The Steelheads went to the CHL for their head coach once more (Laxdal had previously coached the CHL’s Wichita Thunder before taking the bench boss position in Boise) to select nine-year CHL veteran Hardy Sauter.  Sauter will become the 5th head coach in Idaho’s team history, and will also serve as director of hockey operations.

For the past three seasons, Sauter has been in a coach in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs: first as assistant coach and then for the past couple of seasons as head coach.  Coaching would seem to run in the family; his uncle, Doug Sauter, was head coach of the Oklahoma City Blazers from 1995-2009.

Sauter was a cerebral player when he was on the ice, and his knowledge and understanding of the game make him a really nice selection as head coach in the ECHL.  He also knows how to have some fun on the ice, as you can see from this clip from the 1996-97 season in Oklahoma City, when he was mic’d for the night:

Idaho is pretty excited about their selection.  They kept the decision under wraps, and let fans be the first to know who the head coach was, hosting a meet-and-greet at the Qwest Arena tonight.  Keep reading for the press release from the Steelheads, including quotes from team management, and his playing stats:

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(Boise, ID) – The ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads announced Tuesday that Hardy Sauter has been named head coach and director of hockey operations.

The 39-year-old Sauter becomes the fifth head coach in organization history, following Dave Langevin (1997-98), Clint Malarchuk (1998-2000), John Olver (2000-2005) and Derek Laxdal (2005-2010).

“We’ve been strong and stable behind the bench for the past decade,” Steelheads president Eric Trapp said. “We’re excited for Coach Sauter to continue that tradition.”

Sauter comes to Idaho after spending the last three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League. He was an assistant coach in 2008 when the Chiefs won the Memorial Cup, the grandest prize in all of major-junior hockey. He spent the past two seasons as the team’s head coach, compiling a record of 91-45-8 along the way, reaching the WHL playoffs in each season.

“I’m excited to coach here in Boise,” Sauter said. “I have not heard one bad thing about the city or the organization. My family and I are thrilled to be here and we’re looking forward to carrying on the winning tradition the city of Boise and the Steelheads fans have come to expect.”

The Maryfield, Saskatchewan, native was named to the Central Hockey League’s “All Decade” second team following a long playing career with the Oklahoma City Blazers that still has him ranked in the league’s all-time top ten in games played (590), assists (527), and points (669). He was named a CHL All-Star in each of his nine seasons with Oklahoma City and skated in 590 of a possible 598 games. He was the two-time CHL Defenseman of the Year (1997 and 1998).

During that tenure, Sauter (pronounced SOT-er) actually played in Boise at Qwest Arena. The Blazers and Steelheads played four games during the 2000-2001 season as part of a WCHL/CHL cross-over competition. Idaho won all four games, including a pair of games in Boise on October 27-28, 2000.

Prior to his nine-year run in the CHL, he spent one year with the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks of the ECHL, where one of his teammates was Steelhead legend Cal Ingraham.

Sauter is married, Heidi, and has one daughter, Jessica.

The Steelheads open the regular season on October 15 when they host the Victoria Salmon Kings at Qwest Arena. Ticket plans for the 2010-2011 season are available right now, starting at just $275 per seat for all 36 home games during the regular season. Partial-season plans are also available. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 or log on to www.idahosteelheads.com for more information.

The Allen Americans obtained the rights to David Simoes today in a trade with the Mississippi RiverKings. In exhange, they sent the rights to Tyler Wooddisse to Mississippi. (Photo Credit: John Coffin)

The Allen Americans made a move they feel will strengthen their blue line for the 2010-2011 season, sending the rights to defenseman Tyler Wooddisse to Mississippi in exchange for the rights to defenseman David Simoes.

Here is the press release from Allen, which has some good quotes from Coach Mullins, as well as info on Simoes and Wooddisse:

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ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans acquired the rights to former Mississippi defenseman David Simoes for the 2010-11 season in exchange for Tyler Wooddisse’s rights.

“David is a solid individual. He will be a great guy in our locker room and community,” Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins said. “As a player, he brings an unbelievable amount of grit and attitude that is hard to play against. Like Britt Dougherty, he is sure to be a fan favorite.”

Simoes hails from Vanderhoof, British Columbia. The 25-year-old has three CHL seasons under his belt after playing for New Mexico, Youngstown and Mississippi. He had 15 points (2g-13a=15) in 58 games last year while racking up 171 penalty minutes.

In his three professional seasons, the five-foot-10-inch, 205-pound blueliner has spent 601 minutes in the sin bin over the course of 177 games. Simoes played Junior A hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League for five years before a brief stint at the South Alberta Institute of Technology prior to his professional career.

