Hemsky Embracing "Nice Change" in Dallas
FRISCO, Texas -- On the same day the Dallas Stars acquired veteran center Jason Spezza in a trade with the Ottawa Senators this summer, Dallas also signed another name familiar to local hockey fans in Ales Hemsky.
Hemsky, 31, is of course a longtime Edmonton Oiler who was the 13th pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and a fixture with the Stars' Western Conference rivals up north until he was shipped to Ottawa prior to the NHL Trade Deadline in March.
In 20 games with the Sens, the Czech Republic native had 17 points (4-13-17), a solid performance after he had 26 points (9-17-26) in 55 games for the Oilers prior to being traded, a deal which made him and Spezza teammates for the final part of last season.
And even though he and Spezza, who he has been playing on the same line with thus far during preseason, know each other from their time in Ottawa, Spezza isn't the only one of his new teammates he has skated alongside before.
He and Erik Cole were teammates in Edmonton during the 2008/09 season as were he and Shawn Horcoff, a longtime Oilers center who joined Dallas as a free agent prior to last season.
"Yeah, Horc I've known for a long time. He helped me the most. Anything I needed to ask him, he helped me with," Hemsky said. "Bennie and those guys, I've played against them for a long time. You meet those guys during the season and stuff like that (so you already kind of know them)."
And besides previously being teammates with the likes of Cole, Horcoff and Spezza, the veteran winger knows all about the Stars after playing against Dallas countless times during his long and solid run in Edmonton.
"Yeah, I've been playing in the West for 12 years, so have played Dallas a lot of times, even when they weren't good," Hemsky said. "The last few years, they've been getting a lot better and better. They have a great, young team and they work really hard."
However, over the past year and a half, like many around the NHL whether they're players, media or fans, he has noticed Stars general manager Jim Nill has been putting some nice pieces in place to help Dallas return to relevance, something the franchise is on its way to doing, especially after snapping a six-year playoff drought last spring.
"It seems like somebody knows what they're doing and they're building it right," Hemsky said. "Adding a player like Seguin and now Spezzs fills a hole. They always know what to do. It seems like things are going the right way and this team can only get better."
Second-year Stars head coach Lindy Ruff is someone else he knows of since he's been playing in the NHL for so long but doesn't know personally. However, as he and the longtime head coach get to know each other, it's a relationship he's looking forward to beginning.
"Yeah, he's a guy who had been in one place for a long time," Hemsky said. "I don't know him really well, but I'm looking forward to finding out what he's all about."
Prior to Dallas beginning preseason last week with a short training camp in Fort Worth, the consensus was that Hemsky would be placed on Dallas' top line alongside captain Jamie Benn and last year's leading scorer Tyler Seguin.
That trio has yet to hit the ice together as Hemsky has instead been skating alongside Spezza on the Stars' second line.
Of course, he'd like to be on the same line with Benn and Seguin, but if Ruff has other ideas, then that's something he'd definitely roll with.
"Yeah, that would be really cool, to have both top players (on my line). It would be lots of fun. Even if I don't play with them, coach has other options. We have a great couple of centers so they can mix the lines," Hemsky said.
And even as the season is still about two weeks from starting, he doesn't know what his role will be with his new employer. However, he's also been playing long enough to realize that doesn't really matter as long as he is on the ice.
"I don't know, we'll see. Whatever role they give me, I will do. It will be easy for me," Hemsky said.
His former teammate in Ottawa, Spezza, is a longtime fan of the Cowboys and said right after arriving in Big D that he can't wait to make it over to AT&T Stadium to see America's Team play in person.
Hemsky hasn't been a fan of the NFL for quite as long as Spezza, who has been watching the league for most of his life, but as he's watching more games, he's getting more into the NFL and could definitely see himself in Arlington at some point this fall to see a Cowboy game in person if he gets the chance.
"I 'm following football more and more and I like it. I'm really excited if I get a chance to go see the Cowboys," he said.
And besides the rather obvious reason of now getting to play for a contender in the Western Conference, one of the main reasons he signed a three-year deal with Dallas back in July, he admits that another nice byproduct of coming to the Lone Star State is better weather.
"The weather is beautiful. Being in Canada for 12 years, that's a big thing. I'm looking forward to it. It's a nice change," Hemsky said.
