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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

The Allen Americans announced today that they have re-signed forward Liam Huculak (picture above in Game 3 of the CHL Finals against Rapid City) for the 2010-2011 season. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

The Allen Americans announced on Tuesday that they were bringing back gritty forward Liam Huculak, who was a fan favorite in the inaugural season.

“Hooch”, saw a lot of time on the third line for the Americans last season, but was one of those depth guys that any successful hockey team needs.  Huculak had just 15 points (7G, 8A) during the regular season, but was second on the team with 111 penalty minutes.  His physical style of play often translated to turnovers and giveaways by the opposing team, and that is what Allen is hoping to get from him again in the 2010-2011 season.

Here is the press release from the Americans:

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ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans announced today that forward Liam Huculak (HOOCH-a-lack) will be returning to the club for the franchise’s second season.

“Huculak brings a great presence on the ice. He’s tough and competes hard,” Americans Head Coach and General Manager said Thursday. “He’s also a great teammate in the locker room.”

The six-foot-five, 225-pound forward played in 75 games last season for Allen, including the playoffs. The agitator racked up 111 penalty minutes in 55 regular-season contests and spent 26 minutes in the sin bin during the playoffs. Huculak scored five points in the postseason, including the Americans first playoff goal in franchise history.

Fans got to know the outgoing forward better through his weekly radio show, “Hangin’ with Hooch,” that aired every Wednesday.

Huculak graduated from Colgate University in 2007, where he played four seasons for the Raiders. The Lethbridge, Alberta, native served as captain during his senior year. Before attending school, Huculak played two seasons in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. After graduating he played two seasons in the ECHL before playing for the Americans last year.

Huculak is the fourth player from the Americans 2009-10 Southern Conference Champion team to re-sign for the upcoming season. He joins forwards Bruce Graham, Nino Musitelli and Colton Yellow Horn. Former CHL Rookie of the Year David Nimmo is also under contract with Allen for 2010-11.

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:

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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.