“[My wife and I] are very excited to be coming to Allen. After playing there last year, it seemed like a great city. I know the organization is top notch, and I’ve heard great things about Coach Mully and Coach Macker,” Simoes said Tuesday.

Simoes pointed to the returning players’ desire to win the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup as the primary factor for wanting to be in Allen. “The main reason that we’re excited is from reading the other players’ quotes about coming back to win. We want to win a championship.”

The Americans sent defenseman Tyler Wooddisse’s rights to Mississippi in the trade.

“It’s always difficult in a situation like this because in order to get a player of value, you have to give up value,” Mullins said. “Tyler contributed a lot to the success we had last year, and it was a touch decision to make this move. But in return, we are getting a player that we felt we needed to have to continue to move forward.”

Wooddisse had 34 points (11g-23a=34) in 62 games during the regular season. He had seven assists in the Americans’ 20-game playoff run.

Individual tickets go on sale Sept. 3, but season tickets and partial plans for Allen’s second season are on sale now. Ticket prices start as low as $9 per game. As always, there is free parking at every game. For more information, call 972-912-1000.

Chris Whitley, the Allen Americans standout goaltender from last season, announced on Saturday that he'd be re-signing with the club for the 2010-2011 campaign. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

Obviously, the big news from “The Decision” today at the Allen Americans’ open house is that goaltender Chris Whitley is returning to the Allen Americans for a second season.  There’s more thoughts and reactions from Coach Mullins and a couple of his teammates upcoming, but I wanted to make sure the Americans’ press release was posted.  So, more coming soon, but here you go:

***

ALLEN, Texas – Netminder Chris Whitley called in to a live show today at the Allen Event Center to announce his much-anticipated decision to re-sign with Allen for the 2010-11 season.

“Allen was always the team I was going to return to if I didn’t pursue my teaching career. I had a few offers in Europe, but I didn’t get an offer that was better than Allen in my opinion,” Whitley said. “The decision was also made easy when some key guys re-signed like Graham, Yellow, Nino and Tobias, so that was another thing that factored into my decision.”

The backstop returns from an exceptional rookie year with the Americans. Whitley set CHL playoff records, played in the American Hockey League, earned numerous accolades and took the Americans all the way to the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals.

During the regular season, Whitley went 31-8-1, only two wins shy of the record number of victories for a rookie goaltender in the CHL. His goals-against-average and save percentage were 2.60 and .914, respectively. The netminder started in all 20 Americans playoff games and posted a 10-10 record. The 27-year-old broke three playoff records for a single postseason: most saves (636), most appearances (20) and most minutes (1205).

The backstop is anxious to get back between the pipes for the Americans. “I’m hoping to complete what we almost did last year, which is win a championship. We were so close, and I still think quite often how close we were to winning in our first year as a team.”

Whitley was called up to the American Hockey League twice, earning ice time in one game. In his first AHL contest Feb. 28 with the Lake Erie Monsters, he made 37 saves in a 6-5 shootout win over Grand Rapids.

The netminder was named Goaltender of the Week three times (Nov. 23, Jan. 4 and Jan. 22). He was also a finalist for Rookie of the Year and Most Outstanding Goaltender.

“Chris’s return is really important to our team. He’s an All Star on and off the ice,” Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins said. “I know he feels we have some unfinished business to take care of.”

Hailing from Oshawa, Ontario, Whitley stands at six-feet-one-inch and weighs 215 pounds. He attended the Detroit Red Wings rookie development camp and training camp last year, and he hopes to receive an invitation to the Lake Erie Monsters training camp.

Whitley also points to Allen’s fan base as a reason for his return. “I feel really comfortable with the City of Allen. The city really took us in with open arms last season and showed tremendous support through the season and especially the playoff run we had. I know this season will be better than last and can’t wait to get back on the ice at the AEC.”

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.

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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.

Read on for Texas’ press release and career stats for Chupp:

***

Cedar Park, TX – The Texas Stars announced on Thursday that the club has agreed to terms with forward Cody Chupp for the 2010-11 season.

Chupp, 25, made his AHL debut with Texas last season, ending a four-year playing career at Ferris State University. In nine regular season games with Texas, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound forward dished out one assist for one point. Chupp made his AHL debut against Chicago on March 26th and recorded his first career pro point with an assist against San Antonio on April 2 at Cedar Park Center. He was held scoreless in two playoff appearances for Texas this past spring.

