100 Degree Hockey - Texas Stars Hockey News

Remi Poirier, Cameron Hughes Lead 3 Stars End-of-Season Rankings

2026-05-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

Among the many crazy spreadsheets we maintain here is a list of the Stars of the Game for every single Texas Stars regular and postseason game since 2009.

Remember that the process of selecting the three stars in the AHL is not the same as the NHL, as we wrote about here. You can always see this information on our dedicated page here.

With the season coming to a close, we've made our 2025-26 season update. Here are some notables from the season.

Texas had 20 sweeps (all three stars) and 15 blankings on the season.
Cameron Hughes had the most first stars with eight and 26% of all first stars among Stars.
Matthew Seminoff had the most second stars, nine of his eleven.
Artem Shlaine also had eleven stars but six were firsts.
Remi Poirier stormed his way into the top 10 all-time with 18 stars this season. He has 44 total and sits behind only Curtis McKenzie among active players.
Hughes is just outside the all-time top ten with 32 stars.
Both Hughes and R. Poirier figure to return next year and boost their star totals even further.
Jack Becker had six stars this year with four firsts.
Kole Lind had the most stars without earning a first, five total.

"Texas Stars: Where Are They Now?" Updated for 2026-27

2026-05-08T15:25:53.444-05:00

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

Since 2009, a total of 348 different players have donned a Texas Stars jersey. Here at 100 Degree Hockey, we keep track of all of them.

With the end of the season earlier this week, we have updated the tracker that we use. This year, we have added 15 new players who had not played for Texas before this season.

Aidan Hreschuk
Aram Minnetian
Arno Tiefensee
Christian Fitzgerald
Connor Punnett
Cross Hanas
Dylan Hryckowian
Ellis Rickwood
Emil Hemming
Jack Anderson
Jeremie Poirier
Kaleb Pearson
Nathan Bastian
Samu Tuomaala
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Over the years, I have personally implemented two different technology solutions to track these players after they leave. Vibe coding has been a boon for my ability to not have to re-learn Google Sheets coding language every time I want to make a tweak to the program!

One interesting note, with Mathieu Tousignant not playing this season and moving on to coach a 15U team in Quebec, the inaugural regular season has zero players still playing professional hockey. Only Jamie Benn remains from that season, but he only played in the playoffs. Depending on how the summer goes for the Dallas captain, it could be a clean sweep sooner rather than later.

You can always find the list in the pages view at the top or here.

Meserve: The Road Was Ugly, but the Destination Mattered for the Texas Stars

2026-05-06T15:34:00.877-05:00

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

What do you say at the end of a season like this one? It's rather strange to be happy at the way it turned out when the result is a first round exit, but we have to play the expectations game. Dallas' first round exit was a disappointment. Texas' was a success. It's all relative.

You've heard it a million times already, but let's make it 1,000,001 just for old time's sake.

These Texas Stars were not the same team that went to the Western Conference Final last May. The roster had massive turnover, as you always do when you succeed. Matěj Blümel, Justin Hryckowian, Alex Petrovic, Kyle Capobianco and even Arttu Hyry at the end of the year. They all found somewhere else to ply their trade. It's what you want to see from your development team, but those leaders and scoring were hard to replace.

Their head coach took his first NHL job, and a new face entered the coach's office for the first time since 2021 when Max Fortunus joined. In fact, it was a new face who had plenty of AHL experience but had never been a head coach anywhere before.

The roster needed surgery throughout the season. Texas jettisoned Christian Kyrou for Sam Tuomaala and Gavin White for Jeremie Poirier. And then Tuomaala needed a surgery of his own. He played all of 16 games with Texas before suffering a season-ending leg injury. While he was skating by the end of the season, it was a lost year for the Finn. Chase Wheatcroft only played eight before the end of his season due to injury.

And so it was a rough go. A really hard start to the year. 0-5-1 after six. The infamous 10-1 debacle at home against the world-beater Grand Rapids Griffins. An absolute pit of despair for the fans as they watched a promising club unable to score and a potentially banner year from Remi Poirier, who was about the only thing keeping Texas in games for the first two months, wasted because the offense ran dry.

But then... something started to click. I think you have to look at Cameron Hughes as the engine. He was rightfully a mid-season and end of season All-Star in the AHL and ended the year alone in fourth place on the Stars' all-time single-season points chart (17-51=68) behind Travis Morin, Mavrik Bourque and Blümel.

Hughes was a key element and the driving force behind what became Texas' top line with Matthew Seminoff and Artem Shlaine. Seminoff, a guy who seemed destined for bottom-six duty for his career, found scoring touch in ways he had never shown before. Shlaine, an AHL contract out of college, blew the doors off the thing with 38 points in his rookie year.

Speaking of AHL contracts, which I am always up to do as you know, the Stars found gold in those hills with Shlaine, Jack Becker and Cross Hanas. All three on AHL contracts and sitting third, fourth and fifth in team scoring this year. Becker had the best plus/minus among forwards on the team and sat behind only defensive stalwart Michael Karow on the entire club. What a set of finds for Texas by GM Scott White. It looks like the cupboard will continue to be full in that regard as well as Ellis Rickwood, surely already signed to an AHL deal for next year but simply unannounced, scored a pair in his first game and went on to total five points in seven games overall in fourth line duty.

And speaking of the fourth line, I'm really not sure how to say it or what even there is to say right now, but it may be the end of the line in Texas for Curtis McKenzie. I'll have more words later, but the captain and Boudreau Award finalist does not have a contract for next year. It will be the end of an era if it comes to pass.

Finally, one additional shining light in the dark times (and the bright) of the season was Remi Poirier. The Stars have quite a luxury in Poirier, who seemed so locked in this year. The absolute luxury of being able see 2-on-1s or breakaways come at your goaltender and knowing that he's going to get that puck.

And so this club, scrappily and ploddingly, found its way into the playoffs. It wasn't just a fifth seed limping in. They skipped over the play-in and made it to third in a tough division.

All things equal, would they rather be waiting right now to learn the outcome of the Griffins/Moose series to gameplan for their next opponent? Definitely.

Would you, on November 15th, have been happy if I told you the Texas Stars played games into May? Also definitely.

The scene is set for a good year next year. We'll go over expiring contracts and all of the things that make up a summer here at 100 Degree Hockey. Thank you once again, as always, for your readership. Thank you for your interactions online or at the rink.

We did a few things differently this year, including removing ads from the site. Our readership went up a decent amount after doing that, so I am happy to have made the experience better for everyone who visits our corner of the hockey world.

Thank you as well to the team and its media folks, including John Peterson, Catherine Morrison and Dylan Pescatore. Much love to the photographers who provide us with beautiful shots all year, including Andy Nietupski and Logan Foust. Thanks to Michael Delay for continuing to support independent journalism. Special shoutout to Brenda in back of house for always making sure the crew is fed.

A final thank you to the folks here who did the yeoman work every game and in between, the writing staff here at 100 Degree Hockey. Our crew here in Austin, Nicholas Kingman, Chris Chambers and Rochelle Zimmerman, were the bedrock of our coverage at the H-E-B Center and supported me and each other through 72 and beyond. The away crew, Autumn Limas and Robert Valentino, stepped into the fray whenever the team stepped on an airplane and delivered insightful and engaging coverage from afar, which is not an easy task.

Thank you to everyone, and we'll see you again soon.

Stars Run Out of Time in Rosemont, Fall 6-1 to the Wolves to End the Season

2026-05-05T23:13:00.008-05:00

(Credit: Chicago Wolves)

There is a finite amount of time in any given season of hockey. When exactly a team runs out of time can vary, but every game, every period, every minute, and every second will eventually hit zero.

What a team is left with after will answer a lot questions about who they are and, at times, ask even more.

After Tuesday night’s 6-1 loss at Allstate Arena, the Texas Stars are left asking whether they would trade their ability to come-from-behind this season for the ability to take the initiative early. They are also left asking how big of a step they took just one season removed from their Western Conference Finals run.

Texas got a goal from Kole Lind at 5:52 of the second period that, for a moment, made it look like the Stars had at least one more comeback in them.

But the Wolves took the initiative back, as they did from the first minute of the game, and scored four more unanswered goals to make sure the clock struck midnight for the Stars.

Time was the theme of Game 5, and Chicago showed up ready to run in minute one of the match.

Twenty-six seconds into the game Luke Krys gathered the puck after a Chicago dump in and threw it up the boards to Matthew Seminoff. Ronan Seeley, who chased the dump in, forced a turnover from Seminoff and quickly passed it Bradly Nadeau who found Ryan Suzuki open for the one-timer to make it 1-0.

Only 31 seconds later the Stars once again lost the puck behind their net and watched it roll back up the boards to Joel Nystrom. With the cycle restarted he passed it to his defense partner, Cal Foote who fired it into traffic where it took a bounce off Josiah Slavin and in to make it 2-0.

One minute into Game 5 and the Stars found themselves down two goals with 59 minutes of regulation time to go.

What, at first, felt like plenty of time to jump back in would eventually feel like not enough.

Lind was able to answer back at 5:52 of the second period after what was the best stretch of play from Texas on the night. Dylan Hryckowian led the rush with a clean entry into the Chicago zone where he took a shot on Cayden Primeau. Following up on his chance, Hryckowian followed the rebound into the corner where he won his board battle and quickly moved the puck to the onrushing Lind for a clean shot that beat the goaltender high to make it 2-1.

Still plenty of time to work with.

The game clock is shared, though, and with two minutes left in the second period the Wolves forced yet another turnover, claimed a failed clearance attempt and scored to make it 3-1.

Time to work with suddenly changed to time running out in an instant.

The Wolves would score three more times, including two more from Suzuki to complete his hat trick, and the clock struck zero on the 2025-26 Texas Stars season.

At the end of it all, the Stars are left with answers to some questions and more questions to ask.

