First Shift \ud83c\udfd2<\/p>\n
Maybe the best thing about the Stars and their AHL affiliate is that Glen Gulutzan has coached the coaches.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s right, when Gulutzan was working his way up through the ranks, he was head coach of the Texas Stars from 2009-11. On those rosters were Travis Morin and Max Fortunus, who are now assistant coaches for the Texas Stars. A year later, Gulutzan moved up to the Dallas Stars and coached Toby Petersen, who is now the head coach of the AHL affiliate in Cedar Park.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a great connection for the organization and is paying dividends for games like Sunday\u2019s 6-3 win over the Islanders, when Dallas had to call up Matthew Seminoff<\/a> and Dylan Hryckowian<\/a> from the minors.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be connected, and I think Petey, Mo and Forty do a great job down there,\u201d Gulutzan said. \u201cWe\u2019re playing the identical systems this year. I\u2019ve watched (the coaches) work, and they\u2019re detailed, so when the kids come up, they\u2019re in the right spots.\u201d<\/p>\n Seminoff played 8:53 and had two shots on goal and one hit. Hryckowian played 10:03 and had one shot on goal and was plus-1. Those were important contributions in a 6-3 win for a team that was missing Matt Duchene<\/a>, Sam Steel<\/a>, Oskar B\u00e4ck<\/a>, Radek Faksa<\/a> and Esa Lindell<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s special having two guys come up and make their debut,\u201d said forward Robertson, who scored two goals. \u201cI think our farm system in Texas, even back when I was there, they do a great job preparing guys for moments like this. Since I have been here, guys have come in and they know what to do. It\u2019s a top-notch organization below us and it helps us at moments like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Seminoff, 22, was a sixth-round pick of the Stars in 2022. He is in his fourth season with the Texas Stars and has 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 7 games. Hryckowian, 22, is a free agent out of Northeastern University and has 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 8 games with Texas.<\/p>\n Hryckowian is the younger brother of Stars forward Justin Hryckowian<\/a>, so it was a big night for the duo from Quebec. Gulutzan started them both on a line with Benn, and that made for a special moment.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much respect for the organization and the coaching staff to do that,\u201d Justin said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t have to do that and putting us out there with Jamie, who played with his brother, that was special. We\u2019ll remember that forever.\u201d<\/p>\n