Dallas Stars Name Alternate Captains For First Half Of Season

Last night the Dallas Stars kicked off the 2017-18 season with an unfortunate 2-1 loss to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. We all can finally say #itisOctober. With the new year officially underway, the Stars announced four alternate captains for the season.

The Dallas Stars have had a lot of new going on over the last few months. A new coaching staff, new teammates, new focus. Now, they can add new alternate captains to the list.

Prior to the start of the 2017-18 season, Ken Hitchcock announced not one, not two, but four alternate captains for the Stars. His plan is to have two for home ice and two on the road and then switch midway through the year – a new concept for Dallas.

Home Sweet Home

The youngsters will wear the “A” at home to start the year. John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin were named as back-ups to Jamie Benn‘s “C” at the American Airlines Center for the first half of the season.

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Klingberg has been a staple Stars blue liner for three seasons. He’s suited up for 221 games in his career thus far, all with Dallas, and he’s done nothing but impress. No. 3 is the mainstay young defender on the team and it’s fair to say that the Stars have been defensively built largely around him. He’s respected and modest, but has the skill to do great things on the ice.

Seguin joined the Stars to start the 2013-14 season and hasn’t looked back since. His tumultuous past with the Boston Bruins seems to have been left in the past, and he’s done great things since putting on a Stars uniform. Seguin won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins his rookie season, but has been itching to get back to the finals ever since. He too is a mainstay on Dallas’ roster and this move will only encourage him to work even harder to succeed.

On the Road Again

Veterans round out the alternate captains for the year. Jason Spezza and newcomer Alexander Radulov will sport the “A” for the team on the road for the first half of the season.

Spezza requested to be traded and leave his long tenure with the Ottawa Senators back in 2014. After being acquired by the Stars, he’s settled in rather nicely. No. 90 has worked to improve his defensive game, while still managing to contribute offensively too. His years of experience and leadership deserve to be recognized and the “A” on his jersey does just that.

Radulov just joined the Stars to start this season, but also has an illustrious past. He’s encountered turmoil throughout his on and off tenure with the NHL, but at the end of the day he’s a player with a lot of talent and experience. Hopefully being a designated leader on the team will help him adjust to life as a Dallas Star.

Next: Blackout Dallas Predicts 2017-18 Season

Moving Forward

At the end of the day, everyone in the Stars locker room is responsible for leading the team. There has to be cohesion in their efforts or nothing will be accomplished.

While that is the case, there’s also a reason to have a captain and alternates to help provide guidance during tougher times. Klingberg, Seguin, Spezza and Radulov will be the support system for Benn in his ultimate leadership of the team, especially when times get tough. That is, of course, what teammates and leaders do.