In a year where some of their top contributors from the Western Conference Finals run departed, either up to the big club in Dallas or other organizations, the Stars did find a new crop of promising players.

Excellent showings from young players like the aforementioned Hryckowian, who filled in admirably after his older brother’s ascension to Dallas, as well as Artem Shlaine and Trey Taylor showed that the pipeline is still flowing.

First-year head coach Toby Petersen also made an excellent first impression ferrying a younger group through a tough start and getting them into gear.

But there are also questions about who may move on. Roster revamps are as common as a cold rink in the AHL and while there will be fewer spots up for grabs with the big club, any one of this year's key contributors could be contributing up in Dallas instead.

It will all be answered in time, and while it finally ran out for the Stars this season, all they can do is set an alarm for the start of the season yet to come.

Tonight's lines
Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff
Lind-Becker-Hryckowian
Stranges-Scott-McKenzie
Hanas-Rickwood-Fitzgerald

Kolyachonok-Krys
Minnetian-Taylor
Looft-Karow

Poirier

Injuries, scratches, and notes
Hyry (callup, injured)
Bergsland, Bertucci, Chisholm, J. Poirier, Kraws, Ertel, Martino, McDonald, Anderson (scratch)
Wheatcroft, Tuomaala (injured, out for season)

Tonight's attendance was 2,460.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Chicago - May 5 2026

Stars Stun Wolves 5–4 in OT, Force Winner-Take-All Game 5

2026-05-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

(Credit: Chicago Wolves)

The Texas Stars, after winning the opening game of the series against the Chicago Wolves, dropped two straight and found themselves facing elimination from the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The common sports cliché, “a must-win game", actually applied to this matchup at Allstate Arena. For Texas, a loss would end their season. Needing to regroup quickly after a 2–1 defeat the night before, the Stars had to dig deep to keep their season alive.

Playing on short rest and on the road, Texas found enough stamina late to force a deciding Game 5, defeating Chicago 5–4 in overtime to stave off elimination.

The Stars’ season looked all but over with 10 seconds remaining and trailing by a goal. But the game and potentially the season was saved when Kole Lind buried a shot past Cayden Primeau, forcing overtime.

In overtime, after a high-sticking call on Bradly Nadeau gave Texas a four-minute power play, Artem Shlaine found the game-winner, jamming home the puck from in front of the net. His third goal of the playoffs ensured the Stars would live to play another game.

Knowing that fatigue could be a factor, Texas Stars head coach Toby Petersen wanted to see the come out in desperation mode.

"We're going put guys in the lineup, and they've got to play like whoever's in, they got to be ready." Petersen told Stars play-by-play announcer John Peterson pregame. "It's that time. I mean, it's desperation time. We there's no reason for us to not come out and give absolutely everything we got and hopefully have our best game of the year."

Just over seven minutes into a fast-moving first period, Curtis McKenzie fed Antonio Stranges from behind the net, and Stranges buried the shot past Primeau to give the Stars a 1–0 lead.

A little over a minute later, Chicago capitalized on a Matthew Seminoff tripping penalty, scoring just nine seconds into the power play. Bradly Nadeau fired a shot from the left circle to equalize for the home side.

The back-and-forth continued as Cameron Hughes found himself alone, skating in from the right circle and ripping a top-shelf shot over Primeau to put the visitors back on top, 2–1.

Again, the lead didn’t last long. The Stars were pinned in their own zone, leading to an Evan Vierling goal from the bottom of the left circle. He beat Remi Poirier high glove side to tie the game at 2–2 just three minutes later. The goal capped a scoring frenzy, with both teams combining for four goals in just over six minutes.

Fatigue can show up in many ways. In hockey, it often manifests in the form of penalties. This game showed signs of that from both squads, as tired legs became more evident as the period wore on. The middle frame featured five power play opportunities, but neither side was able to convert and take the lead.

The game appeared headed to the third period deadlocked, but a fluke play gave Chicago the lead with just under 30 seconds remaining. Luke Krys lost an edge behind his own net, resulting in a turnover. The home side quickly capitalized, as Ivan Ryabkin beat Poirier from just outside the crease to put Chicago up 3-2.

Momentum can often shift when goals are scored just before the end of a period or at the very beginning of one. This game saw both, as just over two minutes into the final period, Chicago took advantage of a two-on-one and jumped ahead 4–2 on a Noah Philp goal.

Needing a spark to keep their season alive, Vladislav Kolyachonok found the puck in traffic in front of the net and put it past Primeau for his first career playoff goal, pulling the Stars back within one.

With only minutes remaining in the game and potentially the season Toby Petersen pulled Poirier for an extra skater. The move paid off when, with just 10 seconds left, Dylan Hryckowian sent a pass to Lind near the top of the left circle. The veteran didn’t miss, beating Primeau to tie the game and force overtime.

The eventual game-winner by Shlaine capped a performance that saw the Stars claw back from a two-goal third-period deficit. It showcased the determination and desperation head coach Toby Petersen was looking for.

Now, both teams face a must win game in Game 5 on Tuesday May 5th at 7 PM at Allstate Arena.

Today's lines
Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff
Lind-Becker-Hryckowian
Stranges-Scott-McKenzie
Hanas-Rickwood-Fitzgerald

Kolyachonok-Krys
Minnetian-Taylor
Looft-Karow

Poirier

Injuries, scratches, and notes
Hyry (callup, injured)
Bergsland, Bertucci, Chisholm, J. Poirier, Ertel, Martino, McDonald, Anderson (scratch)
Wheatcroft, Tuomaala (injured, out for season)

Tonight's attendance was 3,830.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Chicago - May 3 2026

Texas Stars Can't Find the Goals as 2-1 Loss Pushes Season to the Brink

2026-05-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

(Credit: Chicago Wolves)

The Texas Stars knew exactly what they wanted when they drew the Chicago Wolves in their opening series of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Whether said implicitly or explicitly, it was clear that the Stars wanted Chicago after going 7-1-0-0 against them in the regular season.

Sometimes, though, getting exactly what you want can work against you, and after a 2-1 loss to the Wolves Saturday night at Allstate Arena the Stars are now looking down the barrel of a Round 1 exit.

The Wolves got goals from Noah Philp and Ryan Suzuki while Cayden Primeau made 27 saves off of 28 shots to backstop the Wolves to the one-goal victory. While Texas may have had their number in the regular season, Chicago was one of the better teams in the AHL in one-goal games, winning 18 times and only losing five in regulation.

In the playoffs, singular traits like that can go a long way, and the Wolves leaned on that ability in the clutch to earn back-to-back wins and push the Stars to the brink of elimination.

Chicago opened the scoring at 5:08 of the first period when the Wolves won a board battle in their zone and got the puck quickly into the neutral zone to a streaking Philp, who used the head start to get past a Stars defender and force a 2-on-1. With a clear shooting lane available, he picked a corner and fired true to make it 1-0.

The Wolves were again able to take advantage of a mismatch when a mistimed pinch sprung Chicago on an odd-man rush. With the extra space to work with on the left wing, Bradley Nadeau was able to send a cross-ice pass to Ryan Suzuki for the perfect one-timer to make it 2-0 at 19:34 of the second period.

While the Wolves had put the game in the spot they wanted, Texas had also become known for their ability to come-from-behind and for a moment early in the third period it looked like the comeback may have been on.

At 1:38 of the first period, Texas had finally managed some extended offensive zone time. Jack Becker won a board battle and started a quick give-and-go with Dylan Hryckowian that led to Becker with the puck right in front of the Chicago net. With time and space to work, Becker held the puck until Primeau blinked first and got down on the ice where Becker was able to slide the puck past his outstretched leg to make it 2-1.

That spark would not start a fire, though, as the Wolves held out to secure one of their most gutsiest wins of the whole year.

It could be to the Stars’ advantage that the puck will drop for Game 4 less than 24 hours later, as it may give them a chance to immediately wipe the slate clean and focus on winning just one game.

Tonight's lines
Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff
Stranges-Becker-Lind
Chisholm-Scott-Hryckowian
Hanas-Rickwood-McKenzie

Taylor-Krys
Minnetian-Kolyachonok
Looft-Karow

Poirier

Injuries, scratches, and notes
Hyry (callup, injured)
Bertucci, J. Poirier, Ertel, Martino, Fitzgerald, McDonald, Anderson (scratch)
Wheatcroft, Tuomaala (injured, out for season)

Tonight's attendance was 6,006.

Chicago Wolves Even Series, Texas Stars Fall in Overtime in Game Two

2026-04-30T22:32:00.007-05:00

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

It has been a rough couple of days for the Dallas Stars organization from top to bottom in the playoffs. Idaho fell in five games to the Allen Americans, and Dallas fell in six to the Minnesota Wild tonight.

But the outlier that could've sweetened an otherwise tough couple of days for the organization lay on the shoulder of the Texas Stars heading into their final guaranteed home game of the playoffs against the Chicago Wolves.

In a tense game two of the series, the Stars and Wolves battled in a high-scoring night, trading the lead six times, but in the end, Texas was unable to outduel Chicago, falling 5-4 in overtime Thursday night at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.

“It's unfortunate, but we're one bounce away from being up 2-0,” Ellis Rickwood said. “We're not going to get too down and forget about that one and worry about game three.”

In a complete inverse of game one’s relatively slow and methodical defensive-heavy style until the final period, the second game of the series was high-paced, offensively dominant for all three periods until the extra frame.

As the game ran into overtime, both Texas and Chicago naturally played a more conservative style, departing from their aggressiveness in regulation. Despite the Stars' defense holding firm for the entire third and into overtime, Wolves forward Domenick Fensore rocketed a one-timer as he slid into the high slot, beating Remi Poirier to even the series at one apiece.

“We had a couple of chances there in overtime, but they just didn't go in for us,” head coach Toby Petersen said. “Tip of the cap, that was a heck of a shot. It's hard, not easy, to do as a player when the puck's coming on your strong side. … It was a good shot.”

