Texas Stars facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Texas Stars |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Cedar Park, Texas |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Operated | 2009–present |
| Home arena | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park |
| Colors | Victory green, silver, black, white |
| Owner(s) | Tom Gaglardi |
| General manager | Scott White |
| Head coach | Neil Graham |
| Captain | Curtis McKenzie |
| Media | KBVO (TV) (channel 14) AHL.TV (Internet) |
| Affiliates | Dallas Stars (NHL) Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1999–2001 | Louisville Panthers |
| 2005–2008 | Iowa Stars |
| 2008–2009 | Iowa Chops |
| 2009–present | Texas Stars |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1 (2013–14) |
| Division Championships | 3 (2012–13, 2013–14, 2022–23) |
| Conference Championships | 3 (2010, 2014, 2018) |
| Calder Cups | 1 (2014) |
The Texas Stars are a professional ice hockey team. They play in the American Hockey League (AHL). Their home base is in Cedar Park, Texas, which is close to Austin. The team plays its home games at the H-E-B Center. The Texas Stars are owned by the National Hockey League's (NHL) Dallas Stars. They serve as the top team where young players develop their skills for the NHL.
Contents
Team History: The Texas Stars Story
.jpg)
The story of the Texas Stars began in 2008. Before they were the Texas Stars, the team was known as the Iowa Stars. This team used to be connected with the Dallas Stars. However, in April 2008, the Iowa Stars decided to end their partnership with Dallas. They changed their name to the Iowa Chops for the 2008–09 season.
For that season, the Dallas Stars sent their promising young players to different AHL teams. These teams included the Hamilton Bulldogs, Manitoba Moose, Peoria Rivermen, and Grand Rapids Griffins.
Becoming the Texas Stars
On April 28, 2009, the AHL gave permission for a new team to be formed in the Austin area. This team was granted to Tom Hicks, who also owned the NHL's Dallas Stars. The plan was for Hicks to buy an existing AHL team within one year. This happened on May 4, 2010. The Texas Stars' ownership group bought the Iowa Chops team. The Iowa Chops had stopped playing for the 2009–10 season.
Early Success and First Championship
The Texas Stars had a great first season in 2009–10. They finished second in their division. In the playoffs, they quickly won their first series against Rockford. Then, they won their first division championship by beating Chicago. The Stars continued their strong play, winning the Robert W. Clarke Trophy. This made them the Western Conference champions. They played in the 2010 Calder Cup Finals but lost to Hershey in game six.
The team achieved its biggest goal in 2014. The Stars won the Calder Cup, which is the championship trophy for the AHL. They defeated the St. John's IceCaps in the finals. After this big win, their head coach, Willie Desjardins, left to coach the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL.
In July 2014, Derek Laxdal became the new head coach. He had previously won a championship with the Stars' other team, the Idaho Steelheads. Also in 2014, Tom Gaglardi's group bought the Texas Stars. This meant the AHL team was now owned by the same group as the Dallas Stars. This helps the teams work together even better.
New Look and Recent Seasons
On June 11, 2015, the Texas Stars changed their logo, colors, and jerseys. They made them look more like the Dallas Stars' gear.
In 2018, the Stars made it to the Calder Cup finals again. However, they lost to the Toronto Marlies in a close seven-game series. During the 2019–20 season, Coach Laxdal moved up to be an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars. Neil Graham then took over as the head coach for the Texas Stars.
Meet the Players and Coaches
The Texas Stars have many talented players who hope to play in the NHL one day. They also have a dedicated coaching staff.
Team Captains Through the Years
The team captain is a very important leader on the ice. Here are some of the players who have been captain for the Texas Stars:
- Landon Wilson, 2009–2010
- Brad Lukowich, 2010–2012
- Maxime Fortunus, 2012–2015
- Travis Morin, 2015–2017
- Curtis McKenzie, 2017–2018, 2021–present
- Justin Dowling, 2018–2019
- Dillon Heatherington, 2019–2020
- Cole Schneider, 2021
Retired Jersey Numbers
When a team retires a jersey number, it means no other player will ever wear that number for that team again. It's a huge honor!
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Travis Morin | C | 2009–2019 | October 19, 2019 |
Players Who Made It Big
Many players from the Texas Stars have gone on to play at least 100 games in the National Hockey League. This shows how well the Texas Stars help players get ready for the NHL.
- Gavin Bayreuther
- Jordie Benn
- Jack Campbell
- Jason Dickinson
- Brenden Dillon
- Justin Dowling
- Remi Elie
- Luke Gazdic
- Denis Gurianov
- Joel Hanley
- Tanner Kero
- Brad Lukowich
- Curtis McKenzie
- Patrik Nemeth
- Jamie Oleksiak
- Toby Petersen
- Alex Petrovic
- Brett Ritchie
- Colton Sceviour
Head Coaches of the Texas Stars
The head coach guides the team and helps players improve.
- Glen Gulutzan, 2009–2011
- Jeff Pyle, 2011–2012
- Willie Desjardins, 2012–2014
- Derek Laxdal, 2014–2019
- Neil Graham, 2019–present
Team Records: Top Performances
These records show some of the best individual and team performances in Texas Stars history.
Single Season Records
- Most Goals: Matt Fraser, 37 goals in 2011–12
- Most Assists: Travis Morin, 56 assists in 2013–14
- Most Points: Travis Morin, 88 points in 2013–14
- Most Penalty Minutes: Luke Gazdic, 155 minutes in 2009–10
- Best Goalie Average (GAA): Richard Bachman, 2.20 in 2010–11
- Best Goalie Save Percentage (SV%): Richard Bachman, .927 in 2010–11
- Most Goalie Wins: Richard Bachman, 28 wins in 2010–11
- Most Goalie Shutouts: Richard Bachman, 6 shutouts in 2010–11
Career Records
- Most Career Goals: Travis Morin, 175 goals
- Most Career Assists: Travis Morin, 385 assists
- Most Career Points: Travis Morin, 560 points
- Most Career Penalty Minutes: Luke Gazdic, 447 minutes
- Most Career Goalie Wins: Jack Campbell, 66 wins
- Most Career Goalie Shutouts: Richard Bachman and Jack Campbell, 9 shutouts each
- Most Career Games Played: Travis Morin, 686 games
