Dallas Stars Longtimer Gone: Thank You Ryan Garbutt

Well, it’s been a busy few days for the Dallas Stars and their fan base.

Starting on Tuesday July 7th, the Stars began their five day development camp program. This was where young minor leaguers, rookies, recent draft picks, and even players from the area and across the world in South Korea could show off their skills. It was a great chance for the fan base to see what lays ahead for the club and the level of talent that is knocking on the door.

Friday night the Dallas Stars hosted the Party in the Park event, which they do every year. This is a time for Stars fans to gather in the same area on a warm summer night and gain insight. The personalities of Dave Strader and Daryl Reaugh were present, along with Josh Bogorad, Jim Nill, and many others. Stars fans also had the chance to enjoy some local music from rising artists.

The Party in the Park probably didn’t go exactly as planned, but the new turn it took was an adventurous one. In the middle of an interview with the three Stars broadcasters, Josh Bogorad let everyone in the audience know that a trade involving the Dallas Stars had just gone down. This trade officially brought three-time Stanley Cup champion F Patrick Sharp and reliable, competent D Stephen Johns from the Chicago Blackhawks to Dallas. That was received with an overwhelming multitude of smiles and gasps from the crowd.

That was until they found out who had been dealt to Chicago in exchange. The Stars had to give up veteran defenseman Trevor Daley and young, promising forward Ryan Garbutt as their side of the deal. Both of these players have spent their entire professional career in Dallas. This hit home on many long-time Stars fans who had grown to love both players. From their physicality to their determinedness, they were something special to the organization.

Now Nill has put himself in a tight position. If Sharp or Johns fall through, he will receive the backlash from Stars fans missing #6 or #16. His reputation at the moment is probably higher than any previous Dallas GM has ever reached. I don’t see Sharp or Johns taking any “sharp” turns in the near future, but we just don’t know until we see it for ourselves.

Earlier this morning, our very own Allison Scott put up a wonderful thank you to Trevor Daley for all that he had done for the organization. To see that, you can definitely click here.

I wanted to give a personal thank you to Ryan Garbutt, though. While he had much less of an impact than Daley, he still was a homegrown player through and through.

Ryan Garbutt, who is pushing 30 years old, attended Brown University, so he was like the “genius of the NHL.” After making his way through the CHL, ECHL, and AHL, the Stars signed him on July 1st, 2011.

Garbutt immediately got his feet wet in the following season. He retained his NHL role and played for the next four years with the Stars. Through 198 total games with the Dallas Stars, he scored 30 goals and tallied 40 assists for a total of 70 points. Attached to that was a +1 rating and a proud 215 penalty minutes.

He may have been a bit too aggressive on the ice, but off the ice he was one of the nicest players you would ever meet. Every morning after morning skate, he would always walk into the locker room where the media waited for interviews. He would always make it his duty to find me and ask me how everything was going. He was a true friend and a great teammate.

So rest in peace Pitbull line. It was fun while it lasted. Most importantly, thank you Ryan Garbutt. Thanks for everything, and we hope you find a new adventure in Chicago. It will definitely be weird seeing you and Trevor Daley five times a year in red instead of green. But thank you a million times over, and enjoy the rest of your career. We’ll miss you.

A quick note: this next week you may not see very much out of me. Last night my brother passed away in a car crash and we are still coping through it. So if you don’t see my name on the site as often as it usually is over the next week, you know why. But no worries. Allison and Nick have assured me that they will have you covered with all the Stars news you need over the next week, and I have complete faith in them. So nothing will be out of the ordinary, and make sure to check back in to Blackout Dallas each day for up-to-date news, opinions, and anything else they can think up.

Next: Jim Nill Does It Again: Patrick Sharp Traded To Dallas Stars

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