The Stars were able to trade scoring blows back and forth with their first and fourth lines playing especially well all night. Matthew Seminoff put Texas up on top on the first shift of the game. The first line was able to take the lead again after the Stars allowed a Wolves power play goal in the middle of the first.

Allowing another Chicago goal to Cal Foote, Texas Stars captain Curtis McKenzie fired his first goal of the playoffs, as he connected with a Cross Hanas backhanded pass in the high slot, to head into the first intermission.

Chicago defenseman Juuso Valimaki was especially dominant on the ice tonight, punching in two goals, the power play shot in the first period to even the game up at one and his wrister to give the Wolves the lead late in the second period.

The fourth line came up big once again, answering Valimaki’s goal and evening the score at four with college signee Ellis Rickwood picking up his second point of the night with a goal of his own with 30 seconds left in the middle frame.

“It doesn't happen very often where you kind of just get thrown with two players and it works out,” Rickwood said. “They're both veteran players in this league, and they just helped me out, and I just try to complement them.”

Texas will now face Chicago at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, for at least two games of the series. Game Three between the two is set for Saturday at 7 PM CT.

Tonight's lines

Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff

Stranges-Becker-Lind

Fitzgerald-Scott-Hryckowian

Hanas-Rickwood-McKenzie

Taylor-Krys

Anderson-Kolyachonok

Bertucci-Karow

Poirier

Injuries, scratches, and notes

Chisholm, Looft (warm-up)

J. Poirier, Ertel, Minnetian, Martino (scratch)
Wheatcroft, Tuomaala (injured, out for season)

Tonight's attendance was 5,086.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. Chicago - April 30 2026

Colorado's Jayson Megna Wins 2026 Bruce Boudreau Award

2026-04-30T07:59:00.000-05:00

(Credit: Colorado Eagles)

[Ed. Note: Last year, I started an award recognizing outstanding players on AHL contracts. Working with a group of exceptional colleagues across the league, we launched the Bruce Boudreau Award in October and selected its first recipient, Grand Rapids' Dominik Shine. The award is back and on the more normal awards schedule in the spring. You can learn more about the award at BoudreauAward.com.]

Colorado Eagles forward and captain Jayson Megna has been named the 2026 recipient of the Bruce Boudreau Award. The award, selected by a panel of league media, honors the most outstanding American Hockey League player not playing on an NHL contract, recognizing their leadership, consistency, and impact on the league.

“What makes winning AHL teams good is good American League leadership,” said the award’s namesake, AHL Hall of Fame player and coach Bruce Boudreau. “I've found that in every team that I've had.”

“What an honor,” said Megna of receiving the award. “Incredibly fortunate to get to do what I do for a living, and it's been a long road and with the support of so many people that I don't even have time to thank.”

Undrafted out of the USHL’s Cedar Rapids Roughriders, Megna played one year at University of Nebraska-Omaha before signing a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins after attending their development camp in 2012. He would play a total of 206 NHL games across ten seasons with Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers, Vancouver, Colorado, Anaheim and Boston before being presented with a career fork in the road.

“I had to take a step back and think about my family and what I was missing at home,” said Megna, who has a wife and a five year-old daughter now. “Ultimately, that’s why I decided to sign an American League contract. I had some offers to go on an NHL contract, but we love Colorado so much.

“It's the greatest place, and we really are proud to live here and play here.”

Megna signed his AHL deal with the Eagles and has served as their captain for the past two seasons, racking up 51 points both seasons and earning an All-Star Game nod this season. Across 14 seasons, he has accumulated 409 regular season points in 618 games and added another 43 points in 66 playoff games.

The Florida-born forward who grew up playing in Chicago is trying to emulate the role models he saw when he entered the league, naming Warren Peters, Trevor Smith and Tom Kostopolous as his mentors when he started. The little things are where he focuses as he attempts to set up his younger teammates for on-ice success by emphasizing the off-ice habits.

“Checking in with guys, making sure they're all set at home. They have all their finances squared away. That makes a big difference and helps them feel more comfortable at the rink when their life's sorted at home.”

Runners-up for this season’s award included Bridgeport Islanders forward Chris Terry, Springfield Thunderbird forward Chris Wagner and Texas Stars forward Curtis McKenzie.

About the Bruce Boudreau Award

The Bruce Boudreau Award was conceived by Stephen Meserve, who has covered the AHL’s Texas Stars since 2009 with 100 Degree Hockey.

Its namesake, Bruce Boudreau, spent 11 seasons as a player in the AHL, appearing in 695 regular and postseason games, before coaching in the league for nine years. He won the Calder Cup as a player with Adirondack in 1992 and as a coach with Hershey in 2006.

Many talented, hardworking players thrive in the AHL without ever signing an NHL contract. These players are often the backbone of their teams, leaders in the locker room, and consistent contributors on the ice, yet they rarely receive recognition beyond their immediate markets. The award spotlights those who make a lasting impact in the league as true AHL players, upholding the league's competitive spirit and professional standard year after year.

“They teach the young prospects how to be pros,” said Boudreau. “Most of it is from the players and not from the coach. The older, experienced American League player, in the end, is what usually makes winners out of all those young players.”

The award’s inaugural year winner, Grand Rapids’ Dominik Shine, earned a mid-season NHL deal last year and played 18 total games with Detroit this season, scoring three goals. Meanwhile, he also led the Griffins to the AHL’s second-best record as captain.

The 2026 voting panel included Tony Androckitis (AHL), Ben Birnell (Utica), Mark Divver (Providence), Ben Lypka (Abbotsford), Stephen Meserve (Texas) and Elaine Shircliff (Grand Rapids).

Artem Shlaine Propels Stars Past Wolves in Sleepy Game One

2026-04-28T21:54:00.002-05:00

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/ Texas Stars)

It has been a struggle all season for the Texas Stars' special teams, especially its power play unit. Texas ended the regular season ranked No. 30 out of 32 and was never the bright spot on this team.

But as the playoffs have been ushered in, regular-season success and woes have been thrown out the window.

The Stars' first power play opportunity of the night came in the final period, and against the No. 6 best penalty kill unit in the league, somehow the right play was drawn up for forward Artem Shlaine to break the two period scoreless stalemate.

Shlaine netted the game's second goal of the night late in the final period, firing an empty net goal for his first two points of his first playoff series, as he was a black ace last season.

Shlaine’s two goals and the dominant play of goaltender Remi Poirier notched the Stars' first playoff win, 2-0 over the Chicago Wolves Tuesday night at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.

“Getting the first one, that's all we were focused on, and we got it done going up one,” Shlaine said. “Definitely puts pressure on another team, but also it's pressure on us to focus on Thursday and get game two.”

It was a really slow night for both teams, slugging it out for the game’s first two frames. While both the Wolves and Stars' defenses were playing superbly in front of outstanding goaltending, the offenses left a lot to be desired.

Unlike their eight games in the regular season, Chicago adjusted its forecheck, playing a much more aggressive style tonight, attempting to suffocate Texas. The Stars were able to manage the Wolves' forecheck well, with minimal turnovers throughout the night.

In an otherwise lifeless game, Texas forward Cross Hanas was able to get in front of a Wolves pass, intercepting it and skated down to Cayden Primeau’s net for a one-on-one opportunity. The Wolves received some puck luck as Hanas’ backhanded shot pinged off the post, keeping the night scoreless.

“Stick with it. Don't get frustrated. We've had some really good chances,” head coach Toby Petersen said about his locker room in the second intermission. “The goaltender made some big saves. We had a pipe there on the breakaway with Hanas, so the message was simply, don't get frustrated.”

Despite a relatively clean game by the Wolves penalty-wise, everything started to unravel in the final period. Just one minute into the third, Wolves forward Noel Gunler was called for a slash that set up Texas' first extra man opportunity and Shlaine’s game-winning goal.

Texas would have two more power plays to close out the night, but none would produce the same success.

The Stars' defense was able to limit the Wolves' offense to just 16 shots on goal, its lowest shot total of the season so far. Texas was anchored by Remi Poirier, who earned the third playoff shutout of his career.

“We had a good 10-day break, but also a lot of practices to focus on their key players and just focus on their team,” Shlaine said. “We stuck to our structure and eliminated some of their grade-A chances. And obviously [Remi Poirier] gives us a chance to win every night.”

Texas will play game two of the series against Chicago Thursday night at 7 PM CT at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.

Tonight's Lines

Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff
Stranges-Becker-Lind
Fitzgerald-Scott-Hryckowian
Hanas-Rickwood-McKenzie

Taylor-Krys
Anderson-Kolyachonok
Bertucci-Karow

Poirier

Injuries, scratches, and notes

Chisholm, Looft (warm-up)

J. Poirier, Ertel, Minnetian, Martino (scratch)
Wheatcroft, Tuomaala (injured, out for season)

Tonight's attendance was 4,710.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. Chicago - April 28 2026

Introducing a New Way to Visualize Texas Stars Jersey Numbers

2026-04-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Jack Anderson is the most recent of 17 players to wear #35, mostly goalies.
(Credit: Texas Stars)

Since April 2011, 100 Degree Hockey has published a list of all Texas Stars jersey numbers and maintained that list maniacally for the past 15 years.

Now we are happy to announce a new way to play with those data. The Historical Stars Jersey Numbers page has been updated with a CSS-driven visualization tool.

Try out these new features:

Select a number to see all players who wore it.
Search for a player in the search box to see all jerseys worn by a player.
Click on any player in the list to instantly jump to their player card and see all their numbers.
Make sure to take note of the special star icon for #23, Texas' only retired jersey.

Let us know if you see anything amiss or in need of quality control!

Curtis McKenzie: The Soul of the Texas Stars

2026-04-27T07:00:00.002-05:00

(Credit: Ross Bonander/Texas Stars)

All the dominoes were falling into place for a young Curtis McKenzie to have a long NHL career as the best rookie on the Calder Cup winning Texas Stars in 2014.

