DALLAS -- Center Brendan Gaunce will make his NHL debut Thursday for the Vancouver Canucks when they face the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center (8:30 p.m. ET; SNV, FS-SW).

The 26th pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, Gaunce had one goal and one assist in five games with Utica of the American Hockey League when he was recalled. He is the younger brother of defenseman Cameron Gaunce, who played nine games for Dallas during the 2013-14 season.

"Yeah, it's something I've wanted to do my whole life, is play in the NHL. It was definitely a very rewarding feeling for all the last 15 years of playing hockey," said Gaunce, who will play left wing on the fourth line alongside rookie center Jared McCann and right wing Derek Dorsett.

DALLAS -- Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf will not be in the lineup against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday after flying back to California to have a non-emergency appendectomy.

The Ducks said the surgery will take place Wednesday. Getzlaf has had discomfort intermittently over the past six weeks and is expected to be sidelined 4-12 days.

Getzlaf, 30, has not scored, has one assist and is minus-5 in eight games this season. The Ducks have won one of those games and have been shut out five times.

DALLAS -- The Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars have different goals heading into their game at American Airlines Center on Saturday (8 p.m., ET; FS-SW, FS-F).

Florida (3-3-1), is 0-1-1 on their current three-game road trip, and will need to stay out of the penalty box in order to leave Dallas with a win. The Panthers were shorthanded eight times in a 3-2 loss at the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

"Definitely got to play more disciplined and hold ourselves accountable, play harder a little bit and I think it should be a better turnout if we do that," Panthers center Nick Bjugstad said.

Dallas (6-1-0), which has won five straight, looks to carry the momentum from a 4-0-0 road trip through the Eastern Conference back to home ice, where the Stars are 2-0-0.

DALLAS -- Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall contracted an illness late Monday night, putting his status in doubt for the Oilers' game Tuesday against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.

"He's ill, not feeling well and he's questionable for the evening," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said.

McLellan said he and his staff will monitor Hall throughout the rest of the day before determining if he skates in pregame warmups.

Should Hall be unavailable, McLellan will do some line shuffling. Left wing Benoit Pouliot will move from the second to the first line alongside center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and right wing Teddy Purcell.

"[Hall] is obviously a big part of our team and has been for a long time now," Nugent-Hopkins said. "He produces a ton of offense for us too. We got a group in here now that guys can pick up the slack for him."

DALLAS -- For the first time since 2009, someone other than Kari Lehtonen will be the starting goaltender on opening night for the Dallas Stars.

Antti Niemi was first off the ice after the morning skate and will get the start for Dallas on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at American Airlines Center, but Stars coach Lindy Ruff doesn't feel there's any sort of goalie controversy.

"I thought [Niemi's] preseason was pretty good," Ruff said. "We know we're going to use both goaltenders. So for me, Antti is the guy that gets the nod (to open the season)."

DALLAS -- When the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars meet Saturday at American Airlines Center, both teams will be missing key players.

Nashville (47-24-10, 104 points) has locked up second place in the Central Division, but the Predators will be without their top defensive pair against Dallas because Roman Josi and Shea Weber are both out with lower-body injuries.

The Predators have recalled defenseman Joe Piskula from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League to provide depth.

DALLAS -- With five regular-season games to play, the Dallas Stars' chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season remain alive as they host the St. Louis Blues at American Airlines Center on Friday (8:30 p.m. ET; FS-MW, FS-SW).

Dallas (37-30-10) is six points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card from the Western Conference. The Stars lost 5-3 to the Calgary Flames on Monday.

Stars coach Lindy Ruff is tweaking his fourth line, with veteran center Shawn Horcoff missing practice Thursday and the morning skate on Friday with an illness.

"The latest is it doesn't look like he'll be able to play," Ruff said.

Horcoff being unavailable means Ruff will likely employ a fourth line of left wing Travis Moen, center Colton Sceviour and right wing Valeri Nichushkin.

DALLAS -- The Calgary Flames and the Dallas Stars played last Wednesday at Scotiabank Saddledome, a game Dallas won 4-3 in a shootout.

At American Airlines Center on Monday, the Flames and Stars face off in another matchup with huge implications for the Stanley Cup Playoffs (8:30 p.m. ET; SNW, FS-SW).

"I know it sounds cliché but that's going to be probably my favorite line until the end of this season, is it's one game at a time," Flames coach Bob Hartley said. "There's six games left this season. We need to win them."

Calgary (41-28-7, 89 points) defeated the Nashville Predators 5-2 at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday. The Flames are third in the Pacific Division, two points behind the second-place Vancouver Canucks.

DALLAS -- When the Buffalo Sabres face the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Monday, they could be without leading scorer Tyler Ennis, who missed the morning skate because of an illness.

Ennis, who leads the Sabres with 39 points (21 assists), became ill Monday morning, but Buffalo coach Ted Nolan remains optimistic Ennis will be able to play against Dallas.

"He woke up not feeling really good today, maybe a touch of the flu or whatever it is. Sent him back to the hotel. Hopefully he'll be ready to go tonight," Nolan said.

Buffalo (20-45-7, 47 points) will be without right wing Jerry D'Amigo, who took a stick to the face late in a 3-0 loss at the Nashville Predators on Saturday night, an infraction that earned Nashville center Craig Smith a $5,000 fine.

DALLAS -- When the Chicago Blackhawks face the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday, they could reach several milestones.

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville is one victory away from reaching career win No. 750. Quenneville is 749-431-106 with 77 ties as an NHL coach and credits much of his success to being surrounded by great personnel during stints with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and Blackhawks.

“I’ve been fortunate, been around real good teams,” Quenneville said. “Timing’s been fortunate in a lot of ways to work with great players, a lot of top teams, organizationally working with some great management people as well.”