Tyler Seguin proved to be a leader for the Dallas Stars both on and off the ice this season, and his growth is not going unnoticed.
It’s that time of year again when those of us not entirely engrossed in playoffs are starting to turn our attentions elsewhere. The NHL Awards over the summer will no doubt give us tons more fodder for deliberation, discussion, and full-on hissy fits, but thankfully, we’re still in the fun stages.
Yesterday, the Dallas Stars nominated Tyler Seguin for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, dedicated to the one player each year with the most notable leadership qualities and community involvement both on and off the ice. And for a team that has often defied clear logic at times this season, this was a logical and perfect choice.
Throughout his time with Dallas, Seguin has been involved in many communities events and charities, but it’s provided a welcome and heartwarming upside to what was otherwise a disappointing season for the Stars.
He was actively involved as the Stars’ Hockey Is For Everyone ambassador, and spent time and money on those awesome ball hockey courts and learning labs for the Boys and Girls Club of Collin County. And if you saw any of his Instagram snippets or the videos of the events, it was apparent that he was having as much fun as the kids and loving every minute of it.
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As always, Seguin also provided tickets and suites for various organizations, including his own Seguin Stars group which dedicates home game suites to people with spinal cord injuries. The organization also is involved with the Southwest Wheelchair Athletic Association.
The best thing here is that you know Segiun’s going about this stuff with heart. He’s an active participant in the foundations he funds and runs, and you hardly ever hear about an event he’s sponsored or attended without seeing the photos of him cutting up with the kids or spending time with folks to go along with it.
And to match, he upped his on-ice game this season, too. No one can deny he had a standout year and put up impressively reliable, consistent results even during the most frustrating and heartbreaking of games. Having skates in all 82 games, Seguin was one of the top point leaders (with 78, second only to Jamie Benn’s 79), and lead the team in scoring with a career-high 40 goals.
But his leadership on the ice wasn’t measured just by his number of goals and points. It came through loud and clear in his situational awareness and, at times, his sheer determination to win games, even if he had to do it all by himself. In a season where power plays weren’t always the Stars’ strong suit, Seguin lead the team with both 14 PPG (also a career-high) and 25 PPP for the season. If that wasn’t enough, he was only behind Benn again as team leader in game winning goals.
In all the areas that the Dallas Stars demonstrated weakness in this season, it seemed like Seguin set out to conquer and make them his strengths. And so he did; his performance has some people arguing that he should be given greater leadership roles, but has pretty much everyone agreeing that the Stars need to renew his contract come 2019 through whatever means necessary.
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Clearly, Tyler Seguin has made himself into a much-needed cornerstone player for the Stars and deserves some special props for the hard work and the heart he put into the Stars’ 17-18 season. Nomination for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy is a great way to sum up an outstanding season season for Seguin.