This week at Blackout Dallas, we will be talking about underdogs that have come through the organization. That means we will be talking about players who might have had a tough time making the team. However, we are going to start this week with someone I knew was going to make the team, based on how he was dominating in Kamloops and Cedar Park. We will be talking about former Dallas Stars player Logan Stankoven.
The one thing I love about this sport is that we get to see some pretty cool stories. My favorite one is how Logan Stankoven defied the odds despite his height of 5'8. He was a scrappy player who had one goal in mind: to make the NHL. When the Stars drafted him, I'll admit I was a bit surprised the Stars decided to draft someone at 5'8. With how the Stars were getting pushed around after the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals, I'd figure the Stars would try to add some grit to their lineup.
I started following his story when he returned to Kamloops to play for the Blazers. It was a wise decision, considering his age and the need to develop his game further. The Stars were wise not to rush him to the NHL level, unlike the MLB's Texas Rangers, who tried to do the same with Jack Leiter after drafting him. He needed to work on handling players taller than him, and he certainly did that during his time with the Blazers. By the end of his junior hockey career, he was able to handle tall players and left a legacy in Kamloops that no one would forget.
When the Stars decided to send him to Cedar Park for his first season with the Texas Stars, my goal for him was to wow the Stars' front office so much that they would have to call him up. He certainly did that when the Stars called him up after some injuries at the forward position. Now was the time for Stankoven to prove that he belongs with the big boys at the NHL Level. I recall that in his first couple of games at the NHL level, he was able to be physical and handle players taller than him. That's when I knew he wouldn't be going back down to the AHL level.
It stinks that his time in Dallas was cut short when the Dallas Stars traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen. I thought the Stars found their next franchise player in Stankoven. It would be amazing to see him prove all those other teams that passed on him during the draft wrong. However, it's a business, and I know deep down that Jim Nill didn't want to trade him, but how can you pass up getting a high-caliber player like Mikko Rantanen?
In conclusion, Stankoven was truly the definition of an underdog. Given the physical nature of the NHL, many wondered how he would survive in such a demanding league. He's proven everybody wrong by signing a long-term deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. If Stankoven is reading this, we would like him to know that many Dallas Stars fans are still cheering for him when the Stars aren't playing. You are going to fit in well with the Hurricanes, and fans wish you nothing but the best moving forward.