Andre Leal

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Andre Leal·Jun 2, 2024·Partner

Long Time Coming: Three Stars Vets Shooting for First Stanley Cup

Three Dallas Stars veterans are hoping to finally lift the Stanley Cup after combining thousands of NHL games played. There is a strong veteran leadership group in Dallas, highlighted by three players who have never won a Stanley Cup. The three players in question are Ryan Suter, Joe Pavelski and captain Jamie Benn. Despite combining for more than 4,300 NHL games played (regular season and playoffs), none of them know what it’s like to hoist the Cup above their heads. Here’s a look at the NHL journeys for Suter, Benn and Pavelski: Ryan Suter, D The 39-year-old defenseman leads all active NHL D-men in games played with 1,444 regular-season appearances. However, for most of his career, there hasn’t been much success in the post-season. In the first 17 seasons of Suter’s career, the furthest he travelled in the NHL playoffs was to Game 6 of the second round. He did it twice with the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2003, the Nashville Predators, when he saw back-to-back second-round exits in 2011 and 2012. After that, Suter and former teammate Zach Parise both signed contracts with the Minnesota Wild with a term of 13 years and an annual cap hit of $7.5 million. With the Wild, along with a handful of first-round exits, Suter experienced two defeats in the second round in consecutive years again. On both occasions, it was to the mighty Chicago Blackhawks in 2014 and 2015. The Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2015. Later, the Wild would buy out Suter and Parise and they became free agents. Then, the Stars signed Suter to a four-year deal at an annual value of $3.65 million. Since then the native of Madison, Wis., has reached levels he’d never previously seen in the playoffs. Last season, the Stars lost in six games in the Western Conference final to the eventual Cup winners, the Vegas Golden Knights. Suter had nine assists in 19 games in those playoffs. As the Stars battle the Oilers in the Western Conference final this spring, it might be Suter’s best – and last – chance to hoist the Stanley Cup. Jamie Benn, LW Benn was picked 129th in the 2007 NHL draft and he’s been a Star for life. Not only has he been a career-long member of the Stars for 15 seasons, he’s served as captain for the past 10 years. Throughout that time, Benn has had some respectable playoff runs, but none longer than the one in 2020. Dallas was able to push all the way to the Stanley Cup final, but unfortunately for Benn and his teammates, they lost that series in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. That was the first time that the club made an appearance in the Cup final since 2000. While Benn is not a Stanley Cup champion, he still has accomplished some impressive achievements. He won the WHL title with the Kelowna Rockets in 2009, leading the team in goals that season. Later that year he won a gold medal for Canada at the World Junior Championship, scoring six points in six games. After turning pro, he won another gold medal for Canada, this time at the 2014 Olympics. Just one year later, Benn bagged himself the Art Ross Trophy with a league-leading 87 points, beating out Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, pretty impressive. While these are all great accomplishments, Benn would be the first to say that he wants that Cup more than anything else. Joe Pavelski, C Of all the Cup-less veterans out there, Pavelski may have the most compelling story. Selected 205th overall in the seventh round of the 2003 draft, Pavelski is due for a Stanley Cup. The native of Plover, Wis., is second among active NHLers for most playoff appearances, right behind the Oilers Corey Perry. But, he does lead active players in playoff goals with 74. Many of his opportunities come from right in front of the net, where he puts his crafty deflecting ability to the test. In his entire career, the 39-year-old has only missed the playoffs twice. Pavelski is known for his time in San Jose with the Sharks, spending 13 of his 18 NHL seasons there. In that span between 2007 and 2019, the Sharks were a force to be reckoned with. On three occasions they fell short in the Western Conference final, and in 2016 they made it to the Cup final. However, Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins stood in the way and took the Cup in Game 6. But that wouldn’t be the last time Pavelski would experience a Stanley Cup final. In 2019, longtime GM of the Stars, Jim Nill, signed Pavelski to a three-year, $21-million deal. Since then, he got another taste of what could’ve been his first Cup in 2020, but fell short to the Lightning. Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. The Hockey News Proudly Celebrates More Than 10 Million Pageviews in May Report: Stars Defenseman Seen Wearing Walking Boot In Airport As Team Returns to Dallas Morning Skate: Oettinger Leaves Practice, Hintz and Hakanpaa Day-to-Day Stars Taking Advantage of Time Off As They Prepare for Oilers