Chambers, Lukowich unlikely heroes for Stars in run to 1999 Stanley Cup

Game 4 of the Stars' first-round series win against the Edmonton Oilers was a really nice reminder that Dallas was a team of depth in its run to the 1999 Stanley Cup.
With Derian Hatcher serving out a seven-game suspension for breaking the jaw of Jeremy Roenick during the regular season and Richard Matvichuk sidelined by an injury, Shawn Chambers and Brad Lukowich stepped up in Game 4 against Edmonton, helping the Stars win in triple overtime. Chambers played 56:21 while nursing a broken finger and sore knee, and 22-year-old Lukowich logged 31:15 in just his second NHL playoff game -- the 20th NHL game he ever played in.

"They were both great," said teammate Craig Ludwig. "(Chambers) was so underrated for his ability to handle pressure and play smart, and Luke just hung in there and made the right play. I think we all understood how to play together and what the coaches wanted, and he jumped right in there and followed the lead."
Chambers was 33 at the time and had a long, hard climb through the NHL. He was taken by the Minnesota North Stars in the supplemental draft in 1987 after a career at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. He worked his way through four seasons with the North Stars and found himself with the Capitals and the Lightning before finally landing with the Devils in 1994. There, he helped New Jersey win the Stanley Cup in 1995, and that eventually led him to signing with Dallas in 1997.
Chambers was familiar with Stars general manager Bob Gainey, who served as his head coach with the North Stars. He said when he signed with the Stars as a free agent, Gainey was looking for a veteran who had been through the wars.
"I think games like that one in Edmonton was why Bob wanted me," he said. "I never thought I would have to do something like that, but when it was happening, it seemed like something we all could handle."
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Chambers dealt with knee injuries throughout his career, and those would catch up with him later in the playoffs, but he battled through in ways that he often had in the past.
"You got it shot up and you played through," he said with a laugh. "That's what you did."
In fact, he broke his finger in the first period, got a splint, some tape, and a shot of painkiller, and off he went. Dallas was up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, so it didn't seem like a huge deal. Yes, they wanted to win and get the sweep, but Game 5 would be in Dallas and Hatcher would be back from his suspension, so this was just business as usual.
But when Jamie Langenbrunner scored 11 minutes into the third period to tie the game at 2-2, the Stars decided they might as well just win right there. Ed Belfour and Tommy Salo kept the nets clean through the first two overtimes, and then Joe Nieuwendyk finally ended it at 17:34 mark of the third OT.
At the time, it was the longest game in playoff history.
It is the most Chambers has ever played in one game, and he said he was happy to end the series and get some rest.

"Before they really started keeping time on ice, someone told me I was top five in the league in New Jersey one year," he said. "I was playing beside Scott Stevens and playing power play and penalty kill, so that made sense. But this was so out of the blue, this was completely different. I'm just glad we won it. I needed the time off."
Lukowich said he was excited to get the chance to be in such a big game. A native of Cranbrook, British Columbia, Lukowich's family and friends made the seven-hour drive to Edmonton to see the game. He said he was ecstatic.
"Being in Edmonton, my family made it up there and I had a couple of buddies show up for the game, and that just made it even more exciting," Lukowich said.
"It was a great way to get start in the playoffs. It was a real rivalry, and I loved that."
Lukowich said that playing 11 minutes in Game 3 helped get him ready, and that he felt completely supported in the pressure of overtime.
"They told me to just go out and play. They told me this is why I'm here, that you don't have to do anything special. If you make a mistake, you make a mistake. Just do what got you here," Lukowich said. "It was awesome, because the guys with playoff experience wanted to talk you through the game, and that was really helpful.

"I do remember (assistant Rick Wilson) telling me that I needed to get the puck to the top-end guys," Lukowich added. "He said, `No offense to you, Brad, but I'd rather have Mike Modano with the puck than you.' And I was like, alright, that's a smart way to look at it."
Lukowich played a total of eight playoff games that season, but didn't get his name on the Cup because he didn't meet participation requirements at the time. However, the experience helped him in 2004 when he was a member of the Lightning's Stanley Cup team and finally got his name engraved on the silver chalice.
"It was meant to be," Lukowich said. "The experience really helped, and then I was one of the calm ones with Tampa."
Both players said their bodies were banged up when they decided to retire, and both went back into coaching. Chambers headed up to Northern Minnesota and coached in several youth leagues. He even spent some time with former teammate Richard Matvichuk in Prince George in the WHL.
This year, he said he decided to just dedicate a lot of time to watching his son Connor play at the University of Wisconsin Stout.
"It's been fun," Chambers said. "Hockey has been such a big part of my life and this is probably the first time since I was four that I really haven't spent that much time on the ice."
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He said he loves connecting with former teammates, and said he loves talking about games like the one in Edmonton.
Lukowich headed back to Cranbrook after he retired and said he just wanted to spend time with his wife and two daughters. But he soon got the itch to coach and went through the Hockey Canada training programs. That led to a series of youth coaching gigs.
However, his wife Cara is from Texas, and he said they always wanted to return. He was able to connect with Bob Bassen and the Stars Alumni Association, and that led to a job with the Stars.
He currently works on the Xtreme Team with the Stars Foundation and brings floor hockey games to local schools. He also is a big part of camps and clinics that the Stars offer, and could be a part of future endeavors that help expand the reach of the Stars.
"I've had so many good memories here, and while this time is hard right now, I know we're going to have a lot of work to do when we get back," Lukowich said. "We want to expand the game even more, and I think we can do that.
"I'm ready to get back at it."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.