Dallas Stars: Antoine Roussel’s Five Best Moments As A Star

July 1 was a time to set up new beginnings for the Dallas Stars. But it also served as a time to close certain chapters. With Antoine Roussel moving on to a new team, let’s take a look back at some of his best moments as a Star.

The Dallas Stars spent July 1 welcoming in a new free agency class. Players like Blake Comeau, Roman Polak, and Anton Khudobin signed contracts with Dallas and officially became parts of the newest group in Big D.

But while most of the focus was on who they brought aboard and the “questionable” moves that GM Jim Nill did and didn’t make, there was another important focal point on day one.

It had to do not with beginnings, but with endings. While the Stars were off making moves and bringing in new pieces, a few of their own pieces exited the stage and thus took on the title of “former Star.”

The Stars entered the offseason with six unrestricted free agents in their organization. Antoine Roussel, Curtis McKenzie, Greg Pateryn, Dan Hamhuis, Kari Lehtonen, and Mike McKenna were all in need of new contracts going into the 2018 summer.

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And on the first day, each player went in a different direction. Some players like McKenzie, McKenna, and Pateryn found new teams and contracts. Others like Lehtonen and Hamhuis are still free agents in search of a new opportunity.

The bottom line is that the Dallas Stars let all six of their UFAs walk without bringing any back. And while each ending hits Stars fans in a different way, the loss of Antoine Roussel might put off the biggest effect.

In the days leading up to the opening of the free agency market, the rumors began swirling that Roussel had agreed to a deal with the Vancouver Canucks. And on Sunday morning, those rumors were confirmed.

Roussel signed a four-year deal worth $12 million ($3 million AAV) with Vancouver, officially closing his chapter in Dallas and setting up the second chapter of his NHL career.

It comes with a bit of a harsh reality. On the one hand, Roussel had the worst season of his six-year NHL career in 2017-18. Though he’s known more as an enforcer and speedy winger that is always ready to get physical, he’s also typically worth 12-14 goals and 25-29 points each season, which is decent for a third-line winger. But in 2017-18, he put up a measly five goals and 17 points. That wasn’t a good enough performance to bring back the 28-year-old when there were younger prospects in the pipeline that could bring similar traits in addition scoring.

But on the other hand, it brings a gut check with it. After all, Roussel’s energy, endless hustle, and immense passion helped quickly turn him into a fan favorite. While he was hated around the league for his gritty style, Stars fans had a deep love for him. He began his NHL career with the Stars after no other team would take on the French-born forward and he was discovered by the Dallas scouting staff.

He made his NHL debut on Feb. 1, 2013 during the lockout-shortened season. Six years later, he’s skated in 413 games for Dallas, scoring 64 goals and tallying 141 points along with an unreal 804 penalty minutes. But that’s just the kind of player he is.

Roussel ended up being one of the longest-tenured Dallas Stars on the 2017-18 roster, as crazy as that may seem. He saw a lot of change throughout the organization in his six years and was one of the few cornerstones that wasn’t replaced throughout the years.

Roussel will forever leave his mark on the Dallas Stars franchise through his on-ice actions and antics as well as his off-ice generosity with the fans and community.

But before we officially close the chapter on Roussel’s impact in Dallas in his first NHL stop, let’s take a look back at some of his best moments.

Let’s head down memory lane.

4. A Weird First Playoff Goal

Antoine Roussel isn’t known for being a regular or high-caliber scorer. His strengths tend to lie solely in playing physical on the forecheck and using his speed to start offensive rushes. And when he does score the puck, it’s usually a “clean up job” in front of the net off of a rebound or deflection.

Goals seem to be even harder to come by in the postseason for most players. And yet, Roussel found a way to break through and score his first career postseason goal in his eighth playoff game. That was game two of the Stars’ first round series against the Minnesota Wild in 2016.

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But the goal wasn’t one of Roussel’s typical goals. On top of that, it wasn’t a clean snipe or backhand shot either. Instead, it just might be the weirdest goal you’ve ever seen scored by a Stars player in a playoff game.

