The Dallas Stars community received some exciting news yesterday as Dave Strader announced that he would be commentating pieces of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Things never really seemed to go the Dallas Stars’ way this year. The Stars fell from the best record in the Western Conference (50-23-9) to one of the worst (34-37-11). They missed the playoffs by 15 points and are in a delicate position at the moment.
They parted ways with head coach Lindy Ruff on Sunday afternoon and are now in search of a new bench boss. The goaltending needs repairs, the defense needs adjustments, and the special teams are a mess.
All in all, it was a nightmarish season that most Stars fans would probably like to forget entirely. Since May 11, 2016, it seems as though everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
But one of the more tender and heavy blows was the absence of Stars’ play-by-play man Dave Strader for the majority of the year. Back on June 13, 2016, Strader was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of bile duct cancer.
Dallas Stars
At the time, no one knew what it would mean for Strader’s future. Would he be able to go through treatment and be ready for October 13th when the Stars opened their 2016-17 campaign? Had Strader called his last professional hockey game ever with the Dallas Stars?
There were a lot of questions up in the air, but a good majority of them were answered at the beginning of the regular season when Strader was still undergoing treatments and did not have the strength nor clearance to get back in the booth.
As the season progressed, the Dallas Stars community remained in close contact with their broadcaster and provided him with all of the love and support that they could. After 59 games of Daryl Reaugh filling in as the lead PBP voice, Strader made his return. From mid-February to early March, Strader hopped back in the chair for the Stars’ five-game homestand.
Following the five-game set, he returned to resting and treatment for the remainder of the Stars’ disappointing season.
But now he is looking to get back into the booth yet again. Due to his improved feeling and standing, the NBC Sports Network called on Strader to call the first two Stanley Cup Playoffs quarterfinals games between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. The games will air on Thursday night (USA Network, 6:00 p.m.) and Saturday night (NBCSN, 6:00 p.m.).
It may not be Dallas Stars hockey, but it’s Dave Strader on the microphone. After all that he has been through this year, it’s hard to try and not watch these two games.
Next: Exit Interview Day Helps Stars Close Out 2016-17 Season
It’s unclear whether Strader will commentate any other postseason games as the Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway tomorrow night. Whether he does or not, it’s great seeing him get better with a step-by-step pace. Before we know it, he’ll be back at the AAC, welcoming all of us in for more Dallas Stars hockey.