Stars GM Jim Nill, CEO Jim Lites to Take 50 Percent Pay Cut During NHL Hiatus
Mar 25, 2020
Dallas Stars newly-hired general manager Jim Nill, left, responds to a reporter's question during a news conference as president and CEO Jim Lites, right, watches Monday, April 29, 2013, in Dallas. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill and CEO Jim Lites will both take a 50 percent pay cut to help the team deal with the financial fallout of the NHL's suspended season during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mike Leslie of WFAA in Dallas reported the news Wednesday, noting this will help keep others within the organization employed during the league's hiatus.
"Hopefully this helps others within the organization," Nill said.
This comes at a time where there are a number of financial uncertainties for teams counting on games to drive up revenue and account for payroll.
In contrast to the decision by the Stars' front office,Chip Alexanderof theNews & Observerreported the Carolina Hurricanes told full-time employees they will not be paid following this week.
Delaware North, the parent company of the Boston Bruins,announced82 full-time salaried associates will have their salaries indefinitely reduced, while 68 were placed on temporary leave with one week of pay and eight weeks of benefits.
The NHLannouncedit paused the season on March 12 because of concerns about the coronavirus, which was one day after the NBA did the same.
Dallas was in playoff position in third place in the Central Division at 37-24-8 with 82 points when the hiatus began.
Nill has been the general manager for the Stars since 2013, while Lites has been with the organization since 1993 and the CEO since 2011.
Ex-Stars HC Jim Montgomery Checks into Rehab for Alcoholism
Jan 3, 2020
Dallas Stars' Radek Faksa (12), Blake Comeau (15) head coach Jim Montgomery, rear, and Jason Dickinson (16) watch play against the Nashville Predators in Game 3 in an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Dallas, Monday, April 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Former Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery, who was fired Dec. 10 for "unprofessional conduct," announced Friday he's entering inpatient treatment for alcoholism.
Montgomery released a statement to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News about the decision and said he agreed with the organization's decision to dismiss him:
"Losing my job as head coach of the Dallas Stars last month was a wake-up call. It was also the appropriate call. I let the team's front office, staff and players down. More importantly, I let my wife and my family down. The team's decision to end my role forced me to look into the mirror and decide whether I wanted to continue living a damaging lifestyle or get help. I decided to get help. I turned to professionals in the field of alcohol abuse for their guidance and counseling. It has been an overwhelming and a very humbling experience knowing that I am not alone.
"Today, with the unconditional support of my wife and family, and many close friends, I took another step forward by admitting myself into an inpatient residential program, where I intend to take the steps to be a better husband, father, friend, coach and mentor—one day at a time. It's a process I am committed to. As I do this, I ask that my family's privacy be respected. Thanks, Monty."
Stars general manager Jim Nill also released a statement to DeFranks about the news.
"We are supportive of this decision by Jim and we hope that by pursuing this help, he and his family will be stronger for it," Nill said. "Out of respect for him and his family, we will not be commenting on this situation further."
Montgomery was hired by Dallas in May 2018. It marked his first NHL coaching job after previous stints with the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints and NCAA's Denver Pioneers.
The 50-year-old Montreal native led the Stars to a 61-43-10 record across less than two years, including a 18-11-3 mark this season before the firing.
Dallas advanced to the second round of the 2019 NHL playoffs before getting eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in seven games.
Rick Bowness was promoted from assistant to interim head coach by the Stars last month.
Stars' Corey Perry Ejected vs. Predators; 1st-Ever Ejection in Winter Classic
Jan 1, 2020
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 24: Corey Perry #10 of the Dallas Stars in the third period at American Airlines Center on October 24, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ellis took a long time to get up off the ice and was eventually carted to the locker room.
According to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, it's the first time a player has been ejected from the Winter Classic in 12 years of the event. It was only the second time in NHL history a player has picked up a game misconduct in an outdoor contest.
It created a long walk for Perry to the locker rooms at the Cotton Bowl. AFter the game, Perry discussed the hit on Ellis, via Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News:
Meanwhile, Nashville took advantage of the major penalty with two first-period power-play goals.
Perry is in his first season in Dallas after he spent his initial 14 years with the Ducks in a stretch that included two All-Star selections, a Stanley Cup title and the 2011 Hart Trophy as the league's MVP.