After a scoreless first period, Dallas was once again on the attack and outplaying Minnesota in the second. Just a few minutes into the period, the dominant line of Roussel, Radek Faksa, and Ales Hemsky put together an offensive rush.

The puck ended up behind the net and near the boards, where a Minnesota defender came to retrieve it. But after Hemsky disrupted his attempt at a pass, the puck deflected back towards Roussel, who was standing behind the net at the time. And, well, you can watch the rest for yourself.

The goal was immediately waved off due to the net coming off of its moorings, but the officials decided to take a further look at it due to Roussel’s persistence.

The review took quite an extensive amount of time, but what a goal it turned out to be. The fact that the puck bounced off of Roussel’s skate so perfectly, bounced over the net, and landed on Devan Dubnyk‘s back so he could carry the puck in himself is just otherworldly.

And the fact that it happened to Antoine Roussel for his first playoff goal seems fitting. He’s a unique kind of player, so why not let him score the unique goal in a big game?

3. All Of His Scrums And Other Classic Antics

If you’re a Dallas Stars fan and know Antoine Roussel, you know that we could create a 20-page slideshow showcasing his top fights. But we don’t have the stamina or time to do that, so we thought it better to compile all of his kerfuffles into one slide and pair them up with his other on-ice shenanigans to create an ultimate moment.

There probably aren’t many 5-11, 195 lb. forwards that have fought Jarome Iginla, Shea Weber, Dion Phaneuf, and Brent Burns in their career. And yet, those are just a few of the names on Roussel’s list.

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The impressive thing about Antoine Roussel is that he was always ready to provide the Stars with a spark. If momentum was needed, he was the first to drop his gloves and pick the biggest guy out of the opposing lineup to thrown down with. It didn’t matter who it was; he was always willing to throw haymakers.

And though Roussel got into 51 regular season fights in his time with Dallas, he wasn’t always the winner. More often than not, the fight would end in a wrestling match to the ground. But he lost his fair share of contests as well, and a lot of it had to do with his size and matchup.

But it didn’t matter. Roussel’s passion and willingness to stand up for his team and provide them with an extra punch was always admirable.

Here is a look at some of his best scrums. For example, his first fight against Andrew Shaw was quite an amazing bout.

And then there was the time he fought Keith Yandle after Yandle thought that Roussel had hurt James Reimer.

Don’t forget about one of the few times that he fought the weathered veteran Jarome Iginla.

But then there were also the times when Roussel would avoid fighting, yet still get scrappy enough to turn the opposition violent. One of those cases was with Ryan Braun in a game against the San Jose Sharks.

It’s rather humorous to watch Roussel (who is known for fighting) deliver a clean check, get jumped on by one or two Sharks players, and simply skate away from them to rejoin the action. Braun ended up receiving a penalty for the jump and gave Dallas a power play. Roussel might like fighting, but he also knew how to channel his anger into an advantage for the Stars.

These were just a few moments in Roussel’s violent history with the Dallas Stars that stick out. If you go on YouTube and type in “Antoine Roussel fight”, you’ll be rewarded with nearly an hour of exciting content. Enjoy.

2. The Game That Forever Put A Target On His Back

In the 2017-18 season, the Dallas Stars swept the Chicago Blackhawks with a record of 4-0-0. At the time, it seemed unheard of. But after realizing just how far the Blackhawks had fallen when compared to previous years, it made sense.

But during the 2013-14 season, it was a different story. The Blackhawks had just won their second Stanley Cup in four years, were a consistent playoff contender, and were the favorites to win the newly-formed Central Division. They were, without a doubt, one of the powerhouses in the Western Conference.

Blackhawk Up

And then you had the Stars. After five straight seasons of missing the playoffs, Dallas had undergone massive changes and no one knew quite what to think of them by the time December rolled around. They were 12-9-4 going as they entered a Dec. 3 matchup with the Blackhawks.

