Dallas is taking advantage of an early break in the schedule.
DALLAS - Following Friday’s practice at Comerica Center, the Stars departed for Palm Springs, CA for some team bonding before opening a two-game road trip next week that includes stops in Las Vegas and Anaheim.
It’s a prime opportunity for head coach Pete DeBoer’s players to gel and forge the kind of chemistry that will make this already impressive group of veterans and youngsters even stronger both on and off the ice.
“I’m a big believer in team building. The schedule just worked out this way,” said DeBoer. “It’s been a long camp to begin with. You add another five or six days of practice here, it would be too much, so we looked at some different options. I haven’t been [to Palm Springs], but a lot of people talk about it. It’s close enough to Vegas. We can get out West a little earlier, get used to the time change and get acclimatized to that, and at the same time do a little team bonding. Guys are excited to go.”
The fact that Dallas earned a shootout victory over St. Louis in the season opener on Thursday means that there will be plenty of good vibes to go around in the Coachella Valley.
The Stars’ bench boss knows the value of a unique experience like this.
“There’s nothing like spending time, 24 hours a day, with your team,” mentioned DeBoer. “It’s nice just to get away with the group because guys do get pulled in a lot of different directions when they’re at home.”
Defenseman Jani Hakanpää was recently asked about the trip.
The 31-year-old Finn was adamant that it could make a world of difference in the long run.
“One thing we were really good at last year was we were really glued as a group and we really wanted to work for each other, so I think that’s going to be a big thing for us again this year. We’re going to go on a little trip with the team, so that’s probably going to be beneficial for us to spend some time together and get to know all the new guys,” explained Hakanpää. “During camp, it’s always a few different groups. You might not see some of the guys as much, so I think it’s going to be good for us. Then you get to meet with everybody and sit down in a relaxed environment outside of the rink. When you know the guy next to you, at least for me, I feel like I want to play a little harder for them when I know them a little more on a personal level, too. I think we have a good plan set up for us.”
As for the upcoming contest against the Golden Knights next Tuesday night, DeBoer anticipates quite a duel.
After all, it’s a rematch of the most recent Western Conference Finals.
"It's exciting to get back. It's exciting to see where you stack up against the Stanley Cup Champions, and it's exciting to play them again because obviously the last game we played them, you don’t have a great taste in your mouth about how that ended," said DeBoer. "I think for all those reasons, we're excited because they’re going to be one of those teams that’s going to be in the Western Conference that everyone’s going to have to go through."
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