A cherry on top, McKenzie won the Dudley Garrett Memorial Award, given out to the most outstanding rookie in the American Hockey League, joining the ranks of Hockey Hall of Famers Brett Hull and Ron Hextall.

But in an all too common occurrence in professional hockey, the hard part is not getting to “the show” — it's staying there when you make it.

After suiting up in 99 NHL games, at 36, McKenzie is back in the AHL. The young hotshot forward from British Columbia has become the “old man” in the locker room with the captain’s C above his heart.

The once-perfect brown beard is now starting to sprinkle with gray whiskers. His brown eyes are seasoned, and the laugh lines around his cheeks have seemingly grown deeper since that first game in October.

The date and time on the giant video board struggles to flicker on — pixelated white letters and numbers softly blink on. The date is April 16, 2026, and the time is 11 a.m. Just one stretch remains before the start of tune-up practice for the final regular-season series with Rockford.

McKenzie has become the “AHL veteran.”

“It keeps me young — the youth energy with those guys every year,” McKenzie said. “I’m glad it's not all my peers or my age at this level, because it would be a little too grumpy.”

The Most Important Role in Dallas

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

It’s certainly not what he dreamt of growing up in the remote logging town of Golden, British Columbia. Still, becoming a veteran in the AHL, a development league mostly made up of twenty-somethings, has given McKenzie another life in professional hockey.

“I was in a position where I could start passing on stuff and lessons I learned over my career,” McKenzie said.

However, it wasn’t an easy pill to swallow at first.

McKenzie grinded his way up to the NHL, but like so many before, the hardest part is proving to head coaches and general managers that you are deserving to stay up despite limited minutes as a bottom-six forward.

Then there were the injuries, each major and more life-threatening than the next, stunning his prime years in Dallas. A hip injury ended his season in 2015 and a right eye injury from a high stick in 2016 was mere inches away from blinding him permanently.

There would only be seven more NHL games left for McKenzie before Dallas would move on to younger and more intriguing prospects.

However, the desire never faded for him. Leaving the only organization he’s ever known, McKenzie signed with the Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues on two-way contracts to try one more time to make it to “the show.”

“I was still chasing it — the NHL dream,” McKenzie said.

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

Despite his production in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves as their fourth-best scorer and another trip to the Calder Cup Finals in 2019, two pandemic-shortened seasons limited his chances to earn a callup to Vegas or St. Louis — he was stuck in AHL purgatory.

During this limbo of his career, McKenzie's career priorities shifted following the birth of his first daughter. Hockey wasn’t just a time to play puck with the boys at the rink; it became his primary lifeline to support his new family.

Texas Stars head coach Toby Petersen, a teammate of McKenzie in his rookie season and an AHL veteran late in his playing career, said players’ options become limited once the NHL days in the review mirror.

“Your options are ‘I can go and continue to play at a high level in the American Hockey League in a great city with great fans,’ or ‘I can go overseas and try and milk it for another year or two,’” Petersen said. “With young families, it's not always the best or easiest transition.”

Dallas general manager Jim Nill called McKenzie, an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021, to return to the organization. Nill needed a stable leader to foster the next generation of Dallas Stars.

The Texas Stars needed their captain again.

The Stability

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

In the middle of the dated Texas Stars locker room at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, a large weathered plaque reads, “WE WIN HERE.” Get used to winning at this level, so you know how it feels when you’re in the NHL.

But with a new head coach and the majority of their marquee players graduating to Dallas or elsewhere from its 2025 Western Conference Finals run, Texas stumbled out of the gates in 2026.

It culminated on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, when the far outmatched Stars took a 60-minute drumming from the Grand Rapids Griffins. At the end of the night, the video board read:

GRAND RAPIDS: 10 - TEXAS: 1

It tied for the worst loss in franchise history, an agonizing defeat with no positives to take out of the night. Usually, after losses, Texas does not allow the media to interview players, especially on a night like that.

But McKenzie came out — he wasn’t asked or told; he did it of his own accord.

He described it as embarrassing, adding, “probably no one in the lineup there looked like we should be in this league tonight.”

At 5-10-1-1 on the year, it was a turning point for the Stars' season, the wake-up call for the guys in the locker room to step it up. After starting the season at the bottom of the league, Texas has returned to the Calder Cup playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.

“I saw him day one, he was effective and didn’t need a whole lot of mentorship other than just getting used to life away from the rink,” Petersen said. “Then you see him now, he’s in full control of the room as a leader.”

Texas forward Cross Hanas, in his first year with the Stars, credits the midseason turnaround to McKenzie’s veteran leadership.

“He's the best leader,” Hanas said. “He's cool as a cucumber on the bench. He's making sure we get going, making sure we're staying calm.”

Even in his mid-thirties, he’s still not afraid to drop the gloves to rally the intensity or score the occasional goal in his favorite spot — a backhand shot in the low slot, sneaking the puck in the goalie’s six-hole.

The nameplates in the locker may change and familiar faces fade away season-by-season in the chaotic world of the AHL, but at least in Cedar Park, Texas, No. 16 has been a constant.

“We’ve had so many great young players here,” McKenzie said. “You just try and shepherd them in the right direction, so that when they get there, they're ready to stay there, and they don't need time to come back.”

Texas Stars’ Rocky Start Forged the Confidence They’ll Need Against Chicago

2026-04-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

(Credit: Texas Stars)

As rough as it was to be a fan of the Texas Stars in October and November, the players, coaches and support staff were feeling it just as badly. At media day earlier this week, it was clear that Texas has not forgotten what it felt like to be that team and firmly believes that what happened in the fall will fuel their spring success.

“I think looking back on it, it’s probably a good thing it happened," said AHL Second-Team All-Star and leading scorer Cameron Hughes. "It made us raise our level, and it led us to the season we had."

Head coach Toby Petersen, who is in his first season as a head coach at any level, echoed the sentiment, "“It’s built the fabric of our team a little bit... For me, the biggest thing is just firm belief that every night, any given night, we can win a hockey game, whether we're down 2-0, down 2-1, whatever it is.”

AHL guys stepping up and chipping in

The team now sits perched in the third seed in the Central, getting a week of rest before facing Chicago in the first round. The roster that Texas entered into the 2025 playoffs with is nowhere near the same one that Texas has now. With so many top guys gone through either free agency or callups to Dallas, it was time for the guys who were in bottom six roles or rookies to step up. And step up they did.

Matthew Seminoff has a career year, picking up 50 points and leading the team in goals while taking top line minutes. His linemate on that top group, Artem Shlaine, is an AHL-contracted college free agent pickup who was fourth on the team in points and had an electric stick at several points in the year to score big goals at just the right moment. Hughes noted, "Another guy on an AHL deal stepped into a number one center role, and he’s done a lot of things that go unnoticed, but not to his teammates."

Jack Becker, another AHL-contracted player, had 40 points. Pressed into service at times as a second-line center, Becker was incredible efficient with his time and was able to both be a big, physical presence and put pucks in nets. AHL contracted Cross Hanas had a similar story of finding his game and setting new personal bests on goals, assists and points.

In case you're keeping track, that's three players in the top five of scoring who are not on an NHL deal.

“We asked the individuals to take ownership of their own development," said Petersen. "There’s been a lot of reasons that our team has made vast improvements this year, and I think our depth is one of them."

Curtis McKenzie, who has seen a fair number of coaches in his career, specifically called out the growth of the head coach from the start of the season to the end as well, "You love seeing the development of everybody, and that’s not just players, it’s coaches, trainers, everyone that goes into it at this level.”

"[Toby found] the confidence of himself and how to lead a group at this level.”

REM-VP

There are so many good things to say about Remi Poirier's game, but the most impactful words are often those of his peers on the ice. Curtis McKenzie had a heck of a quote on the French-Canadian tender:

We've had a lot of great goalies come through here that I've played with, and I've never seen a goalie make an impact as much as he has towards a single team.

"He's been incredible, like you said, when we were a 5-10 team, we probably could have been a 1-14 team. So he carried us through the early starts of the year, just keeping us in the fight, and then we weren't too far out of it.

"He's been the life and backbone of our team. He's been so good, so hopefully he can take this to the next level himself at some point here."

Enough said from the captain!

Texas tamed the Wolves this year, but...

Texas' record against Chicago in the regular season was 7-1. But is anyone going to use that to guarantee anything in the playoffs against the Wolves?

"It beats the alternative," said Petersen. "Having success against them in the regular season certainly beats the alternative... It’s a new chapter. They’re going to be a different team. They’re going to throw different looks at us, just like we are.”

On prep, Petersen added that he's just looking at Game 1 first and then they'll make adjustments. "There’s not gonna be a whole lot of curve balls thrown, I’m guessing, but certainly we’ll be ready for anything that does come our way. The big picture is really the little picture, which is Game 1.”

That Game 1 in Tuesday in Cedar Park.

Other practice notes

Dallas draft pick Cameron Schmidt and free agent signing Jaxon Fuder are practicing with the team this week but neither will sign an ATO to play with Texas this postseason.
Kole Lind was the only player practicing with a red no-contact jersey. He appeared to be a full participant despite the jersey. Texas is calling it an upper body injury and all signs point to him playing Game 1.

Texas' Playoff Matchup Against Chicago Set with Five Games in Eight Days

2026-04-19T08:42:00.004-05:00

(Credit: Logan Foust/Texas Stars)

The Texas Stars took care of their own business this weekend, earning four points and a playoff date with Chicago. The outcome was far preferable to dropping to the play-in round, which would have forced them to play their play-in home games in Frisco.

Additionally, the Stars have had an incredible record against the Wolves, 7-1. Chicago's overall record period has been a bit of a mirage. At 35-21-8-7, they've gained 15 points via overtime or shootout losses. Texas, at 37-29-4-2, actually has more wins than their higher-seeded opponent. They were just less lucky in getting to zeroes in regulation with a tie.

