The Dallas prospects Texas added last week - forwards Ty Dellandrea, Rhett Gardner, and Josh Melnick, and defenseman Joe Cecconi suited up for all three games last week.
First game I was a little nervous, a little scared to go out there. I just didn't know what was going to happen. A lot of the unknown," Cecconi told the Texas Stars official site.
Cecconi, who played four years at the University of Michigan, picked up his first pro point -- an assist -- in Saturday's game against Grand Rapids.
"Hands down [the biggest change from college to pro] is it is faster," Cecconi told the Texas official site. "Guys are bigger, faster, stronger. The forecheck is harder to break out against, so that is the biggest adjustment for me."
All four players handled their first few games well, but it was an adjustment. Dellandrea came in from junior hockey and the others from college, jumping right into the pros and into a ramped up playoff race.
With Texas battling some injury/illness issues and guys like Joel L'Esperance and Justin Dowling in the NHL, the new guys were not being eased into the mix. Dellandrea, Gardner, and Melnick all played center Saturday against a good Grand Rapids team along with Diego Cuglietta, whom Texas had just signed to an amateur tryout out of college.
Our four centermen tonight were all rookies," Texas coach Derek Laxdal told media after 3-2 loss to Grand Rapids Saturday. " You are throwing them into a playoff race and it's great experience. I thought they did a decent job of managing the game. It's an all-stakes-in race to get in the playoffs, so these kids are learning at a fast pace.
"Give them a lot of credit, they battled, but at the end of the day I think experience probably ended up winning the game for [Grand Rapids]."
