Once a player in the organization, Toby Petersen rejoins the Texas Stars with a new title of head coach, filling a vacancy left by newly promoted Neil Graham. Dallas Stars center Toby Petersen (17) skates in the Los Angeles Kings zone during a 2013 game at the American Airlines Center. The Kings defeated the Stars 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7f68da54-3b8f-4eaa-8da3-196e776c0c17.jpeg] Dallas Stars center Toby Petersen (17) skates in the Los Angeles Kings zone during a 2013 game at the American Airlines Center. The Kings defeated the Stars 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Graham was touted as a possible head coach candidate for the Dallas Stars, but instead took the next step into the assistant coach role under Glen Gulutzan. His promotion created a void at the AHL level, and the Stars organization dipped into their alumni pool and found Petersen was the best man for the job. He joins former Texas players Maxime Fortunas and Travis Morin, who were assistants under Graham, to fill out an all-alumni staff in Cedar Park. That is almost unheard of in professional sports, but since owner Tom Gaglardi took over, the Stars have made it a point to keep their alumni as close to the team as possible after a point in time where it seemed like the opposite was true. In the dark days of bankruptcy, low ticket sales and a roster that could not get fans excited whatsoever (ironically, part of that was Gulutzan's first tenure as the Dallas head coach), franchise icons like Mike Modano drifted away from the team, finishing his career in Detroit of all places. It took a while to rebuild some of that organizational loyalty, and the Stars have made sure those mistakes have not been repeated since. Interestingly enough, Petersen was a part of the Stars franchise through the bleakest of years, as well. He made his Dallas debut in the 2007-08 season playoffs, playing mostly in the AHL for the Iowa Stars, but appearing in 16 playoff games for Dallas. He then played exclusively in the NHL for the next four seasons (apart from one AHL game in 2010-11) before becoming an alternate captain in the AHL for the Texas Stars for his final two years. Petersen went out on a high note, winning the Calder Cup in 2013-14 alongside his assistant coaches Fortunas and Morin. Petersen was a player under Gulutzan during that first run as head coach for Dallas, and now both players are head coaches for the top two teams in the organization. The biggest need for the two teams is to match the two styles of play and create consistency at the NHL and AHL level for anyone getting called up over the next couple of seasons. The AHL team is not riddled with future elite players like when Hintz, Harley, Bichsel and other now-stars were cutting their teeth in Cedar Park, but Graham was still able to find success this season, taking Texas all the way to the Western Conference Final. Continuing that success and development of players will be critical for Petersen this season. It is not easy to have two new coaches in any organization at one time, but it seems like the Stars organization has done a good job at picking the candidates who will give the best chances to succeed at all levels of play. Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Stars Forward Depth for Next Season Appears Thin [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/stars-forward-depth-for-next-season-appears-thin] Stars Sign League Champion Finnish Defenseman [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/stars-sign-league-champion-finnish-defenseman] Gulutzan Seeking Different Outcome During Second Stint In Dallas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/gulutzan-seeking-different-outcome-during-second-stint-in-dallas] Stars Players Find New Home on East, West Coast [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/stars-players-find-new-home-on-east-west-coast] * Follow Taylor on Twitter: @THN_taylor