Their series is going to be an endurance challenge. They'll play all five games of the series, including a travel day, in just eight days.

Central Division Semifinals (best-of-five)

Game 1: Tuesday, April 28 – Chicago at Texas – H-E-B Center, 7:00 PM CT
Game 2: Thursday, April 30 – Chicago at Texas – H-E-B Center, 7:00 PM CT
Game 3: Saturday, May 2– Texas at Chicago – Allstate Arena, 7:00 PM CT
*Game 4: Sunday, May 3 – Texas at Chicago – Allstate Arena, 3:00 PM CT
*Game 5: Tuesday, May 5 – Texas at Chicago – Allstate Arena, 7:00 PM CT
*if necessary

Look at that sequence from Thursday to Sunday, especially. Texas and Chicago will

play in Cedar Park on Thursday,
get on a plane on Friday,
play at 7 PM on Saturday in Rosemont, IL, and then
play what is guaranteed to be an elimination game for one of the two teams at 3 PM on Sunday, less than 24 hours later.

That is quite a calendar.

Texas expects to host a playoff media day later this week where we will hear more from first-year head coach Toby Petersen and key players.

Texas Secures the No. 3 Seed in Calder Cup Playoffs in Regular Season Finale

2026-04-18T21:37:00.010-05:00

(Credit: Texas Stars)

Anxiety filled the air heading into the final period on Saturday night.

As the Texas Stars and Rockford Icehogs departed for the final intermission of the night, up in Des Moines, Iowa, the Manitoba Moose secured a dominant 6-1 victory over the Iowa Wild, and two points in the race for the No. 3 seed in the Calder Cup playoffs.

All Texas needed to do in the final 20 minutes of the night was to hold onto its one-goal lead to sew up the No. 3 seed and avoid a trip to the Comerica Center in Frisco.

The Stars held on and added four goals to secure a date with the other Illinois AHL franchise later in the month, beating the IceHogs in the regular season finale, 5-1, at the HEB Center in Cedar Park.

“They weathered the storm there early, and then we had that 'won't be denied' attitude,” head coach Toby Petersen said. “You can just see it kind of building and building and building.”

Rockford and Texas were deadlocked at one apiece for the majority of the second period, with both defenses and netminders shutting down any offensive rush. It took late in the middle frame for Texas to break the ceasefire, when Harrison Scott found the back of the net with a powerful wrister at the right face-off circle.

With the 2-1 lead heading into the final frame, the Stars took control of the night with an impressive offensive showing in the third, tattooing three goals past Stanislav Berezhnoy to cap off a dominant final weekend of the regular season.

“I think it's just getting that first one, getting us going. And then after that, the momentum was carrying,” Scott said. “[Dylan Hryckowian] got that next one, and kind of closed out the game. Kind of instill that doubt into our opponent — We took care of our job.”

Hryckowian netted the third goal of his professional career, cashing in on the left side of Berezhnoy, after blocking Jack Becker’s initial shot in the zone, adding insurance to the Stars' lead.

With the game firmly in control, defenseman Luke Krys and Tristian Bertucci made Texas victory undeniable with two snipes in the middle of the ice for the Stars' fourth and fifth goals.

Despite the pressure of playoff implications riding into tonight, Texas rolled out all five of its college signees against Rockford, but they did not seem to lack experience on the ice. Defenseman Aram Minnetian and Jack Anderson maintained the tone set by the older guys on the blueline to hold Rockford to just one goal tonight.

“We want internal competition, and they're definitely providing that. They played great for coming out of college and not having any pro experience,” Petersen said. “They're doing the right things. They're playing the right way. That leads to internal competition, which is only going to make us stronger.”

Antonio Stranges gave Texas the first lead of the night, firing a rocket slapshot near the end of the Stars' four-minute power play. Rockford forward Samuel Savoie answered later in the period, beating Remi Poirier on his blocker side to tie the game up at one.

Now in possession of the No. 3 seed in the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Central Division slate is set. The Stars will avoid the first-round matchup with the Milwaukee Admirals, earning 10 days of rest and a trip to the division semifinals with Chicago, a team Texas has found a lot of success against in the regular season.

In their eight games against Chicago, all coming during their midseason surge, the Stars hold a 7-1 record over the Wolves heading into their playoff series.

“If we were in the playoff play-in game, it's still great experience for guys, they’re still playoff games, and we would have just dealt with it and as best we could,” Petersen said. “Now with the break, we're excited to get our game just totally in line and rested up with some healthy bodies out there and go to work.”

Texas will open up the Central Division Semifinal against Chicago on April 28 at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park.

Tonight's Lines
Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff
Stranges-Becker-Hryckowian
Fitzgerald-Scott-Hanas
Chisholm-Rickwood-McKenzie

Taylor-Krys
Karow-Minnetian
Bertucci-Anderson

Poirier

Injuries, scratches, and notes

Martino (warm-up)

J. Poirier, Ertel, Lind, McDonald (scratch)

Tuomaala, Wheatcroft (injured, out for season)
Kolyachonok (injury, day-to-day)

Looft (puck to face, day-to-day)

Tonight's attendance was 6,778, a sellout.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. Rockford - April 18 2026

Texas Needs a Single Point to Avoid Frisco

2026-04-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

(Credit: Texas Stars)

Last night's results were helpful for Texas but not maximally so. As the Stars look to complete their regular season schedule tonight against Rockford, they can make it into the third seed and avoid playing their play in series with one point gained by them or lost by Manitoba.

Here's the rundown:

#3 Texas -- Any point by Texas against Rockford (W/OTL/SOL) OR any loss by Manitoba in Iowa.
#3 Manitoba -- Texas regulation loss AND one point in any fashion by Manitoba.
#5 Milwaukee -- Locked in via regulation loss Friday to Grand Rapids.

That's it. That's the post.

Win, and you're set. Lose, and you need help from Iowa.

At least last night's result showed the Wild aren't ready to phone it in and go quietly.

One More: Stars Crush Rockford 6-1, Saturday Becomes Everything

2026-04-17T23:41:00.001-05:00

(Credit: Texas Stars)

Texas did their job tonight.

In front of a crowd of 6,526 at the H-E-B Center, the Stars dominated the Rockford IceHogs from start to finish, rolling to a 6-1 victory that puts them firmly in the driver’s seat heading into the final day of the regular season.

Manitoba almost had it tonight, too, but a late goal by the Iowa Wild tied it up with just over two minutes left in regulation, and in a shootout, Iowa was able to get the win. Manitoba still closed out the night with a point. So here we are, heading into Saturday with the third seed not yet officially decided, but the Stars holding every card they need.

Ellis Rickwood came into tonight with a feeling about Texas. “When I was talking to my agent about coming to Texas, I had a good feeling, a gut feeling,” he said. That instinct showed up quickly.

Making his professional debut, the Stars rookie wasted no time. At 7:27 of the first period, Rickwood put Texas on the board first, netting his first professional goal on assists from Curtis McKenzie and Cross Hanas. The fourth line looked electric from the drop of the puck, and Rickwood’s finish was the reward for sustained pressure on Rockford netminder Drew Commesso.

He wasn’t done. In the second frame, Cross Hanas lost his stick, used his skate to pass the puck to Rickwood, who buried it for his second goal of the night, assisted again by Hanas and McKenzie. Two goals. One game. What a professional debut.

Rickwood was one of two rookies making their professional debut on the night, alongside Christian Fitzgerald. The fourth line was absolutely lethal all evening, and Rickwood’s two-goal performance was the exclamation point on an impressive first night in a Texas Stars uniform.

An early tripping penalty against Cameron Hughes in his first game back in Cedar Park after his Dallas assignment didn’t seem to faze the first line. Texas peppered Rockford netminder Drew Commesso throughout the penalty kill and beyond.

Trey Taylor gave the Stars a little more breathing room with a backhand shot past Commesso on the five-hole at 18:31 of the first, assisted by Antonio Stranges and Kole Lind, and Texas went into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead and a 12-7 shots on goal advantage.

The second period was where the Stars put it away. Michael Karow launched a rocket past Commesso at 3:00 to make it 3-0, assisted by Hanas and McKenzie. Rickwood’s second then made it 4-0. Cameron Hughes, back in the building where he’d made his name before his NHL call-up, got the puck past Commesso with just over three minutes left in the frame to push the lead to 5-0, assisted by Artem Shlaine and Aram Minnetian.

Each of the four lines kept Rockford and Commesso against the ropes all night. Texas finished with a 36-23 shots on goal edge.

Rockford pulled Commesso for Olivier Rodrigue to start the third period. Brett Seney got one back for the IceHogs at 1:10, but Matthew Seminoff answered with the Stars’ sixth goal at 14:12 on assists from Hughes and Shlaine. Texas 6, Rockford 1.

Texas Stars head coach Toby Petersen wasn’t interested in savoring the moment for long. When asked about the approach heading into the rematch with Rockford tomorrow night, he kept the focus squarely on execution. “We need to play with the same type of intensity and same type of execution in our systems. We’re going to need it tomorrow”, said Petersen. “We’re going to need our guys ready to go from the outset. Just take care of our business.”

With a win on Saturday, Texas will play host to playoff hockey at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park in front of the crowd that’s been there all year, in the building that this team has earned the right to play in.

Texas just needs to handle its own business one more time.

Puck drop Saturday is at 7:00 PM CT.

Tonight's lines:
Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff
Stranges-Becker-Lind
Fitzgerald-Scott-Hryckowian
Hanas-Rickwood-McKenzie

Taylor-Krys
Karow-Minnetian
Bertucci-Anderson

R. Poirier

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
J. Poirier, Ertel, Martino, McDonald, Looft (scratch)
Chisholm (warmup)
Kolyachonok (injury, day-to-day)
Wheatcroft, Tuomaala (injury, out for season)

Tonight’s attendance was 6,526.

