Dallas Stars News: Former And Current Stars Participate In Smashfest VII

The month of August brings little to no professional hockey news. But it does bring a popular charity ping pong tournament, and that’s good news for a few different former and current Dallas Stars players.

The Dallas Stars have a ping pong table just down the hall from their locker room at the Dr. Pepper StarCenter in Frisco.

The table serves as a recreational option for players before or after skating or lifting and also brings a certain competitive nature with it. At times, the Stars will even keep score on the wall next to the table, with each player’s record being shown.

And sometimes, that leisure activity can pay off for certain players. One example is in the annual Smashfest charity ping-pong tournament that takes place towards the end of the hockey offseason. The tourney takes place at a brewery in Toronto each year and gives hockey fans a chance to come out and see their favorite players put in work on a different sport.

The tournament was started by NHL forward Dominic Moore in an attempt to raise funds and donations for both the Steve Moore (Dominic’s brother) Foundation and Katie Moore (his late wife) Foundation. The Steve Moore foundation focuses on improving research on concussions while the Katie Moore Foundation was established to help further the research of rare cancers.

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Both foundations have been directly impacted by Moore’s annual Smashfest tournament, with over $700,000 being raised since its inception. The ticket sales as well as a silent auction both help filter money raised to the two foundations.

Wednesday night boasted the seventh meeting for the annual tournament, with a handful of different NHL players meeting up in Toronto to take place in the competition. And yes, there were a handful of Dallas Stars, both old and new, that played for the ultimate title of “ping pong champion.”

Of the 19 competitors, three are either currently donning a Stars uniform or have done so in the recent past. Devin Shore, Gemel Smith, and the ping pong aficionado Patrick Eaves were all invited to take part in the festivities while helping raise money for two great causes.

There wasn’t much information released about the bracket or how things went down, but we can assume it was a lot of fun. And in the end, the great and mighty Patrick Eaves won his fourth consecutive title as Smashfest champion. Apparently he has his own professional ping pong coach to help him prepare for each tournament, so it’s obvious that he’ll always be ready to compete.

In two and a half seasons with the Stars (2014-2017), Eaves broke out. In 160 games, he posted 46 goals and 81 points, with 22 of his goals coming on the power play. He was one of the Stars’ leading scorers in 2016-17 before being dealt to Anaheim at the deadline. And after a promising debut with the Ducks that helped carry the team to the Western Conference Finals, they re-signed Eaves on a long-term deal.

It’s uncertain how well Shore and Smith did in the tourney, but one thing is likely sure: they had a great time and helped raise money for a continuously developing cause.

The fact that the Stars have a ping pong table in the locker room probably didn’t hurt their chances, though.