Draft gives Stars chance to celebrate hockey in Lone Star State

The NHL Draft is one of Jim Lites' favorite events of the year.
"It's such a great time when everyone from the league gets together, you're all optimistic about next season, there's a lot of talk in the air about who you're getting in the draft or maybe possible trades. There's just a lot of energy in the city," said Lites, the Stars CEO.
"I'm really excited to see it here in Dallas."

The Stars will play host to the draft Friday and Saturday at American Airlines Center, and that's a great opportunity for a Sunbelt city in the NHL. In addition to bringing the focus of the league to Dallas, the Stars also will be able to look in the mirror a little bit.
The Texas Hockey History Museum will open to the public Thursday at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Farmers Branch, another reminder of how hockey has grown in the Lone Star State. The Stars will also look into the future while holding
Texas Hockey Day
with a full slate of activities.
The Texas Hockey History Center was the brainchild of executive vice president Jason Farris and brought together by a group led by team archivist Jeremy Rasmussen. It displays memorabilia dating back 100 years and shows the progress of hockey in Texas long before the Stars moved from Minnesota in 1993. It's a wonderful reminder of how the sport has always had a place in the state.

"We definitely have a history here, and it's good to look back at it," said team president Brad Alberts. "The team has a winning tradition with the Stanley Cup and several division championships, but it goes back further than that. We get a chance to show that to the world this week."
The draft also will allow the Stars to talk about the changes they have already made this summer, as new head coach Jim Montgomery will be a part of festivities, along with Stars players Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop.
The players will be a part of a skills clinic Thursday featuring 20 local players ages 8-12. Also on hand will be New Jersey Devils player Blake Coleman, who was born in Plano and is a product of the Stars youth system. Southlake's Ryan O'Reilly is another product and is expected to be drafted at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

That's a nice moment for Lites, who was part of the first season in Dallas and predicted just this kind of thing back in 1993 when he said a new generation of hockey fans would grow up to cheer for the Stars.
"It's just a great reminder of how much hockey has grown here," Lites said. "There are 15,000 familes in Texas who are registered with USA Hockey, and that to me just shows how much progress we've made here."
Progress that will be on display this week.
The center of the hockey universe will be in Texas on Friday and Saturday as the Stars host the 2018 NHL Draft™ presented by adidas for the first time ever at American Airlines Center. For complete Draft coverage, including the latest stories, videos and event information, click here.
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.
Read more: 2018 NHL Draft, Dallas Stars