First Shift 🏒
Mavrik Bourque had a nice little moment last weekend.
The 23-year-old winger had a banner season with Logan Stankoven in the AHL in 2023-24, and that bonded the two youngsters for life. So when Stankoven was traded to Carolina last season for Rantanen, perhaps nobody on the Stars was affected as much as Bourque.
On Saturday, the two got to face each other for the first time, and the experience was not only fun, but a good reminder.
“It’s good,” said Bourque. “Its always fun facing an old teammate.”
Stankoven played 16:24, had 0 points and went 10-of-19 on faceoffs. Bourque played 14:33, had 0 points and went 0-for-2 on faceoffs. Bourque and the Stars ended up getting a 3-2 win, so that was nice, but the bottom line is both players are taking the next step in their journey together.
Bourque on Sunday had a great set up pass to Rantanen for the game-winning power play goal in Nashville, and that says a lot about where he is right now. With several forwards out, Bourque is getting top line minutes with Robertson and Johnston and also is seeing more time on the power play.
“It’s new, and I’m trying to adjust,” he said. “We all want these experiences, so I’m happy for them.”
The two shared those experiences in the AHL. Bourque had been there for a year and Stankoven came from junior hockey. Stankoven tallied 57 points (24 goals, 33 assist) in 47 games and was on pace to lead the league in scoring. He got called up to the NHL in February and played 24 games with the Stars. Bourque stuck around and tallied 77 points (36 goals, 51 assists), winning league MVP in the process.
It was a great experience.
“We both just wanted to make the NHL, so we had to help each other out,” he said. “It was a fun time. We had good chemistry. From the time I played with him, me and him knew where we were on the ice.”
The fact the two are now on different teams is another lesson in the life of pro athletes. While you want to draw things up in your mind, it never works out that way.
Bourque was saying last season was a challenge for both as they tried to find that AHL chemistry in the NHL, and it didn’t always click. But, he said that’s just the way the game goes.
He was asked about the path of young players and said he believes each guy is different.
“It’s not about when you come in or how you come in, it’s what you do when you get here,” he said. “I think everyone has their own path.”
