During the Hershey Bears’ 2025 exit interviews, Mike Sgarbossa reflected on his time in Chocolatetown. He was ready to turn the page on his hockey career and make a move in the best interests of himself and his family. 

“I think it’s a good opportunity for me,” Sgarbossa stated during the exit interviews, adding, “I think the team that I'm going to is having a fresh start, and it’s a chance to probably extend my career a little bit more.” He signed a two-year contract with Lugano in Switzerland. 

Fast forward to this summer, and Sgarbossa is back in the American Hockey League. He signed a one-year deal with the Texas Stars, where he’ll become one of the veteran leaders on a young team. For Sgarbossa, this is a return that isn’t surprising and is part of the story that is the veteran life in the AHL. 

Every summer, there’s a mass exodus of players who head overseas. Specifically, veterans who are either looking to extend their careers, look for better contracts, or an easier lifestyle head to Europe to finish their careers. It creates an interesting dynamic in the Calder Cup Playoffs as some players are playing out the string while they have a foot out the door or, as one scout noted about a player during the playoff run, “He looks more interested in setting up his Swiss bank account than he does winning hockey games.” 

Sometimes, these veterans don’t see a future for themselves in the AHL role, especially when the NHL teams have already given up on them. For others, it’s about the grass being greener on the other side. 

It turns out that’s not always the case, and for many players, they look for ways to return to North America. Louis Domingue joined the Charlotte Checkers halfway through the season while Perrick Dube finished his season with the Bridgeport Islanders, both of whom made the move after signing overseas in the summer. They aren’t the only ones either, especially with some players playing in leagues where there’s less stability and contracts can be terminated at any point. 

The AHL is a grueling lifestyle, one that’s tough on the players and tougher on the families. The bus rides, road trips, and movement from different levels make many wish they were somewhere else. That said, life in the AHL, even as a veteran player, is better. Sgarbossa will be 34 years old when the season starts, and he’s made to be a leader at this level. 

Veterans willing to embrace that role in the AHL tend to have the most success. They stand out on the ice while also taking pride in being the buffer for the coaching staff and mentoring the prospects. The best teams in the league have the best groups of players who aren’t prospects but leaders. 

The Stars are one of the AHL teams known for taking care of their players, especially the older ones. It’s no coincidence that they’ve had players in the top five in the league in scoring in each of the past three seasons (interestingly, Mavrik Bourque led the league in 2023-24 with 77 points). It’s because they can attract the top players and have them bought in. 

Sgarbossa is willing to embrace that role. He did it for six years in Hershey, leading them to two Calder Cup titles. Now, he returns to the league hoping to finish his career as a winner while potentially setting himself up for life after hockey. In Texas, he’ll have that opportunity with a young team and a young coaching staff. 

Sgarbossa won’t score 30 goals as he did in 2018-19 or 21, which he did in 2022-23. That said, he’s still one of the more skilled players out there, and he’s a playmaker for the offense. He had 60 assists in 79 games in the past two seasons, and he’ll be an immediate boost to the Stars' offense. 

More importantly, Sgarbossa is a complete player who checks, defends, and stands up for his teammates. He’ll be the role model on the ice for the younger forwards on the Stars, playing the right way while they follow suit. 

It’s why the Stars are shaping up to be one of the best teams in the Western Conference next season. It took them a few months to buy into Toby Peterson’s system, which demanded they play well on both ends. Now, the team heads into the season knowing what’s in front of them. They know if they play the right way, they’ll be in the Calder Cup conversation with Sgarbossa playing a key role in that run (while the prospects help the NHL team make a run at the Stanley Cup).