Dallas Stars Top 100 Players of All-Time: 80-71

Over the past two days, us at Blackout Dallas have begun to unveil our Top 100 players in the 23-year history of the Dallas Stars. Today comes ten more on the countdown.

The Dallas Stars top 100 players in franchise history rankings continue today with athletes #80 through #71. So, without further ado…

#80 – FORWARD, DEAN EVASON

Dean Evason waited until the fifth round in 1982’s Draft to hear his named call, as many scouts were skeptical of his lack of size (Evason was just 5’10” and 180lbs). However, the Winnipeg, Manitoba native played 803 games, 127 of which came with Dallas, and as a Star he accrued 19 goals and 40 assists from 93 to 95. Evason now stands on the bench for the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, where he’s been at the helm for five seasons.

#79 – FORWARD, KIRK MULLER

Kirk Muller was always a gifted scorer; the New Jersey Devils knew this when they drafted the former Kingston Canadian with the sending overall pick in 1984. Muller went on to provide scoring excellence everywhere he went, including Dallas, where he finished his career after tallying 19 goals and 49 assists as a Star from 1999-00 to 2002-03.

#78 – FORWARD, ALES HEMSKY

Czech depth forward Ales Hemsky – who is sadly currently ailed and unable to play due to a broken fibula – is a former 77-point scorer for the Edmonton Oilers and has since nailed down two straight 30-point seasons with the Dallas Stars, including last year’s 13-goal, 26-assist performance. Hemsky might have played his last game with Dallas already, but his contributions will be remembered well.

#77 – FORWARD, NIKO KAPANEN

Niko Kapanen was about as consistent and reliable of a two-way center as possible, tossing in a formidable offensive output in his four seasons with the Dallas Stars. Kapanen’s tenure as a Star featured 20 goals and 46 assists, before the Finnish center departed and eventually found himself on his current team, HPK Hammeenlinna of SM-liiga.

#76 – FORWARD, VALERI NICHUSHKIN

After an electric rookie year in which the Chelyabinsk, Russia native tallied 14 goals and 20 assists, Val Nichushkin battled injuries and ice-time complaints to just 30 points over the next two years, before leaving to play in his home country in the KHL. However, the former first-round pick to the Stars is primed for a return to Big D after earning a spot in the KHL All-Star game, and his 6’4″ frame makes his ceiling for future success a high one.

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#75 – DEFENSEMAN, KARLIS SKRASTINS

Karlis Skrastins rode into Dallas after a successful run with the Predators and Avalanche, after being drafted a whopping 230th overall in 1998 by Nashville. The Latvian defenseman played two seasons with Dallas, becoming a a lock-down PK specialist and defensive-zone menace, and totalling 21 points. Sadly, Karlis Skrastins passed away due to a plane crash in Yaroslavl, Russia as a member of the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Rest in peace, Karlis.

#74 – DEFENSEMAN, STEPHEN JOHNS

In July of 2015, the Dallas Stars acquired youthful blueliner Stephen Johns from the Blackhawks into a four-player trade. Since then, Johns has bashed, sniped, and wheeled his way to a spot on the Dallas roster as he impressed late last year and thus far this season, scoring a total of 11 points. Johns’ potential and size earns him a spot here, as his ability to become a true number-one defenseman is prevalent.

#73 – FORWARD, TONY HRKAC

Playing North American pro hockey for 23 years is extremely difficult, but Tony Hrkac was able to pull off this feat, which included two separate stints with the Dallas Stars. Altogether, the Thunder Bay, Ontario native posted 18 goals and 17 assists as a Star, before retiring 240 miles south as a Houston Aero.

#72 – FORWARD, RAY WHITNEY

This feels like an injustice to Ray Whitney‘s illustrious NHL career, where he scored a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 and garnered over 1,000 points, but the Canadian winger only played 101 games with the Stars, scoring 20 goals and adding 41 assists. Whitney retired after the 2013-14 campaign.

Next: Dallas Stars Top 100 Players of All-Time: 90-81

#71 – FORWARD, RICH PEVERLEY

After a Stanley Cup championship with the Boston Bruins, undrafted center Rich Peverley – who came to Dallas in the Tyler Seguin trade – was able to find a groove and tally 30 points for the Stars prior to unfortunately collapsing on the bench during what was described as a “cardiac event,” as Peverley had previously had irregular heartbeat issues. The Kingston, Ontario son now works in a player development role for the Dallas Stars.

Stay tuned for more of the Top 100 Dallas Stars of All-Time on Blackout Dallas!