First Shift 🏒

Alexander Petrovic is in an interesting spot.

The 33-year-old defenseman has played most of the past four seasons in the AHL and set up camp in Cedar Park, Texas. He has been called up in each of the past two playoffs, so that has been nice, but the regular day-to-day life for the father of three has been in the Austin area.

This year, Petrovic was told he would start the year with the Stars, and that meant getting his family situated in North Texas. It has been a nice transition.

“It’s not too bad,” Petrovic said. “Our oldest just started school, so it wasn’t too hard to figure out. It was actually easier starting here instead of Austin. We found a place pretty quick and it all went smoothly.”

Petrovic credits his wife with the majority of the work, and said he enjoys the process of raising a family and finding his stride in his NHL career.

A second-round pick in 2010, the Edmonton native played with the Florida Panthers for seven seasons and seemed to be working on a solid career. However, he was traded to Edmonton, and then bounced to Boston, Calgary and Dallas. His spot with the Stars was a good one, as he lived in Cedar Park and helped Dallas develop young defensemen.

In recent seasons, he was a key partner for Bichsel, teaching the youngster the ropes.

“He’s a great player, great leader, great family guy,” Bichsel said. “I really have learned a lot from him.”

Bichsel was called up last season and became a regular in the playoffs. As the coaching staff looked for the right partner, they landed on Petrovic. The veteran played in 17 post-season games and was Bichsel’s partner in some intense moments.

That performance gave the organization confidence in the veteran, and he was named to the opening night roster as the seventh defenseman. Now, with Nils Lundkvist out for the foreseeable future, it looks like Petroivic will get plenty more time to play.

“He’s a steady player and he does a lot of things right,” said head coach Glen Gulutzan. “You like to have that consistency in the lineup.”

For Petrovic, the routine is helpful.

“It’s good,” he said. “It definitely helps me get more comfortable. I’m just trying to win games, that’s my focus. I don’t really worry if I’m in or out, if I’m pushing to help the team win, all of that works out.”