At Ferris State University, he scored 35 goals and dished out 60 assists for 95 NCAA points in 144 games played from 2006-10. As a senior, Chupp tied for the team lead with 21 assists and placed third on the team in scoring with 30 points. The Big Rapids, MI native also scored nine times in 35 games played this past season. Chupp posted a career-high 11 goals and tied his career high with 30 points as a sophomore at FSU in 2007-08.

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

I wasn’t overly impressed with Stephenson’s numbers through 61 games played last season (0G, 5A and 47PIMs), but his game did step up in the playoffs (4A and 26PIMs in 24 games).  He always seemed to be a responsible position player, and I was never left with the feeling that he didn’t belong out there.  So, I’m sure it will be a good depth signing, in the long run, for the T-Stars.

Also, the Stars announced their opponents for the upcoming season.  There weren’t very many surprises in there, though.  Texas will see a heavy rotation of in-state rivals Houston (12 games) and San Antonio (10 games).  They’ll also face the new franchise – the Oklahoma Barons – ten times.

Here is the release from Cedar Park:

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Cedar Park, TX – The Texas Stars announced on Thursday that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Matt Stephenson for the 2010-11 season.

Stephenson, 26, will enter his third full year of professional hockey after playing in 61 games last season for the Texas Stars. The Midland, ON native posted a career-high five assists for a total of five points in 2009-10. Stephenson finished fourth on the team among all defensemen with 47 penalty minutes. The former St. Cloud State defender helped Texas reach the Calder Cup Finals, posting four assists in 24 playoff games this past spring.

For his career, Stephenson has played in 136 games professionally, including 83 in the AHL. Stephenson has seven assists and 81 penalty minutes for his AHL career. In 2008-09, Stephenson played in 53 games for the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads, scoring five times and setting up 22 others for 27 points.

The Texas Stars also revealed their 2010-11 opponents, including 28 home games against West Division visitors. The Stars will play their in-state rival, the Houston Aeros 12 times in the regular season, including six games at Cedar Park Center. Texas will also face San Antonio and the Oklahoma City Barons ten times in 2010-11, with each team hosting five games. The remaining West Division opponents (Chicago, Milwaukee, Peoria and Rockford) will each face Texas six times, with each team hosting three games. In all, 56 of the Stars 80 regular season games will be played against West Division rivals.

Texas will face six teams from the Western Conference’s North Division. The Stars will play Abbotsford, Lake Erie and Manitoba a total of four times, including a pair of home games per side. The Stars will face Grand Rapids more than any other team in the North Division. The Griffins and Stars will each host three games in 2010-11. The Stars will also play Hamilton and Toronto twice, with each team hosting one game. Just like 2009-10, Texas will play the Syracuse Crunch, the only team on the schedule from the Eastern Conference. The Stars and Crunch will each host a game after splitting a pair last season.

On Thursday, the Allen Americans announced the signing of Tobias Whelan (shown above in Game 7 of last year's Conference Semi-Finals) for the 2010-2011 season. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

The Allen Americans announced this morning that Tobias Whelan, the talented rookie out of Lakehead University, will return for the 2010-2011 season.

Whelan finished the 2009-2010 season with 33 points (18G, 15A) in 57 games.  He also had 70 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating.

The Americans have to love what they get with Whelan:  arguably one of the best “all-around” games on the team.  He can play a physical game and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves if he has to, but also has some fantastic offensive tools.  He’s also a leader in the locker room, and those kinds of guys are invaluable throughout the course of a season.

Here is the team’s press release:

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ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans have re-signed standout rookie Tobias Whelan (WEE-lan) for the upcoming season.

“Whelan is a very valuable player because he can play in all situations,” Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins said Wednesday. “He’s another guy in our locker room that is glue. We will look for him to give a lot of leadership.”

The six-foot, 190-pound forward scored 33 points (18g-15a=33) in 57 games last year before recording seven points (4g-3a=7) in 19 postseason games.

Whelan, 26, ended the regular season ranked high among rookies. He was tied for most shorthanded goals among first-years with three. The forward was also sixth in scoring for players in their first professional year and tied for third in game-winning goals among rookies with three.

The Orillia, Ontario, native recorded Allen’s first and only Gordie Howe Hat Trick Friday, Feb. 12, against Amarillo when he fought Chris Cloud, grabbed a goal and notched three assists in the game.

Whelan amassed 101 points in as many games in five seasons with Lakehead University before joining the Americans.

Whelan returns to the Americans this fall with Bruce Graham, Nino Musitelli, Colton Yellow Horn and Liam Huculak. Former CHL Rookie of the Year David Nimmo is also under contract with Allen for 2010-11.

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:

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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.