First Shift 🏒
Justin Hryckowian is dialing up the physicality lately, and that suits head coach Glen Gulutzan just fine.
The 25-year-old rookie has had fights in each of the past two games, as he and veteran Adam Erne are bringing some of the edge that Gulutzan has stressed is necessary if the Stars want to round into playoff form.
“I loved it, because you need that,” Gulutzan said. “It's emotion, it's real. If you don't have it, your teams aren't the same.”
Hryckowian is proving to be a key to the chemistry of the 2025-26 Stars. Dallas lost players like Mason Marchment, Mikael Granlund and Evgenii Dadonov in the offseason because they had to get under the salary cap, so that allowed openings for players like Hryckowian, who is on a two-way contract and had to fight to make the team. He signed with the Stars as a free agent out of Northeastern University and showed off his value by winning the Rookie of the Year award in the AHL last season.
But the 5-11, 198-pound forward was seen more as a scorer than a physical player, as he tallied 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in 68 games while collecting just 27 penalty minutes. He was even better in the playoffs with 18 points (9 goals, 9 assists) in 14 games.
But as players try to move up the ranks, they have to be able to adapt their game, and that’s a big reason Hryckowian continues to get more minutes as the season moves on.
Hrycowian has 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) in 58 games this season and is averaging 12:21 in time on ice. He is tied for second in hits with 89 and leads the team in fighting majors with three. The fights aren’t hugely significant, but even a few can make a point.
On Wednesday, both Hryckowian and Erne were sticking up for Miro Heiskanen, who had been on the receiving end of a few heavy hits from Seattle.
“With some of the hits on Miro, you need it,” Gulutzan said. “You need it nightly. You need it to be in the fabric of your jersey. I loved it.”
Hryckowian hasn’t been a huge fighter in his career, but he understands the competitive side of the game. He engages in battles on a nightly basis and basically throws his body around to help the Stars win puck battles.
“Gully talks a lot about it,” Hryckowian said. “I think our physicality connects us as a group and I think it gives us more time and space out there. Our game has simplified. I like how he says it: ‘Play like your old man wants you to.’”
As Dallas tries to deal with injuries to Rantanen and Radek Faksa, as well as an illness to Roope Hintz, Hryckowian will get even more opportunity. He said that as the minutes go up, he’s willing to do whatever the team asks of him.
“You’re trying to gain more rope as you go, and earn more trust and more responsibility,” he said. “I feel very confident and comfortable in those situations and I just want to keep sharpening my game and keep being an option in those situations. I just want to help the team win.”
