Expect A Warm Welcome For Stephane Robidas Tonight

The Dallas Stars will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night for the first time in Dallas this season. The Stars have already lost to the Leafs once this season by a score of 5-3 on December 2nd. The Stars are currently riding a four-game winning streak, while the Maple Leafs have lost their last three.

The big news tonight will be the return of Stephane Robidas to Dallas for the second time since he was traded last season at the trade deadline.

Stephane Robidas spent the majority of his career to date with the Dallas Stars, playing in 704 games over a span of 11 seasons. Over the span, he accumulated 46 goals and 165 assists, along with an impressive on-ice rating of +24. He was a quality defender for the Stars and bore the “A” for assistant captain a few seasons while with the team.

Stephane Robidas played his last game in a Dallas Stars uniform on November 29, 2014 against the Chicago Blackhawks. With 7:32 left in the second period and the Stars leading 2-1, the Hawks were on a power play. As Robidas skated back to defend Jonathan Toews rush up the boards, the puck made contact with the tip of his skate blade, causing his leg to bend and ultimately breaking a few bones in his lower leg, including both his tibia and fibula. Robidas was stretchered off in front of a mass of horrified Stars fans at a loss for words. Robidas underwent overnight surgery and was determined to be out 4-6 months. That would have had him back around the end of the regular season, in time for the postseason. But Robidas disagreed, and put forth every amount of work he could in the rehabilitation process, and was back to skating by mid-January. Many expected Robidas to be back by early March so he could continue to help the Stars and their young blue line in the playoff hunt. But he would never get that chance.

On March 4th, 2014, Stephane Robidas was shipped to the Anaheim Ducks for a fourth round draft pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill said that he had talked with Robidas, and that at age 37, all he wanted was a chance at a Stanley Cup. They agreed that a trade was the best idea and Robidas played the last fourteen games of the regular season with the Ducks.

The Dallas Stars ended up meeting the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Robidas was set to face his former team. During Game 3 in Dallas, Ryan Garbutt slid in underneath Robidas’ legs while diving for a loose puck, and Robidas took another turn for the worst. He was carried off with no weight on his right leg, and it was determined that he had reinjured his leg and would miss the rest of the playoffs. Robidas was left in tears, while his contract expired at the end of the season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed him on July 1st, 2014, and he was cleared to play once the season began. Robidas currently has five assists and a +12 rating with the Leafs through 32 games this year. This will be his second return to Dallas, but hopefully no injury will spoil it this time.

Robidas had a laugh when reminiscing Monday about how he grew to love country music during his 11 years in Dallas and how the 2008 Western Conference Finals between the Stars and Red Wings was the highlight of his career.

It’s special to come back here, I spent 11 years of my life here, that’s where my kids were born. So obviously it’s going to be special. It was like home for me.”

Robidas told about his time in Dallas and how great it was for he and his family. He will reunite with multiple old friends tonight on the ice in front of a mass of welcoming and loving fans. Who knows, maybe even a tribute video will be shown? Either way, if you do not have tickets already, this might be a good game to get yourself to. If you’re a longtime Stars fan, you may even need to prepare to deal with fighting back tears.

So, dust off your Stephane Robidas jerseys and get ready to welcome back one of the Dallas Stars greats!

Leave your comments and questions below, and as always, thanks for reading! Go Stars.