Stars prospects get ready to play in Traverse City tournament

Stars prospects will be able to jump right into competitive hockey this week when they take on prospects from three other NHL teams in Traverse City, Mich.

Playing in a three-game tournament will give the young Stars a chance to feel the intensity of competition and hone the details of their game before heading into the NHL training camp starting next Thursday in Cedar Park. And while preseason games await in NHL arena against some of the world’s best hockey players, this is an opportunity for prospects to go against their peers in a smaller arena with plenty of scouts looking on.

“That’s something that makes this tournament so unique,” said Texas Stars coach Neil Graham. “You have almost a playoff style intensity because players are fighting to earn a place or fighting to be seen by NHL scouts, and then you combine that with the fact you lack some of the in-season structure. There’s something raw about it, and that makes it both challenging and entertaining. You typically get a lot of high scoring games, and with that there is physicality, there’s intensity, there’s hits, there’s fights. It’s a great way to jump in.”

Dallas is the defending champion of the tournament after going 2-1-0 last season and winning a tiebreaker against the Detroit Red Wings. Riley Damiani, who led the team with three goals and three assists, has graduated out, but several Stars “veterans” are returning, so they should have quite a formidable roster.

Antonio Stranges had five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in three games last year, Matěj Blümel had four goals, and Oskar Back had three points (1 goal, 2 assists) to lead the forward group.

Key players to watch this year will be Logan Stankoven, who tallied 97 points (34 goals, 53 assists) in 48 games with Kamloops last season, and Mavrik Bourque, who had 47 points (20 goals, 27 assists) in 70 games with the Texas Stars.

The defense will also be an intriguing area to watch, as the Stars have three key prospects in Lian Bichsel (18th overall in 2022), Artem Grushnikov (48th overall in 2021) and Christian Kyrou (50th overall in 2022). All three are expected to play with the Texas Stars this season so Graham and his coaching staff will get a good head start on their development.

“It’s about filling the cupboards,” Graham said. “I think we have some great options, and that’s exciting for all of us.”

Grushnikov has played in Traverse City before and said he enjoys the chance to play against hungry competitors.

“It’s a different level,” he said. “We are all prospects, and everyone wants to show what he can do. Boys have only three games to show what he has and so everyone tries to do extra. Sometimes, it’s not always smart, but it’s fun.”

Bichsel is playing in his first tournament and is coming off a summer of injury rehab. After playing in Sweden for two seasons, he said he’s ready to jump into the smaller North American rinks. When told that the games will be intense, the 6-5, 225-pound defenseman smiled.

“I’m a big guy, so I’m probably one of the guys who make it intense,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun.”

Dallas plays Detroit prospects on Thursday at 5:30 CT, meets Toronto prospects on Friday at 5:30 CT, and plays against Columbus prospects Sunday at 10 a.m. CT.

Graham said the tournament builds camaraderie and gives players a head start going into training camp. It was important for Wyatt Johnston as he jumped from junior hockey to the NHL last season.

“That’s the biggest part of it,” Graham said. “As hard as you train in the summer, it’s impossible to replicate the game intensity of speed, of taking a hit, of making a hit. You go into this tournament and you get three games in four days to knock the rust off, and then you’ll be ready to go against NHLers after that.”

And while Graham is a “player’s coach,” he doesn’t try to take away any of the pressure.

"It’s important,” he said. “I think every year someone either steps up and improves their stock or lowers their stock, to be quite honest. It’s an opportunity to play against the best competition for that age range. And it’s a huge preparation for the NHL camp.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.