The 34-year-old signed aone-year dealwith the Stars worth $1.5 million this offseason, hoping to rebuild his stock after playing just 31 games last season. Though he hasn't turned many heads in 2019-20, he made a positive contribution with three goals and 10 assists in 33 games before Wednesday.
With Perry unavailable, Dallas will need younger players such as Denis Gurianov, 22, to fill in the offensive gaps.
Jim Montgomery Fired as Stars HC Because of 'Unprofessional Conduct'
Dec 10, 2019
The Dallas Starsfired head coach Jim Montgomery on Tuesday and announced Rick Bowness will serve as the team's interim head coach.
Stars general manager Jim Nill released a statement regarding the decision and cited "unprofessional conduct" as the reason for Montgomery's dismissal:
"The Dallas Stars expect all of our employees to act with integrity and exhibit professional behavior while working for and representing our organization. This decision was made due to unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League."
Montgomery was in the midst of his second season as the Stars' head coach, and they currently own the No. 1 wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 37 points (17-11-3).
Last season, Dallas went 43-32-7 under Montgomery and reached the second round of the playoffs where it fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in seven games. All told, the Stars went 60-43-10 in just under one-an-a-half years with Montgomery as their head coach.
While specifics regarding Montgomery's firing have yet to be released, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that it has nothing to do with the NHL's crackdown on racial comments and abuse:
The Calgary Flamesfired Bill Peters last month after two of his former players, Akim Aliu and Michal Jordan, alleged that he made racist comments and was physically abusive.
Montgomery, 50, spent parts of five seasons in the NHL as a center with the Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks and Stars. After his playing career ended, he gained extensive experience as a coach in the college ranks and the USHL.
Following stints as an assistant at Notre Dame and RPI, Montgomery was the head coach of Dubuque in the USHL from 2010-2013 and then the University of Denver from 2013-2018. Montgomery twice led Denver to the Frozen Four, including a national championship in 2017.
He was hired as an assistant under Montgomery prior to the start of last season following a lengthy stint on the Tampa Bay Lightning's coaching staff.
Bowness will serve as the head coach Tuesday when Dallas hosts the New Jersey Devils.
Ex-Sharks Center Joe Pavelski Reportedly to Sign 3-Year, $21M Stars Contract
Jun 30, 2019
San Jose Sharks' Joe Pavelski (8) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames Saturday, March 24, 2018, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Free-agent center Joe Pavelski has agreed to a three-year deal with the Dallas Stars that he will sign Monday, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
The proposed deal will pay him about $7 million per year.
Dallas is hoping to sign two veteran forwards this week, with Corey Perry also an option, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.
The 34-year-oldforward spent the first 13 years of his career with the San Jose Sharks.
Throughout his career in San Jose, Pavelski, who was named captain in 2015, was one of the team's top playmakers. He ranks second in franchise history in goals (355), third in assists (406) and third in points (761). He has tallied 60-plus points in six straight seasons and eight of the last nine.
Pavelski is coming off a season in which he recorded a team-high 38 goals and 26 assists for a total of 64 points to earn his third career All-Star selection. While he remained productive, he registered a negative plus-minus (negative-4) for the first time in his career.
With Pavelski making plays, the Sharks missed the playoffs just once during his tenure. Not only that, but they made the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time ever in 2016, coming within two victories of hoisting the Cup.
As free agency approached, Pavelski let it be known back in May that he was looking to re-sign with San Jose, per Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News:
"Am I concerned? I don’t know. I know I'm going to be playing hockey next year. Hopefully it's going to be here. We love it here. I think something will happen, who really knows, but coming off a lot of emotions coming through the playoffs and that round, we'll sit down and take a look at what will happen here. We're going to be alright, I think, regardless.
[...]
"Yeah, I'm pretty confident. I've got a pretty strong belief system that I’ll be back here. It's just things have to work themselves out along the way. We had a lot of things going on with many different players. It's nothing I'm too worried about. My mindset really doesn't change."
However, San Jose found itself with limited cap space to work with after signing Erik Karlsson to an eight-year extension on June 17. While that didn't rule out a new deal for Pavelski, it limited the amount of money the Sharks could spend on free agents, such as Pavelski and Joe Thornton.
The Athletic's Craig Custance reported on June 28 that Pavelski had interest from "double-digit" teams, with colleague Kevin Kurz noting that same day that it appeared the veteran's time in San Jose was coming to an end.