AHL Gamesheet- Texas v. Rockford - April 17 2026

Texas Back in Control of Playoff Destiny, Hughes Named to AHL All-Star Team

2026-04-17T10:28:00.004-05:00

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

A few news and notes today as Texas prepares for the final homestand of the regular season, not knowing where they will play their next game or against whom as of this moment.

Manitoba's loss is Texas' gain

The Moose lost to Chicago on Wednesday, which is good for Texas' seeding. However, they lost in the shootout, giving a free point and making it just a touch harder to get to #3 for Texas.

That being said, the Moose now have a maximum point total of 79 while Texas sits at 80 max. That means if Texas wins both games this weekend in any fashion, they cannot be caught and will play the Wolves in Round 1.

Any faltering this weekend reintroduces scoreboard watching for the Cedar Park squad.

Cameron Hughes earns AHL Second All-Star Team honors

Cameron Hughes is arguably one of two players you could select as the Texas Stars' season MVP (along with Remi Poirier). His gaudy point totals, especially since Thanksgiving, put him in the league's top four in scoring as of this writing. He might have even potted enough to get into second or third if he hadn't earned the callup to Dallas and scored his first NHL goal, an unforgettable memory.

The Stars have had some solid offensive contributors in franchise history. Hughes' season, which isn't done yet for the record, already ranks among the best of the best. He is currently tied for fourth with some guy named Travis Morin. Hughes' 66 points were accumulated in 63 games while it took Morin 76 to get there in 2011-12. Only Matěj Blümel (72 pts in 2024-25), Mavrik Bourque (77 pts in 2023-24) and Morin again (88 pts in 2013-14) sit above him. Two of those three also earned the league's MVP trophy.

Based on the numbers of the thing, Hughes is unlikely to earn the league's MVP award. Usually that goes to the leading scorer in the league (Jakob Pelletier of Syracuse) or an out of this world goalie (Michael DiPietro of Providence comes to mind). But Hughes is an MVP in Central Texas.

Curtis McKenzie named Texas' Man of the Year nominee yet again

One press release that flew by this week in the "of course" category was the selection of Curtis McKenzie as the Stars' nominee for the AHL's Man of the Year award. It's the fourth time McKenzie has been nominated in his career across all of his teams. He was the ultimate winner league-wide last season. The award is named after Yanick Dupré, a Flyers prospect who died after a battle with leukemia in 1997.

McKenzie and his wife are active in the charitable efforts for the Stars but special mention always goes to the Captain's Kids initiative that McKenzie spearheaded after home games. As we wrote last year when he won: "Two players join McKenzie postgame to do a private meet and greet with a child facing adversity, whether medical or otherwise. It has long been known that players actually clamor to do this postgame event and playfully argue with each other about who gets to do it."

Other notes

As we reported earlier on X this week, Texas Stars D Vlaidslav Kolyachonok is out day-to-day with an injury. He has not played since the end of March.
Texas training camp invitee Brendan Hoffman and Idaho Steelheads MVP was named to the ECHL's Second All-Star Team. Hoffman still sits fourth in the ECHL for scoring despite being on a PTO with the San Jose Barracuda since February.

Texas Adds College UFAs Christian Fitzgerald, Ellis Rickwood on ATOs

2026-04-14T16:48:00.000-05:00

(Credit: Texas Stars)

Over the past two days, the Texas Stars have announced amateur tryout agreements (ATOs) with two college free agent forwards both coming off appearances in the Frozen Four: Christian Fitzgerald and Ellis Rickwood.

Wisconsin's Christian Fitzgerald signed an NHL deal with Dallas starting next season and an ATO for this spring with Texas. Fitzgerald was one of EliteProspects' top free agents in this class. He had 31 points in 39 games with the Badgers. His Badgers lost in the Final to Denver by a 2-1 margin on Saturday.

Here's Dallas' release on Fitzgerald:

Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has signed forward Christian Fitzgerald to a one-year, entry-level contract that will begin in 2026-27. Fitzgerald will report to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the remainder of the year.

Fitzgerald, 23, recently finished his senior season at University of Wisconsin where he collected 31 points (16-15—31) in 39 games. His 31 points were an NCAA career high for the forward while ranking third on the team. Among Badger skaters this season, Fitzgerald led the team in power-play goals (9) while ranking second in goals (16), shots taken (105) and tied for fifth in assists (15).

Prior to his time at University of Wisconsin, the Coquitlam, B.C. native, spent his freshman season (2022-23) with Minnesota State University, becoming a CCHA Champion and registering 29 points (16-13—29) through 38 games played, carrying a plus-minus rating of plus-9. Fitzgerald skated in 151 career NCAA games, totaling 101 points (45-56—101).

Before his NCAA career, the 6-foot, 186 pound forward also spent time in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and United States Hockey League (USHL) from 2019-2022, scoring 24 goals and 34 assists for 58 points in 93 games. He earned the Brett Hull Trophy for the BCHL top scorer during the 2020-21 season where he totaled 33 points (13-20—33) with the Surrey Eagles.

North Dakota's Ellis Rickwood has signed a standard player contract for 2026-27 with Texas and an ATO for this spring. Rickwood just finished his senior season with the Fighting Hawks, picking up 37 points in 35 games. UND lost to Fitzgerald's Badgers in the semi-final last week.

Here's Texas' release on Rickwood:

The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, announced today the club signed University of North Dakota forward Ellis Rickwood to a standard player contract for the 2026-27 season. Rickwood will join Texas on an amateur tryout for the rest of this season..

Rickwood, 23, turns pro after finishing his senior season at the University of North Dakota, where he compiled 37 points (9-28—37) in 35 games. He was named to the NCHC’s Third All-Star Team after helping the Fighting Hawks to the regular-season conference championship and the NCAA Frozen Four.

Prior to transferring to Grand Forks, Rickwood spent three seasons at Clarkson University, where he was teammates with fellow Stars prospects Ayrton Martino and Trey Taylor.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound native of Brantford, Ontario was originally undrafted and played two seasons with the Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League from 2020-22 before attending Clarkson.

Analyzing Scenarios for Texas' Playoff Seeding

2026-04-14T07:00:00.008-05:00

(Credit: Texas Stars)

The Texas Stars have no idea where or whom they will play next weekend. All they know is that they will play more hockey after Saturday's season finale.

To break down the possibilities, take a look at this infographic below that breaks down the different possibilities for Texas' total points at season's end. With 76 points now and only two games left, the Stars can end with all total between 76-80 points. Because of their loss on Sunday to Manitoba, they need help to avoid the fourth seed and a trip to Frisco to play their play-in series. This graphic breaks down what Texas needs from Manitoba in order to achieve the third seed for each possible Stars point total.

100 Degree Hockey Infographic Texas Stars' Final Push for Central's 3rd Seed Through Apr. 13, Texas has 2 games remaining vs Rockford · Manitoba trails by 2 pts with 3 games remaining

TEX points 76 after OT loss at MB

MB points 74 3 left · @CHI, @IA, @IA

TEX max 80 2 left vs RFD

2-0 — both in regulation · 80 pts 80 pts final

80 pts

Manitoba must Lose ≥1 game outright — any Manitoba win likely clinches 3rd for them via tiebreaker

2-0 — one win in OT · 80 pts 80 pts final · RW tiebreaker weaker

80 pts

Manitoba must Lose ≥1 game — MB wins RW tiebreaker with any regulation win

1 win + 1 OT loss · 79 pts 79 pts final · MB tie still goes to MB on RW

79 pts

Manitoba must Go ≤2-1 with ≥1 reg loss (cap MB at 78) — any 2 wins + OT loss ties at 79, MB wins on RW

1-1 · 78 pts 78 pts final

78 pts

Manitoba must Go ≤1-2 — MB already leads on RW in any tie at 78

0-2 — one OT loss, one reg loss · 77 pts 77 pts final · MIL (max 77) live threat

77 pts

Manitoba must Go 0-3 — MB needs just 1 win to pass TEX; RW tiebreaker already lost

0-2 — both in regulation · 76 pts 76 pts final · 4th or 5th likely

76 pts

Manitoba must Go 0-3 AND Milwaukee go ≤2-1 to avoid 5th

Key tiebreaker: Manitoba already holds RW edge (28 vs TEX 26) after winning today in regulation. TEX can only neutralize this by winning both remaining games in regulation. · MIL threat is theoretical — they must sweep GR (103 pts) and CHI (81 pts).

Exclusive: Texas Stars to Host Play-In Games in Frisco if They Fall to Fourth

2026-04-13T10:30:00.016-05:00

H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
(Credit: Nicholas Kingman/100 Degree Hockey)

100 Degree Hockey has learned that the Texas Stars will host their three 'home' play-in games at the Comerica Center in Frisco, a suburb in north Dallas, if the team falls to fourth in the division.

If the Stars finish in fourth, they will be set to host the fifth place finisher for a best-of-three series the week after the regular season ends. However, Texas' home arena, H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, is occupied by Disney on Ice from Wednesday, April 22 to Monday, April 27. The events themselves will be Thursday through Sunday with a load in/out day before and after.

If Texas needs to host those games, there is simply no way to have ice available on a reasonable timeframe to have proper rest and travel time after the season as well as complete the series before the first round begins.

In this scenario, Texas will decamp from Cedar Park and play those three games in Frisco thusly:

Game 1 - Wednesday, April 22
Game 2 - Thursday, April 23
Game 3 - Sunday, April 26 (if necessary)

Michael Delay, Chief Operating Officer for the Texas Stars and General Manager of H-E-B Center, told 100 Degree Hockey:

"We are fortunate to have a busy arena and a successful hockey team. Disney On Ice schedules a year or more in advance and is an important part of our event mix. Annually, none of the options come without potential conflicts with Texas Stars regular season scheduling or playoff home games. We are grateful to have another arena in the family to host our home playoff games."

