Nieuwendyk trying to 'change the culture' of Stars

Nieuwendyk trying to 'change the culture' of Stars

Published Nov. 17, 2010 10:09 p.m. ET

By Mike Heika
The Dallas Morning News

The Stars are going "green" in a different way this year.

Sure, they want to recycle and reduce waste, but the green the Stars are showing are the colors of the organization. As part of GM Joe Nieuwendyk's attempt to "change the culture" of the organization, the team has altered things as big as where they hold training camps and as small as how they decorate the locker rooms.

The staff has hung pictures of players over their stalls and put up a huge photo mural of pond hockey next to the practice rink. They've tried to improve the details of their surroundings just like they have the details of the team.

"We're very environmentally conscious," Stars coach Marc Crawford said with a smile.

And the team believes those small details can be every bit as important as hiring Willie Desjardins as an associate coach or holding a brief training camp on Prince Edward Island.

"I do believe that these things are important," Nieuwendyk said. "I think the more details you can take care of, the better environment you set for the players. It is a part of changing the culture."

Nieuwendyk's slogan for the team, "Every Day

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