Dallas was already 0-1-1 against Chicago on the season but had yet to play them away from the American Airlines Center. With that being said, things weren’t necessarily looking promising for the Stars to come out with two points.

But those Stars weren’t ones for embracing the odds. Dallas quickly pounced on Chicago, taking a commanding 3-0 lead within the first 25 minutes of the game. All seemed to be going well until Patrick Sharp scored on a power play to get the Blackhawks on the board. The Hawks responded with two more goals to close out the middle period at a 3-3 tie.

Considering the statuses of the two teams, all hope seemed to be lost for the Stars.

A few minutes into the third, however, that hope was restored. Roussel, who had already been in a fight with Shaw and was in the box when Sharp scored the Hawks’ opening goal, made a chip play to get around Niklas Hjalmarsson. As he braced for a breakaway, Hjlamarsson got his stick blade tied up in Roussel’s hands. Roussel couldn’t get the shot away, but a penalty shot was called in the process.

And then, it happened. If you’ve been a Stars fan for more than five years, you know that this could very well be Roussel’s defining moment in a Stars uniform. Yes, he put together an incredibly slick move on the penalty shot and scored on the backhand. But that wasn’t the part of the shot that stood out.

Immediately after scoring, Roussel took a victory lap along the side boards and taunted the Chicago crowd. Gesturing his hand towards his ear in an attempt to ask for more booing and throwing his hands up in the air to egg the Blackhawks faithful on were two of the included moves.

The Stars went on to win the game 4-3 even after being outshot 50-18, with Roussel’s goal holding as the game winner.

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It was an incredibly bold and dangerous move, and was one that put a target on Roussel’s back (especially when playing Chicago) in the years to come. But, as we found out, that’s just how Roussel liked it.

As you scan “Stars Twitter”, it’s highly likely that you will come across the picture posted above at least once or twice. That’s how famous it is. This was the night and the move that officially established Roussel’s status on the Dallas Stars.

1. Roussel Notches His First Career Hat Trick

There are plenty of Roussel moments that are considered noteworthy and even career-defining. But there really isn’t a better choice for his number one moment with the Dallas Stars than when he scored his first and only NHL hat trick.

The day was Feb. 18, 2017. The Stars had lost seven of their first eight games in February, giving up 4+ goals on all but three occasions. A game at home against Tampa was all that stood between Dallas and a six-day break that would hopefully offer them a chance to regroup in order to finish the season strong.

The Lightning came into the game in just as unfamiliar of territory as the Stars. Both teams had finished the 2015-16 on strong notes and had come out with average performances in 2016-17. Dallas was worse off than Tampa, but neither team looked as great as they had a few months prior.

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The Stars had just wrapped up a three-game road trip through the Central Division and prepared for a five-game homestand. They also received some good news on the broadcasting front as Dave Strader was set to step back into the booth for the first time in the 2016-17 season. After spending the first few months of the season battling cholangiocarcinoma, Strader was medically cleared to call his first game since the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

And Antoine Roussel made sure to put on a show that he would never forget.

The Stars fell behind 2-0 early on and it seemed as though they were in for yet another drubbing. But Roussel was quick to cut the lead in half with a deflection on the doorstep. A few moments later, he scored after whacking in a pass from Tyler Seguin to tie the game at 2-2 going into first intermission.

The Bolts scored in the second period to regain the lead at 3-2, but Roussel wasn’t finished. The Frenchman scored one more goal on a quick release shot from the left circle to complete his first career hat trick. Dallas locked in and carried the game to overtime, where the team had played poorly all year. But Jamie Benn came to the rescue on a beautiful goal to claim the victory and the much-needed two points. Though Benn closed it out, the Stars would not have been able to pick up the win or create a storybook performance without the impressive work by Roussel.

So as the Dallas Stars say goodbye to the leading NHL scorer in terms of French-born players, don’t think about his disappointing 2017-18 season or his departure. Instead, think about the good times that he brought the Stars franchise and fan base over the past six seasons.

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Memories are made to last, and that’s just what we’ve got here. Merci, Rooster. Good luck in your next journey.