Stars turn long pre-opener break into Traverse City bonding trip
Dallas spent four days in northern Michigan between its final preseason game and Friday's opener, mixing two practices with golf, fishing and team meals.
The Dallas Stars had a long gap between the end of the preseason and the start of the regular season, and general manager Jim Nill knew exactly where to spend it.
Nill, who has a history with the Detroit Red Wings of heading to Traverse City, Mich., for training camp, saw that the Red Wings would not be using the northern Michigan site this year. Detroit is moving camp to its home arena because of shortened training camps. That left the hotel, rink and infrastructure open.
"I knew the Red Wings weren't up there this year, so I called and they said it would be okay with them," Nill said. "Honestly, everything worked out perfectly."
The Stars flew straight from their final preseason game in Minnesota on Friday and spent Saturday through Tuesday in Traverse City. The four days included two practices and plenty of time away from the rink: golf, fishing and a lot of team meals.
"It was really good for us to be up here," coach Glen Gulutzan said after Tuesday's practice. "We had really good weather, we had two great practices, and we just had a lot of time to be together."
Gulutzan said that kind of time helps build something that lasts through a season. "It's important, because you want the team to be bound together pretty tight," he said. "When things get tough, that can make a real difference."
This is not a group short on familiarity. Captain Jamie Benn is entering his 18th season, Tyler Seguin arrived in 2013, and Esa Lindell, Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger have all been in Dallas for seven years or more. Wyatt Johnston, the relative newcomer of that group, is starting his fifth season.
"It's good for some of the newer guys to get to know everyone. And it's good for the older guys, too, just to sort of get ready for the season," Johnston said.
The rink was familiar ground too. Dallas has taken part in the rookie tournament in Traverse City for years. Benn and James Neal helped the Stars win it in 2008, and Robertson, Oettinger, Johnston and Lian Bichsel have all played in the same Centre Ice building where the team practiced this week.
"We're lucky that Jim has been here," Gulutzan said. "The weather was incredible, we're right here by the water, it was easy to just go out walking. It was just really the perfect environment."
The Stars return to Texas for practice Wednesday and Thursday before opening with back-to-back games: at home against the St. Louis Blues on Friday, then at the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
"It gets going pretty fast, so you need to be ready," Benn said. "I think this should help with that."