When the team's regular season schedule was sorted, there was a one-in-seven chance that this issue would come up (seven teams in the division). Texas had to finish in the fourth place position for this issue to arise. While less than ideal, the alternative is to cede home ice entirely to the fifth-place club, likely Milwaukee, and play those games in Wisconsin. That is certainly a nonstarter.

The team plans to email season ticket holders within the next few hours to put tickets on sale. Playoff ticket strips, offered to season ticker holders to secure their seats for the playoffs, will not include games at Comerica Center. Those seats will need to be purchased separately.

Further, those tickets will be purchased through the Comerica Center ticketing system, and no Texas Stars ticket reps will be able to assist with those purchases. A team representative noted to 100 Degree Hockey that season ticket holders will be able to use their first playoff game free promotion for the first game at the Comerica Center or the first game at the H-E-B Center, if Texas makes it to the first round.

One clear challenge will be that H-E-B Center holds 6,778, but Comerica Center is listed at 3,500. The season ticket base will make up a significant portion of that 3,500, but you have to imagine that games on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday in an arena three hours away from home will put an upper bound on how many make the trip.

Of course, Texas can avoid the entire sticky situation by earning the third seed and letting Mickey and Minnie have the ice uncontested that weekend. In that scenario, Texas would get Disney On Ice weekend off and start their series against Chicago at home in the H-E-B Center the following weekend.

Their four losses this past week put them in this position. Their coming four potential points this weekend against Rockford could not be more important.

Texas No Longer Controls Destiny for 3rd Seed, Falling to Manitoba 4-3 in OT

2026-04-12T17:38:00.003-05:00

(Credit: Manitoba Moose)

The final road game of the regular season is often easy to overlook, but with playoff positioning still unsettled, it served as a crucial tune-up for what lies ahead. After an overtime loss to the Moose on Friday night, Texas clung to a three-point edge in the standings, while Manitoba held a game in hand.

This was a measuring stick. With only three games remaining and the postseason looming, it’s not just about results but how a team is playing. For Texas, this was an opportunity to show it’s peaking at the right time.

Needing both points to maintain control of their playoff positioning, Texas came up short, falling 4-3 in overtime to Manitoba at Canada Life Centre.

For the second straight game, the Stars dug themselves out of a multi-goal deficit and forced overtime, but once again, they were unable to finish the job, settling for a single point instead of two. The loss means Texas no longer controls their own destiny for the third seed as Manitoba has the tiebreaker advantage due to season regulation wins.

Less than two minutes into the opening period, Colby Barlow capitalized on a transition semi-breakaway, lifting a backhand over Remi Poirier’s left shoulder to give the Moose an early 1-0 lead. It was a familiar problem for Texas.

Texas Stars head coach Toby Petersen wanted to see the team come out faster after getting off to slow starts, including going down 4-0 on Friday before clawing their way back into the game.

"I think that we can do a better job of being ready for the game," Petersen told Stars play-by-play announcer John Peterson pregame. "I think the last couple of games we haven't had great starts. We got to be ready to play. We got to find a way so tomorrow or today, that's a that's a message here with this early game, is be ready to play."

The trend continued into the second period. Manitoba doubled its lead when Isaak Phillips’ shot was redirected by Jacob Julien, slipping past Poirier to make it 2-0 and further tilt the ice in favor of the home side.

But Texas responded. Cross Hanas cut the deficit in half with a sharp-angle shot from the left circle, notching his 15th goal of the season and shifting momentum back to the visitors.

Moments later, the Stars capitalized on their first power play opportunity. Dylan Hryckowian buried a rebound at the side of the net, beating Domenic DiVincentiis to even the score at 2-2, notching his second professional goal.

The third period saw each team exchange goals within moments of each other. Manitoba took the early lead in the period on a odd man rush giving Samuel Fagemo his 18th goal on the year.

Texas answered quickly. After an Antonio Stranges shot was redirected into the right circle, Curtis McKenzie capitalized, beating DiVincentiis to even the score at 3-3.

Several huge saves by Poirier, who was made his 50th appearance for the club this season kept the game deadlocked through regulation.

In overtime, controversy decided it. Kole Lind drove the net and was taken down in front, but no penalty was called. Moments later, the Moose turned play the other way on an odd-man rush, and Fagemo buried his second of the night to seal a 4-3 win for Manitoba.

Next Texas returns home to face the Rockford IceHogs at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park on Friday, April 17th at 7PM.

Tonight’s lines

Lind-Shlaine-Seminoff
Hanas-Becker-Hryckowian
Stranges-Scott-McKenzie
Ertel-Chisholm-Martino

Taylor-Krys
Karow-Minnetian
Bertucci-Anderson

R. Poirier

Injuries, scratches and notes
Hughes, Hyry (callup)
Kolyachonok, McDonald, J. Poirier, Looft (scratch)
Tuomaala, Wheatcroft (injured, out for season)

Tonight’s attendance was 5,462.

AHL Gamesheet- Texas at Manitoba - Aptil 12 2026

Texas' Most Likely Finish Still #3, But Anything is Possible with Three Games Left

2026-04-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

(Credit: Texas Stars)

With three games left in the season for Texas, the Stars are in the playoffs but still have no idea who they will play and where they will start that series. Let's break down the scenarios.

The Grand Rapids Griffins have locked up first place in the division and are battling it out with Providence for the best record in the AHL. Texas cannot win the division, but every single playoff spot from second to fifth is still possible.

The Stars are in a rough spot now with only three games remaining. Everyone they are competing against has more games remaining and thus more chances to earn points. And even though it seems unlikely, Iowa and Rockford are still in the fight barely. Everything is also complicated by the fact that all remaining games for this group are being played against each other within the division.

The most likely finish for Texas is still #3. If the Stars beat Manitoba tomorrow, that outcome becomes even more certain. If Texas loses tomorrow, then everyone here needs to become a far more attentive out-of-town scoreboard watcher. There are several high-leverage games for Texas' fate as Chicago, Manitoba and Milwaukee all play against each other in the coming week. The rooting interests aren't clear either. When Chicago plays Manitoba on Wednesday, for example, the Stars could be rooting for Chicago if Manitoba is close to beating them for #3 seed. Or they could be rooting for Manitoba if they have a chance at taking Chicago's #2 seed.

So, it's complicated.

Before we start, Texas sits on 75 points and has a maximum point total of 81 with three games left.

#2 seed

With Chicago's current point total at 78 and five games remaining, Texas is not in control of its destiny for second place. If Chicago earns four points in any fashion in the remaining five games, they will earn home ice against their first round opponent, which may not be the Stars. It seems more likely than not that Chicago will meet that moment, especially given their penchant for overtime and shootout losses this year.

#3 seed

In order to lock down the #3 seed, Texas needs to outrun Manitoba and Milwaukee, the only two teams who have a chance to get there. The best case and easiest scenario for Texas to get to #3 is to just win all their games. They have full control over their destiny in that scenario and need no help from the rest of the division.

Manitoba can achieve 80 points. If Texas beats Manitoba tomorrow, the Stars will have 77 points and Manitoba's maximum will drop to 78. The Stars will need two more points (or two lost by the Moose) to achieve the #3 seed. The Stars do not currently hold the first tiebreaker against the Moose (Texas is at 26 regulation wins and Manitoba at 28). Owning the points outright would avoid any unpleasant tiebreak conversation.

For Milwaukee to achieve the third seed...

Milwaukee must earn nine of their remaining ten available points
The Stars cannot earn more than two points (six remaining)
The Moose cannot earn more than five points (eight remaining)

Texas will be tied with Milwaukee's maximum point total for the year if the Ads win tonight. However, Texas holds the first tiebreaker over the Ads, and there is no way for them to overcome the imbalance. The Stars have 26 regulation wins and the Ads have 18. Even if the Ads win out, they can only get to 23. If Texas wins tomorrow or the Ads lose tonight, then Milwaukee cannot achieve the third seed.

#4 seed

Manitoba is the biggest threat to pass Texas and push the Stars to the play-in game. Every point lost in the coming three games lowers the top end mark for Texas and gives Manitoba a chance to pass. Manitoba is currently at 72 points. The first and best thing that Manitoba can do to put themselves in the position to be the third seed (and put Texas into the play-in) is to win outright on Sunday.

#5 seed

If Texas loses all of their games and Manitoba and Milwaukee keep winning, then the Stars drop to #5. Still in, but limping in.

Stars Score Four Unanswered to Secure a Point, Fall 5-4 in Shootout in Manitoba

2026-04-10T23:18:00.004-05:00

(Credit: Manitoba Moose)

The closing days of a regular season can, at times, feel like the last days of school. With a spot already secured in the Calder Cup Playoffs, it would be easy to just pass the time and cruise to the end of the line.

It’s the kind of thought that would garner a death stare from nearly any coach regardless of the sport. With three games left in the regular season, Texas Stars head coach Toby Petersen continued to drive home the point that the Stars cannot afford to lose their edge in these final games.

“I want to see the structure in their game,” Petersen told Stars play-by-play announcer John Peterson pregame. “Especially from the young guys, I want to see them playing decisive hockey. I want to see them playing fast. Killing plays and moving pucks up quick.

“I don’t want to see hesitation right now.”

Friday night at the Canada Life Centre it looked as if Texas had balked once again in the final stretch, falling down four goals to the Manitoba Moose.

Four unanswered goals later, including the tying goal with five seconds left in regulation, helped the Stars secure a crucial point despite coming short in the shootout to the Moose 5-4.

Again, there is no such thing as a 'moral victory' in sports, but time and again this edition of the Texas Stars has found ways to make something out of nothing at the most important times.

With a first round bye in the playoffs still up for grabs as well as second place in the Central Division still in striking distance, it’s a trait that may well come in handy in these closing games and the playoff run yet to come.

