past two seasons and finished fifth in rookie scoring in 2007-08. He also helped Brandon reach the WHL Conference Finals in each of the past two seasons and has tallied 29 points (7g, 22a) in 33 career WHL playoff games.

Barnes

Desjardins

The Dallas Stars announced today that they had signed Willie Desjardins as an associate coach, and had also re-signed Stu Barnes for the upcoming season.

Rumors of Desjardins joining the staff have been swirling for a couple of days, but today’s announcement made it official.  The 53-year old Saskatoon native has coached the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers for the past eight years, and is widely regarded as a very good developmental coach.  I imagine the Stars feel his work with the team’s younger players will be of great benefit.  And he’s a great sport:

Then, of course, there’s the news of Stu.  I think getting Barnes back is really good news, as he helped improve the Stars’ power play percentage over the last couple of years, and he’s done a lot of work with the team’s young forwards like Jamie Benn, Louie Eriksson and James Neal.

Here is the press release from the team:

***

Frisco, Tex. – Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk announced today that the club has named Willie Desjardins associate coach and the club has re-signed Stu Barnes for next season.

“We are very excited to name Willie Desjardins to our coaching staff,” said Nieuwendyk. “He has run an exceptional program in Medicine Hat for almost a decade now. Willie’s winning pedigree and positive attitude brings a lot to our organization. He will help the Dallas Stars in our efforts take the next step in getting back to the playoffs. “We believe Stu is an important piece to our coaching staff and our pleased to continue our relationship with him.”

“Willie has run the model program in the WHL and has been responsible for the development of many NHL players,” added head coach Marc Crawford. “He has been very successful at the World Junior Championships. Desjardins will bring a fresh prospective, new ideas and help with continued improvement of the Dallas Stars.”

Desjardins, 53, spent the past eight seasons as the head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL and has served as the General Manager of the club since 2005. He won the WHL Championship with Medicine Hat in 2003 and 2004. Desjardins coached the Tigers at the Memorial Cup Tournament in those two seasons and was runner-up at the 2007 Tournament.

The native of Climax, Saskatoon, served as an assistant coach at the 2009 World Junior Championships, helping Team Canada win gold. He was named the head coach of the national team in the 2010 World Junior Championships and earned the silver medal with Team Canada.

During his time with the Medicine Hat Tigers, the club has finished in the top three in goals scored in six of the past eight seasons. He has posted a collective 333-182-61 regular season record and a 65-43 record in the playoffs during his time with the Tigers. All of Desjardins’ teams have qualified for the playoffs when he has started the season with the club. He coached a number of current NHL players, including Cam Barker, Joffrey Lupul and Darren Helm.

Barnes, 39, has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars with his primary focus being the club’s forwards and power play. Barnes’ helped increase Dallas’ total goals scored and power play percentages from 2008-09 to last season.

The native of Spruce Grove, Alberta, skated in 1,136 career NHL games with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars. He collected 597 NHL points (261g, 336a) over 17 seasons. Barnes spent his last five seasons in the NHL with Dallas and retired from playing after the 2007-08 campaign.

Gagnon, who made his debut with the Dallas Stars last season, played the majority of the year with the AHL’s Texas Stars, helping them to the Calder Cup Finals in the club’s inaugural year.

Morin played the entire year for the T-Stars, skating in 80 games and tying for the team lead in assists with 31.

Here’s the team’s release on the signings:

***

Frisco, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has signed centers Aaron Gagnon and Travis Morin to one-year, two-way contracts. This puts them under contract through the 2010-11 season.

Gagnon, 24, made his NHL debut with Dallas last season, recording two shots in two games with the Stars. He spent the majority of 2009-10 with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League (AHL), skating in 78 games and pacing the club in goals (27) and points (58). The Quesnel, British Columbia native also played 24 playoff games with Texas, collecting twelve points (8g, 4a).

