Dallas Stars Officially Close Book On 2016-17 Season
By Josh Clark
The 2016-17 season officially came to a close on Monday morning as the Dallas Stars hosted their exit interview day. It was an interesting day with plenty to cover and follow.
The 2016-17 season is now in the past for the Dallas Stars as they cleaned out their lockers and held their final team meetings before beginning the offseason.
There were plenty of headlines to follow, such as Lindy Ruff’s recent departure, the World Championships, injuries, the search for a new coach, goaltending and defense, and the expansion draft in the upcoming future.
Here are some of the highlights from exit interview day 2017.
Notable facts
Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill noted that in addition to parting ways with head coach Lindy Ruff, the organization also parted with assistant coach James Patrick. They will keep goaltending coach Jeff Reese and video coach Kelly Forbes on board and assistant coach Curt Fraser will get an opportunity to interview with the new head coach for a position.
Dallas Stars
He also mentioned that he and Ruff had discussed contract negotiations earlier in the year but had decided to sit back and see where the team finished before talking more.
Nill pointed out that he has already begun the search for a new coach and has talked to three potential candidates. No names were given, but Ken Hitchcock and Gerard Gallant are two strong possibilities that could be included in the three-person list.
Nill said that there were a few players that might be needing some offseason surgery depending on how their physicals go, but that Patrick Sharp was the only outright injury that needed immediate attention.
He remained quiet on the possibility of a change in goaltending, mentioning that everyone on the team is in it together and that everyone has their ups and downs.
Nill talked about how Valeri Nichushkin still has one more year left on his KHL contract and that he does not know whether he will return to the NHL next season or not.
Patrick Sharp is doing well after surgery and the doctors are excited for his future.
Mattias Janmark is doing well in recovery, according to Nill. He will get two screws removed from his knee tomorrow and will undergo a four-week recovery program after that. This is uncharted territory and no other athlete around has gone through the same thing, according to Nill.
Nill mentioned that there are no players on the Dallas Stars that will for sure play in the World Championships. He said that Julius Honka was heading over to Team Finland’s training camp and that Esa Lindell might have an opportunity. He mentioned that Team Canada had called on a few guys and Team France was hoping for Antoine Roussel, but that they need to be medically cleared first.
Nill said that he has not decided on who he is going to protect in the expansion draft, specifically on defense, and noted that other teams have called making offers for if the Stars run into “protection troubles.”
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Quotable
Jim Nill
“I’ve already started the process [of finding a new coach]. I’ve talked to some people already. I’m looking for an experienced guy. This isn’t a rebuild because I think we have a lot of good pieces in place.”
“We went through 32 players and 20 forwards. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
“I love where he [Lindy Ruff] took the team. When we got here, there wasn’t a lot of pieces in place and I think we did a pretty quick turnaround.”
“[The goaltending] is in it with everybody else. They’ve had their good times and bad times also. Everyone in this team is in this together right from the management and the coaches on down. We’re all responsible for this season, and the goalies are part of it.”
On if he is going to make goalie changes: “We have a good idea of where we have to go with things, especially with the expansion draft where you have to expose somebody. There are different rules in place that we have to look at and we will have our meetings and look at UFAs and free agents.”
“If there’s a silver lining to this season with all the injuries, we had a lot of players up here that we never though would be here.”
“I still think we need to get better in the back end, and that is going to be a priority moving forward.”
“We have work to do around here and we’ll see what happens this summer.”
“Lindy [Ruff] was a great coach and a great person and obviously I had a pretty good relationship with him. It’s got a lot to do with us as players. We failed as a group this year, and unfortunately he took the hit for it this year.”
Benn on his health throughout the year: “I was good enough to play, so there’s no excuses.”
If he’s going to the World Championships: “I’ll think about it and talk with Jim [Nill]. I want to do what’s best for myself.”
If he has a say in helping choose the new coach: “Uhhh… no. Jim’s a smart man and I’ve got all the belief in him and everyone else in the front office in this organization. Whoever comes in here, I’m going to believe that’s the right guy and we’ll see who it is.”
“I don’t think anyone believes it’s a rebuild and we’re not going to let it be a rebuild. It’s a quick turnaround and we have the ability to turn this around real fast.”
Live Feed
Puck Prose
“There’s not one guy in here saying that he had a good year, besides maybe [Adam] Cracknell. But [Lindy Ruff] was a good coach and it’s tough.”
“They told me my achilles would take about a year to be fully fixed and I guess I’m still waiting for it to be fully fixed.”
His thoughts on playing in the World Championships: “I think I’ll have a talk with Jim [Nill] before I take off. I want to do what is best for myself and my body and what will make me the best for next year.”
“The way we came out last year is the way we want to come out next year. There’s a lot of motivation in here.”
“It’s disappointing and frustrating because we had a great group of guys. We have to learn from it and do better next year.”
“I believe we will do better next year and go far.”
What he learned in his second year: “I believe in myself more and wasn’t as nervous before games. I made some plays that I wouldn’t have made the year before. My experience helps a lot in this league.”
On if this team can win a Stanley Cup: “100 percent. Our leaders and whole organization are some of the best in the world. I believe that we have a chance to make something happen next year and in the next few years.”
His message to the fans: “I want to say thank you to all the fans. They are awesome. Every game was loud and they were always cheering for us even when we didn’t do well. It helps us a lot and next year we will stick together and do big things.”
“Probably just some vacation and relaxing and then I’ll start training to get better for next year.”
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“I had a good enough season to come back for next year and that’s important for me knowing that this team can win and that we can turn this around. It was a lot of fun for myself just to have the year I did.”
“I think we can learn from not having success this year and overcome a lot of barriers. You have to learn a lot from losing, unfortunately.”
On his first career hat trick: “That was a fun night. It’s one of the positives I can take out of this season. It was pretty cool seeing all of the fans get so excited. And I got a free shark hat.”
“There’s guys always coming up behind you to take your spot. It’s a competition everyday. It’s not nerve-wracking, but it’s part of the business where you have to elevate your game and be ready to step into any role that they need you to.”
Thoughts on his rookie season: “It was a pretty cool feeling. I think it’s tough to appreciate right now because you’re still a competitor and you’re disappointed about how the season went. Especially at this level, all that matters is wins. But when everything dies down in the summer, I’ll be able to appreciate more of how cool of an experience it was and how much I learned.”
“With the surgery last year and the ankle [injury] in training camp, I thought that the hockey gods had it out for me. But I think that kind of adversity early in the year is good for teaching you to be mentally tough. To play all 82 [games] is pretty cool. I guess I got all of my injuries out of the way.”
“It’s about getting better and making strides to improve all the time. At the start of camp, I kind of knew where I stood with the depth chart and you’re just looking to take advantage of any opportunity that comes. Fortunately, one came my way and I did my best to grasp it. I think I had the confidence knowing I could play at this level this season, but I also knew all of the great players we had on the team and what my role would be.”
On his positivity in the locker room: “I think rule number one is to just be yourself. I guess positivity and communication is part of who I am. If I can do my part to keep it positive, in my opinion that helps. And when other guys help by being themselves and bringing what they bring, you go from there.
We will have more coverage on each of the stories that developed or are still developing out of exit interview day in the days and weeks to come.
Next: What All Happened During Lindy Ruff's Tenure?
But for now, just sit back and relax, Stars fans. The season is officially out the door and in the past. Now all that is left to worry about is the future and the unknown that comes along with it.
Be sure to buckle up.