The night started off well enough for Texas, as they took early control of the ice in the first half of the opening period, but a sketchy line change and a fortunate bounce gifted Brayden Yager a breakaway chance he fired home to make it 1-0 late in the first period.

Momentum carried over for the Moose as a power play tip from Parker Ford made it 2-0. Before you knew it, the Moose had scored two more and the Stars found themselves sitting in a 4-0 hole.

Artem Shlaine stopped the bleeding for Texas at 18:21 of the second period when he scored on the power play to make it 4-1. Then, in what quickly became a theme for the rest of the night, rookie Jack Anderson fired a shot from the wall with one second left in the second period to make it 4-2.

The momentum had suddenly swung back.

Justin Ertel and the ever-reliable fourth line made it 4-3 at 8:15 of the third period and suddenly, the game was back within grasp.

That is when Shlaine, one of the Stars’ best young players this season, scored his second of the night with six seconds left in regulation to tie the game at four.

The effort would fall short in the shootout, but the heist was done, and the Stars remained in the driver's seat with everything still to play for.

They’ll look to close out their road campaign with another bang Sunday in Manitoba for the rematch with the Moose before closing the season back home and getting ready for the next big climb to come.

Tonight’s lines
Lind-Shlaine-Seminoff
Hanas-Becker-Hryckowian
Stranges-Scott-McKenzie
Ertel-Chisholm-McDonald

Taylor-Krys
Karow-Minnetian
Bertucci-Anderson

R. Poirier

Injuries, scratches and notes
Hughes, Hyry (callup)
Kolyachonok, Martino, J. Poirier, Looft (scratch)
Tuomaala, Wheatcroft (injured, out for season)

Tonight’s attendance was 3,482.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Manitoba - April 10 2026

Samu Tuomaala, Chase Wheatcroft Done for the Season

2026-04-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

(Credit: Logan Foust/Texas Stars)

As Texas counts down the final games of the season, there is news from the infirmary of long-term injured Stars. Forwards Samu Tuomaala and Chase Wheatcroft are both done for the season with injuries sustained during the year.

Tuomaala sustained a lower-body injury shortly after being acquired by the Stars in a trade that sent Christian Kyrou to Lehigh Valley via NHL parent club Philadelphia. He was seen in a walking boot shortly thereafter and has only just begun skating again. He had accumulated ten points in his sixteen games with Texas before the injury. Tuomaala is a restricted free agent after this season.

Wheatcroft sustained a hand/wrist injury in December and had only amassed eight games played on the year with no points. He is also a restricted free agent after this season.

The loss of both players was a tough blow as their experience and scoring touch would have been a boon to a roster that struggled to score at times without its top guns in the lineup, including now as Arttu Hyry and Cameron Hughes are in Dallas.

The Stars continue their final handful of games before the playoffs tonight in Manitoba.

Are AHL Professional Tryouts Dying Out?

2026-04-09T07:00:00.039-05:00

PTOs Down 58% from Peak as League Evolves, Budgets Grow and Priorities Shift

100 Degree Hockey Data Visualization

Professional tryout contracts

After a post-COVID surge in '21–22, PTO usage has dropped to historic lows

Peak

431

2021–22

Current

131

2025–26 (adj.)

21-yr avg

224

PTOs / season

Per-team low

4.0

2024–25

PTO adds Adjustment Per team

Adjustments account for shortened seasons (COVID-19). Toggle adjustments to see raw per-team averages. Tap bars for details.

[Ed. Note: All visuals in this article are interactive. Click around to see what you can learn.]

Travis Morin. Greg Rallo. Jordie Benn.

All significant Texas Stars players who started on professional tryouts. This season, the team has signed just one, Cross Hanas, and that was pre-season not in-season.

Texas is not alone. Across the league, PTOs are down drastically from their heights in the mid 2010s. Even adjusted for the number of teams and games played, teams have signed 43% fewer PTOs this season compared to their last major PTO season in 2018-19.

For decades, the professional tryout has been a mainstay of the American Hockey League. When a team needed a body, there wasn’t someone ready and waiting in the wings. The GM scoured the best of the ECHL (or the CHL) and made a signing. Now, the league is stashing at a prodigious rate, and the numbers bear it out. The real question here is why.

One person who has been tending the farm in the AHL through the entire transition is Texas Stars GM and now Dallas Stars Assistant GM Scott White. White started with the Dallas organization when the Iowa Stars were the AHL club. In twenty years, he’s seen the change firsthand.

“More teams have signed more players to regular contracts or use the AHL-ECHL two-way contracts more so than back in the day,” said White told 100 Degree Hockey during a recent Texas home game. “We used to let the players get going in the ECHL and then grab them. The player pool is so small, even with all these leagues. Teams just kind of decided to sign more guys to an AHL deal or AHL-ECHL deal because then you know who you have and the expense is the same as a PTO.”

Would it surprise you that the real reason ultimately comes down to money?

The budgets for the AHL have gone up continuously since 2005. Just think about the Texas Stars in terms of the hockey budget that is readily visible every night. In October 2009 when the team kicked off its inaugural season, it was head coach Glen Gulutzan and assistant coach Paul Jerrard. And that was it.

This past weekend, the Stars had a head coach, two assistants, a goalie coach and a video coach. Director of Player Personnel J.J. McQueen practically lives at the H-E-B Center with how often he is spotted, and Jordie Benn probably has an entire line item in his budget for Bu-cee’s gas and snacks.

“From a business perspective, the game has changed considerably since 2010. That goes, I would say, across the board, for every team, but our team in particular, budgets change.”

100 Degree Hockey Data Visualization Professional tryout trends by team AHL PTO contracts signed per season, 2005–06 through 2025–26

Team

PTO contracts Peak season

Source: 100 Degree Hockey PTO database. Seasons with no PTOs shown as gaps.

The ECHL is definitely also a place where these changes will be obvious.

The ECHL’s VP of Hockey Operations, Dan Petrino, started with the league in 2016 in a role where he was in charge of the league’s central registry, the place where leagues keep track of who is playing where and managing transactions.

“I certainly noticed PTOs going down,” Petrino told 100 Degree Hockey when reached by phone earlier this week. “However, the flip side of that is that the AHL contracted players assigned to our league have increased over that same timeframe and so have the recalls of those players.”

The amount of symmetry between the ECHL and AHL is also another factor that Petrino points out as affecting a change. In 2005, when this data set starts, there were 28 teams in the ECHL. That number dipped as low as 19 in 2010-11 as teams folded. That was, interestingly enough, the modern peak for PTOs at 313.

The ECHL has continued to grow from that low point including a seven team infusion when the Central Hockey League folded in 2014. The ECHL now sports 30. In 2023, ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin noted the league’s intention to match the NHL and AHL at 32.

“Having 30 teams, as opposed to 22 or 23, the pool of players is larger. There's more affiliations, obviously, to go around. That also plays a major role in the American League’s need to scout our league.”

It’s interesting to note that White calls out the player pool being smaller and Petrino notes that it’s larger. The difference would seem to lie in the relative viewpoints of the two men. White is looking through the narrow lens of what one team needs, and Petrino sees the entire league. They can both be right. The player pool is getting larger on the whole, but more of those players are already claimed by another AHL team so the player pool of ‘unclaimed’ players ready to jump into AHL action is shrinking year by year.

Another factor that Petrino called out was the length of tryouts. As the man on the trigger of the transaction wire in the ECHL, he has seen firsthand that the length of the average AHL PTO has been increasing over the last six to eight years, which would correlate with fewer PTOs overall.

“The ability to identify the talent in our league has been growing as well,” he added.

“It's taken a long time for our league to develop into really what it has become: a league that has some really good talent. American League teams are starting to devote more time, budget and energy into scouting our league, whether that be from afar or in arena. That has really helped launch players from our league into the American League more frequently and regularly.”

Short-term PTOs are still an occasional occurrence for teams with more strained geographic setups. As an example, if the Syracuse Crunch have an injury on Friday and need a guy for Saturday, they have good reason to call the GM in Reading or Worcester or Adirondack, all drivable distances away, instead of making the short-term call to their actual affiliate in Orlando, Florida.

100 Degree Hockey Data Visualization PTO Signings by Season Professional tryout contracts signed across the AHL, 2005–06 through 2025–26, stacked by position group

4,765Total PTOs signed21 seasons tracked

431Peak season2021–22 (post-COVID)

75Low season2020–21 (COVID)

14.4Peak per team2021–22 avg

Forwards Defensemen Goalies Per team avg

Source: AHL transaction records. 2025–26 season data through Feb 18, 2026. Per-team average recalculates when position series are toggled off.

From the player's side of things, it’s a mixed bag on the balance between AHL-ECHL deals and PTOs. Part of the allure of signing an ECHL-only deal is that you have the potential to get picked up by any team in the league if they need someone. That used to be how it worked in large part. However, with more teams signing more guys to AHL-ECHL deals and having them available as callup options, there are fewer opportunities to break out on an AHL PTO. Thus, more guys sign AHL two-ways to ensure that they’re on the shortlist somewhere and the cycle perpetuates itself.

Altogether there is a constellation of factors leading to the decline in professional tryouts in the AHL. Rising budgets, changing geographies and increasing player talent pool are all pointing to more stability in the league’s rosters and fewer ‘golden lottery ticket’ chances for ECHL players looking for a chance at the next level.

So are AHL tryouts dying out? They’ll never die out completely, but the way that they are used in the modern AHL has been forever changed by forces greater than just one league.

* - Data gathered using TheAHL.com transaction wire data for every season going back to 2005-06, the start of recorded data on the web. Seasons shortened due to COVID were were adjusted for length to standardize on a 72 game season. These data, and the season run rate addition for the current season, are shown in light blue stacked bars on the chart. The yellow line shows the number of PTOs per team, accounting for the number of teams growing since the dataset started.