The 5-11, 186-pound center has appeared in 164 career AHL games and has scored 35 goals and 43 assists with a +24 rating. Gagnon was originally drafted by Phoenix in the eighth round (240th overall) at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He was signed as a free agent by Dallas on February 2, 2007.

Morin, 26, skated in 80 games with the Texas Stars last season, tying the club lead in assists (31) and totaling 52 points. He helped Texas reach the Calder Cup finals in the club’s inaugural season last year, posting four goals and 12 assists in 24 games. The Brooklyn Park, MN native spent three seasons with the South Carolina Stingrays of the East Coast Hockey League, playing in 147 games and collecting 175 points (62g, 113a).

The 6-2, 195-pound center spent four years at Minnesota State University – Mankato appearing in 151 games and tallying 133 points (58g, 75a). Morin was originally drafted in the ninth round (263rd overall) at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by Washington.

Texas Stars forward Colton Sceviour (above) was just one of many invites to the 2009-10 Dallas Stars Development Camp in Frisco, TX. (Photo by: Ben Ellis)

Ask most people what they think of when they think of summer in Texas, and you won’t likely get too many “hockey” responses.  But, for a group of talented prospects and hopefuls, that’s what the first week of July brought to the Dr. Pepper Starscenter in Frisco, TX.

Deep in the midst of some hockey withdrawal, I took the opportunity to go check out the Dallas Stars Development Camp, and see a few of the players who one day hope to make a name for themselves in the NHL.  This year’s camp invites included the 2010 first round pick of the Dallas Stars, Jack Campbell, as well as the eighth overall selection from last year’s draft, Scott Glennie.  In addition, most of the picks from the last couple of years were on the ice, and all of the Stars’ minor league affiliates had at least one representative in camp, including Allen Americans defenseman Jordie Benn.

I was able to catch most of the first group in the morning, a squad that included Glennie and Benn, as well as some players hoping to move up in the organization like defenseman Guillaume Monast, who played last season for Idaho, and forward Colton Sceviour.

But, out of all the players in that first group, the player who stood out the most to me was this year’s second round pick, Patrik Nemeth.  The kid has great size, especially for an 18 year old, and has a lot of the mechanics to be playing in the pros right now.  I imagine the Stars want him to begin the year in Cedar Park, depending on how training camp goes, but he looked every bit as polished as any AHL defensemen I’ve seen in the last year.

I didn’t get to see as much of the second group, who skated in the afternoon, but I made sure to watch the first half of the on ice workout, as I really wanted to get a look at Jack Campbell and Philip Larsen, both of whom skated in that later grouping.

Campbell is pretty much what I had heard advertised – a big kid with strong mechanics, but definitely in need of some work and instruction before he’s ready for the pros.  I liked his attitude, though, and he looks like he’s ready to take on whatever the Stars are ready to give him.

Larsen was another pleasant surprise to see – He’s another European blue liner that looks ready to play in North America.  Larsen is definitely ready for the AHL, and like Nemeth, might be a good call up this season for Dallas, depending on how things shake out in the off-season.

It’s sometimes hard to judge talent in these camps, because very little of the on-ice talent is NHL-ready, but going by mechanics, and watching the drills, you get a good feel for what these players are capable of, and what kind of decisions they make with the puck, how they think, and what they’re feel for the game is like.

Photos from Monday’s activities are below – I hope you enjoy them and get a little bit of a feel of what it’s like out there.  The pictures are intermixed, so there’s no order to things.  Enjoy.

[View with PicLens]

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***

Frisco, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the National Hockey League club will open its 2010 Training Camp in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. PEI is the home province for both Brad Richards (born in Murray Harbour) and Steve Ott (born in Summerside).

“We’re very excited to start our 2010 Training Camp in Charlottetown, PEI,” said Stars Assistant General Manager Frank Provenzano. “Clifford Lee and Wayne Long worked very hard to put this deal together. We are really looking forward to bringing the Dallas Stars to PEI.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our city,” said Mayor Clifford Lee. “Charlottetown is an award-winning and internationally recognized event hosting destination. Today’s exciting announcement further reinforces our position in the event attraction market place. Our community looks forward to welcoming the Dallas Stars and extending our warm hospitality.”

