Stephane Robidas Is Headed To Finland To Join HIFK Helsinki
By Billy Bryson
Dallas Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas (3). Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE
Day 23 of the absolutely unnecessary NHL lockout and one of the Dallas Stars longest tenured players and a blue-line anchor, Stephane Robidas, is taking his talents to Helsinki, Finland for the duration of the lockout. He is the 3rd Stars player to make the journey overseas in order to keep getting paid for organized hockey.
The 35 year old defenseman has agreed to a deal with HIFK Helsinki and joins Florida Panthers forward, Sean Bergenheim who is already playing for Helsinki along with a handful of ex-NHL talent. Stars teammate Philip Larsen is also in the same league as Robidas but he plays for Rauman Lukko.
Robidas is not a stranger to playing European hockey during NHL lockouts. In 2004-05, a locked-out Robidas played for the Frankfurt Lions of the German League and he managed to tally a very respectable 47 points in just 51 games. To put that into perspective, Robidas best season with the Stars back in the NHL came in 2009-10 when he registered 41 points in 82 games.
It is important to note that Robidas is in the third year of a four year, $13.2 million contract extension that he signed with Dallas Stars in 2009.