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Dallas Stars News: Multiple Stars Up For NHL Fan Choice Awards

By Josh Clark

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 05: Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin (35) warms up prior to a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 5, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 05: Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin (35) warms up prior to a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 5, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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With the 2018-19 NHL season being over for all but two teams, the NHL is providing all fans with a chance to stay involved with supporting their favorite clubs. They’re doing so with the revival of the NHL Fan Choice Awards, and this year’s ballot includes various Dallas Stars.

It’s been 20 days since the Dallas Stars were last on the ice. And though it’s been less than three weeks, it’s likely felt like much longer.

It will continue feeling like that until the Stanley Cup Final ends and a new champion is awarded. That’s just how it goes.

The early portion of the NHL offseason is always one of the most difficult stretches to get through for hockey fans. If their team has already been knocked out, they are forced to sit and watch as other teams continue digging for the Cup. While doing so, they begin to contemplate how their team might tackle the offseason ahead.

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But those talks usually don’t escalate until the Cup has been awarded and every team is back on a level playing surface. While there is still action playing out in the NHL, the speculations about the coming offseason are nothing more than hopeful dreams.

So, until the Stanley Cup Final finishes up, what can all hockey fans commonly partake in to fill their void? That’s where the 2019 NHL Fan Choice Awards come into play.

After a successful debut of the awards at the end of the 2017-18 season, the NHL brought back and even expanded upon the Fan Choice Awards. The awards offer fans a chance to relive and vote on some of their favorite photos, videos, and moments from the 2018-19 season in an attempt to help their favorites win.

This year, there are 20 different categories for fans to vote on, with four different finalists in each category. The finalists range from teams, players, and mascots all across the NHL and give fans a chance to interact on their way to choosing the winner for each category.

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And in this year’s voting, the Dallas Stars are well-represented. Of the 20 categories, the Stars are included in four of them.

At the top of the list is Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin both being up for the NHL’s Best Bromance. Since the duo was first paired together at the beginning of the 2013-14 season, the two have combined to form a centerpiece for the organization. They are two of the most talented forwards in the league and always have fun while wreaking havoc with each other on the ice.

And even though they haven’t manned the top line together in the past few years as often as they used to, they still make it count when they are paired together. Not to mention the Mario and Luigi costumes on Halloween.

Benn and Seguin are up against Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Patrick Marleau (Toronto Maple Leafs), Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider (New York Rangers), and Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat (Chicago Blackhawks).

Following their top forwards, both Dallas Stars goaltenders were included in this year’s contest as well.

Starting things off for the goalies is Anton Khudobin under the category of “Best Goalie Mask.” With the nickname “Dobby,” it’s hard to not play on to the lovable Harry Potter character when designing your mask. And in the 2018-19 season, Khudobin did it on two separate occasions with a black mask and white mask.

Khudobin designed his mask with Dobby the House Elf in mind, putting the elf on the right side of his helmet. Dobby has a goalie glove on his hand with a Dallas Stars puck inside. Across the chin is the word “Dobby” with the “D” being the Stars logo. It’s an incredibly detailed mask that would make any Harry Potter fan smile.

Khudobin is up against Robin Lehner (New York Islanders), Antti Raanta (Arizona Coyotes), and Ryan Miller (Anaheim Ducks) in the contest.

Ben Bishop is also up for an NHL Fan Choice Award in addition to being a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in the actual NHL Awards.

The Stars held a Halloween party during the beginning portion of their 2018-19 season and showed off plenty of impressive costumes. But there wasn’t one that came close to the detail and effort put forth by Bishop with his costume.

Bishop dressed up as the Beast from Beauty and the Beast and went all out with a wig, makeup, and a full outfit to tie it all together.

And yes, he was a beast in the regular season and playoffs. So, it was symbolic to an extent.

Finally, the Stars’ production team was given a tip of the cap in the “Top Team Video” category for their impressive efforts in announcing Tyler Seguin’s contract extension just before the 2018-19 season began.

After months of discussion and negotiating, the Dallas Stars inked Seguin to an eight-year extension just a few hours before the team departed for training camp. As a result, the Dallas production team made the official announcement by making a tribute to Super Mario Bros.

The Stars are up against the Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, and Anaheim Ducks in the vote for Top Team Video.

Voting for the Fan Choice Awards opened on May 15 and will close on June 15. The winners will be announced on June 19 on the NHL website as well as across all NHL social media accounts. You can vote for your favorites by visiting NHL.com/FanChoiceAwards or by clicking here.

The 2019 NHL Fan Choice Awards offer a star-studded list of contestants in some fun and lighthearted categories. It’s a chance for fans to stay involved as they await the offseason excitement to ramp up.

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So go and vote for your favorite Dallas Stars now.

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