First Shift 🏒
Alexander Petrovic is on a roll right now, and that’s a great thing for the Stars.
Petrovic, 33, worked hard to earn a spot on the NHL roster this season, and now he’s being rewarded with bigger minutes. While Petrovic started seventh on the depth chart coming out of camp, injuries to Thomas Harley, Ilya Lyubushkin and Nils Lundkvist have pushed him into some key minutes. The sturdy blueliner was averaging about 14 minutes per game before the injuries started. He has been closer to 20 minutes in more recent games, including a season high 22:06 in Thursday’s 4-2 win over Vancouver.
He also has been a noticeable positive, going plus-9 in plus-minus over the past four games.
“I honestly don’t think we would be where we are without him,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said.
Gulutzan added that having a veteran like Petrovic (who has played 288 NHL games) is a big boost.
“The reality is he’s a good player,” Gulutzan said. “He’s a smart player, he’s got a good stick, he’s big, he’s got hockey IQ, he can pass the puck. There is a reason he played in the playoffs and did well, he’s a good player. He’s handled some big minutes against big players for us.”
That said, Petrovic had played just six NHL games over the previous six regular seasons. He instead was in the AHL and was a huge leader for the Texas Stars in recent seasons.
That might be helping him out now. While playing in Cedar Park, Petrovic shared the ice with players like Lian Bichsel, Mavrik Bourque, Oskar Bäck and Justin Hryckowian. Those are some of the players who have helped him get the big pluses in recent games.
“I think for sure,” Petrovic said when asked if that chemistry is helpful. “The ‘Que-Back’ line is buzzing right now. We’ve got a good group, skilled guys, and I’ve just been on the ice while they are doing it.”
Gulutzan said having teammates to lean on is crucial when making the step up.
“Guys know each other and they’re comfortable with each other,” the coach said. “You look at the Ritzy line, those younger guys are having success.
“I think Dallas does as good a job as anyone, if not the best in the league, at developing players through their pipeline,” he added. “That’s when you see the fruits of it here. Guys are used to playing together and they like being around each other. It’s what good teams are built on.”
Bichsel said he owes a lot of his progress to Petrovic. The 21-year-old played 16 games in the AHL in 2023-24, went back to Sweden, and then returned to play 28 games in the AHL with Petrovic last season before getting called up to the NHL for the rest of the season. The two reunited and formed a reliable pairing in Dallas during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“Me and Pets have been building this relationship for three years,” Bichsel said. “He helped me when I was in Austin and even when I went back to Sweden. He has been there with me quite a bit.”
Bichsel said the key to their game is trust.
“It’s nothing crazy, it’s actually just simple hockey, but we both understand that,” he said. “We play hard, physical, simple hockey. That makes us successful.”
