Dallas Stars Share Weird Connection to WHL's Swift Current Broncos

The Dallas Stars, like every team in the NHL, have no sole source for Draft picks and signings. But, their history with this Major Junior team is a little bizarre.

In the National Hockey League, the Dallas Stars, just like each franchise, have a set of professional, lower-tier clubs that provide player development and the occasional injury-based recall. These leagues, the American Hockey League and ECHL, are pro sanctioning bodies.

However, in Canada and in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, there exists three Major Junior hockey leagues from which future NHL superstars are made. They are the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the Western Hockey League, none of which are owned by, operated by, or affiliated with NHL clubs.

With the way the Dallas Stars capture players from one of the 22 franchises in the Western Hockey League, otherwise referred to as the WHL, you would think that there is some sort of affiliation. The Swift Current Broncos and Dallas Stars, though, simply share a weird and fun connection.

In Tucson, Arizona, as the head coach of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, a man by the name of Mark Lamb resides. Lamb was from 2002 to 2009 an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars, later being appointed to head coach of the aforementioned Broncos. Obviously, a lot of the connection comes from Lamb, a native of the town of Swift Current, Saskatchewan where just 15,503 people live.

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Lamb loves the Dallas Stars franchise as much as any of us. He was instrumental in the Stars’ decision to draft enigmatic, 5’10” defenseman Julius Honka with their first-round pick in 2014, giving the Stars information about the young Finn in the months leading up to the decision. But that isn’t where the connection ends.

Justin Dowling, a prolific AHL playmaker with NHL potential that will possibly be seen in Dallas this season, played under Lamb in Swift Current. As did primary goaltending prospect Landon Bow, and even defensive center Cody Eakin.

The Broncos, the team responsible for the development of Hockey Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier and Joe Sakic, even provided a springboard for new Stars defensive prospect Dillon Heatherington. Heatherington played at Swift Current for four seasons, all of which were under coach Lamb.

Surely one of the reasons for acquiring Heatherington in a trade deadline swap with the Columbus Blue Jackets for Lauri Korpikoski was his success under Lamb, a former NHL center himself.

Swift Current’s population is one 83rd of the size of Dallas, Texas, the ninth-biggest city in the United States. The town is also roughly one fifth of the size of Cedar Park, where the Stars’ AHL farm team plays its home games, and yet the tiny, southeastern Saskatchewan incorporation is feeding the team a myriad of young talent.

Our Dallas readers can try to imagine a small Metroplex community like Anna, Aledo, or Ennis providing a major sporting organization with star talent. This is what the Swift Current Broncos, whose arena seats just 3,700 people, have done.

Next: Offseason To-Do List: Stars' Three Biggest Needs

I oddly find myself rooting for the Broncos when watching their WHL games, thinking about the possibility of these young men wearing Victory Green in the future.

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