The Dallas Stars made a little bit of NHL history on Sunday, and they did it with a familiar last name in the lineup.
Justin Hryckowian was joined by his younger brother Dylan, giving Dallas its first set of brothers since captain Jamie Benn skated with Jordie Benn from 2011 to 2017. It also pushed the league into record territory: seven brother pairs are playing on the same team in the same season, the most in NHL history.
That group now includes Jack and Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers, Cale and Taylor Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Nick and Marcus Foligno of the Minnesota Wild, Arber and Florian Xhekaj of the Montreal Canadiens, and Aliaksei and Ilya Protas of the Washington Capitals.
For the Stars, the Hryckowians arrive as part of an injury-thinned forward group that could use exactly the kind of depth scoring Justin provided last season. Dallas is without Matt Duchene, key penalty killer Radek Faksa, Sam Steel and Oskar Back up front, while Esa Lindell is also sidelined on the back end.
Justin broke through with the Stars last season as a young depth forward in a bottom-six role, the kind Dallas badly needed. He finished with 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points, and he missed just one regular-season game. This season has started slower, with only one point in eight games, but the 25-year-old still has room to find his footing.
Dylan’s path to the roster has followed a similar route. The NCAA free agent signing was productive in the AHL, posting eight points in eight games this season before getting the call, after putting up 60 points in 67 games the year before. Stars general manager Jim Nill has clearly seen this kind of rise before, and Dylan’s strong start at the AHL level was enough to complete the family connection in Dallas.
The timing matters for a Stars team dealing with early-season injuries. Dallas can only hope the Hryckowians help fill the gap and provide the kind of impact minutes that can matter most when the lineup is stretched thin.
In Other News...
Stars Get A Wild First Test Against New Jersey's New Goalie
The Stars are about to get an unusual first look at a newly reshaped Devils roster, with Connor Hellebuyck now in New Jersey after a multi-player deal with Winnipeg. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said the veteran goalie will be in net against Dallas, giving the Stars a chance to see how the move settles in right away rather than waiting for the usual adjustment period.
Hellebuyck has not played this season, and his first practice with New Jersey came just Monday after Winnipeg suspended him for failing to report to training camp. For a Stars team that has to game-plan for everything on the road, the twist is obvious: the opponent theyre preparing for may look a little different than the one they expected even a few days ago, and the real test is still about to begin. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Suddenly Have A New Blue Line Concern After Ugly Loss
The Stars rough night against New Jersey got even worse late in the third period, when Kyle Capobianco had to leave with what appeared to be a leg injury after taking a hit from Timo Meier. Dallas was already trying to dig out from a 5-1 home loss to the Devils, a game that only added to the frustration around a defense group that has been stretched thinner than it would like.
Capobiancos status now looms over a blue line that has already been dealing with absences, with Esa Lindell on injured reserve and out for more than a week. For a team that has leaned on depth at the back end all season, the timing of another potential injury is hardly ideal, especially with the schedule and the margin for error only getting tighter. [Read more 🡒]