The Stars will hold their physicals and testing in Frisco early on the morning of Friday, September 17, before departing for PEI. Dallas’ first practice in Charlottetown will be Saturday, September 18, with on-ice training sessions held at the MacLauchlan Arena at the CARI Complex, which features two sheets of NHL-regulation size ice. All practice sessions will be open to the public (times to be determined).

The team will skate for three days in Charlottetown (September 17-20), and will also hold an intersquad scrimmage on Sunday, September 19, at the Charlottetown Civic Centre. Tickets will be available beginning July 12 through the Civic Centre.

The Stars will return home to Dallas on the evening of September 20, in time to begin NHL pre-season play that next evening when the Tampa Bay Lightning come to American Airlines Center.

The Stars’ 2010-11 regular season schedule will begin on Oct. 8 at New Jersey.

Map from Wikimedia – with credit to author Klaus M.

Adam Burish (Photo Credit: Resolute; Wikimedia)

Andrew Raycroft (Photo Credit: Aaron Webb; Flickr)

The Dallas Stars made their first big signings of the free agency period today, announcing the addition of C Adam Burish and G Andrew Raycroft.

I’m a little surprised the Stars chose to add a centerman, considering their depth at the position, but Burish comes fresh off a Stanley Cup Championship with the Chicago Blackhawks, and is a great, physical player (along the same lines of Steve Ott and Krys Barch, which is another reason it’s a surprise).  I’m pretty sure there’s a lot for Stars’ fans to like in his game.

Raycroft was a backup in Vancouver last year, but became expendable with the strong play of Cory Schneider in net, who will most likely get that job this season.  Raycroft has had stints as the #1 guy, as well, so he should be a nice guy to have in a mix with Kari Lehtonen between the posts.

Here is the press release from the Stars:

***

Frisco, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has agreed to terms with center Adam Burish and goaltender Andrew Raycroft each on two-year contracts. Burish’s contract is worth $2.3 million ($1 million first, $1.3 million second). Raycroft’s contract includes the first year as a two-way deal worth $700,000 /$105,000 and the second year is a one-way deal worth $600,000.

Burish, 27, was a member of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, where he played 13 games last season, collecting one goal and three assists. He skated in 15 playoff games for the Blackhawks last season, accruing two penalty minutes.

The Madison, WI native’s 2009-10 season started with an injury in the pre-season when he tore his ACL on September 21 against Minnnesota, causing him to miss the first 64 games of the season. Burish has played in 169 NHL games over four seasons, all with Chicago, posting 11 goals, 10 assists and 323 penalty minutes. He was drafted in the ninth round (282nd overall) at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by Chicago.

“Adam is a character guy who has been known as a solid teammate in Chicago and we expect him to be the same here in Dallas,” said Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk. “We want to be a team that is hard to play against and Adam definitely fits that mold. He’s played in 32 playoff games over the last two years, including 15 in Chicago’s Stanley Cup run this past spring.”

Raycroft, 30, played 21 games for Vancouver in 2009-10, posting a 9-5-1 record with a 2.42 GAA and a .911 save percentage. He collected one shutout with the Canucks last season. The native of Belleville, Ontario, was the starter for Toronto in 2006-07, when he played in 72 games going 37-25-9 with a 2.99 GAA and a .894 save percentage.

The 6-0, 173-pound goaltender has played in 251 career NHL games, posting a 103-101-27 record including seven shutouts with a 2.87 GAA and a .900 save percentage. Raycroft was drafted in the fifth round (135th overall) at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by Boston.

“Andrew Raycroft is a veteran NHL goaltender that will add depth to our club,” said Nieuwendyk. “He’s played in over 250 career NHL games and has been both a starter and a back-up. We expect him to come in and compete for a spot on our roster.”

Burish photo from user Resolute on Wikimedia; Raycroft photo from Flickr user Aaron Webb.