Ultimately, he decided to move on to Dallas.
According to Custance, Pavelski's top priority in free agency was putting himself in the best position to win a Stanley Cup. And given last season's performance, Dallas found itself in the mix.
The Stars won 43 games last season while finishing the regular season with 93 points. They took down the Central Division-winning Nashville Predators in the first round before falling in the second round in seven games to the eventual champs, the St. Louis Blues.
Dallas "came off really well" in its meeting with Pavelski, per Custance. That combined with a chance to win proved to be enough to sell the longtime Shark on the Stars.
Esa Lindell's Goal Guides Stars Past Blues for Game 5 Win, 3-2 Series Lead
May 4, 2019
Dallas Stars players Jamie Benn (14), John Klingberg (3), of Sweden, and Alexander Radulov (47), of Russia, celebrate after a goal by Esa Lindell against the St. Louis Blues during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL second-round hockey playoff series Friday, May 3, 2019, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Jason Spezza and Esa Lindell each scored goals as the Dallas Stars beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 in Game 5 of their NHL Western Conference Semifinal playoff series on Friday.
Dallas goaltender Ben Bishop made 38 saves. Jaden Schwartz scored the lone goal for the Blues, who fell behind 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
Lindell's game-winning goal at 6:13 of the second period turned out to be the difference:
That's career #StanleyCup Playoff goal No. 1 for Esa Lindell!
Lindell couldn't have picked a much better time for his first career playoff goal, and that score helped cap a sensational opening 40 minutes for the Stars. The Point provided statistics explaining why, noting Dallas' edge in slot shots and rush-scoring chances:
As has been the case much of the series, the Blues are controlling the zone time but the Stars are generating great chances off-the-rush and winning the shot quality battle. Dallas 20 minutes away from taking a 3-2 series lead home. #GoStars#STLBlues#Playoffspic.twitter.com/ZjiUlGnOiQ
Quality chances were a prevalent Stars theme, and Spezza took advantage of his after Tyler Seguin found him in front of the net for the game-opening goal at 2:42 of the first period:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 4, 2019
Spezza has been the story of this series: He's scored three goals against the Blues after having not found the net since Feb. 24, which covered a 20-game stretch including playoffs.
On the other end, Bishop did his part to give the Stars a 3-2 series edge. He's been lights-out in the playoffs and has done particularly well on the road historically, per Sportsnet Stats:
Lowest road GAA in #StanleyCup Playoffs history since 1943-44
Patrick Lalime: 1.77 Mike Smith: 1.78#GoStars Ben Bishop: 1.81 Gerry McNeil: 1.83
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 4, 2019
Still, the Vezina Trophy finalist has been phenomenal in the playoffs thanks to a 2.13 GAA.
Dallas will host St. Louis on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET for Game 6. NBC will televise the matchup.
A Stars win will send them to the Western Conference Final, where they would face the San Jose Sharks or Colorado Avalanche. A Dallas loss would bring the series back to St. Louis for Game 7 on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
Mats Zuccarello Out at Least 4 Weeks with Arm Injury After Making Stars Debut
Feb 24, 2019
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 24: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the Dallas Stars skates up the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks
at the United Center on February 24, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Dallas Stars weren't even accustomed to playing with forward Mats Zuccarello before they lost him to a serious injury.
The team announced Zuccarello would be evaluated in Dallas but is expected to miss four weeks at the minimum after exiting Sunday's 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in the second period after blocking a Connor Murphy shot.
It was his first game with Dallas after it acquired him via trade.
According to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News, Zuccarello believes he broke his arm and wasn't sure if he will need surgery.
Dallas landed Zuccarello from the New York Rangers in exchange for a conditional 2019 second-round pick and a conditional 2020 third-round pick.
Kristen Nelson of Sports Illustrated explained the 2019 pick becomes a first-rounder if Zuccarello plays at least half of the Stars' games in the first two rounds of the playoffs and the team advances to at least the Western Conference Final. What's more, the 2020 pick becomes a first-rounder if the Stars re-sign him.
Zuccarello made an instant impact before leaving with the injury, finishing with a goal and assist to go with a plus-minus of plus-three in the win over Chicago.
It was a costly win for the Stars, who also saw captain Jamie Benn exit with an upper-body injury. Head coach Jim Montgomery called the Benn injury "day to day," per ESPN.com.
The Stars hold the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 67 points.
