Before we get to the “good news” on this crisp Monday evening in Dallas, we unfortunately have to start with some bad news. On Sunday night’s shellacking of the Ottawa Senators, the Dallas Stars suffered yet another injury, making the thin blue line that much thinner. If you aren’t keeping up, currently, the Stars are missing defensmen Thomas Harley, Nils Lundkvist, and now, Lian Bischel.
Smiley N. Pool / Dallas Morning News
Late in the second period of Sunday night’s tilt, Bischel would take an awkward tumble into the boards between both benches after tying up with Senators winger Fabian Zetterlund. Bischel would immediately fall to the ice, grabbing the lower part of his left leg. The same leg Bischel had surgically repaired in 2023 for a broken ankle. (He would later have an additional surgery to remove the plate set in place to repair the broken ankle.)
It is currently unknown how severe Bischel’s injury is or how much time he will miss. Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan spoke to reporters post-game and didn’t give much into what he knows, but sounded somewhat optimistic.
“We’re hoping right now that it won’t be as bad as we first thought. We’re hoping for good news.” – Glen Gulutzan on Lian Bischel
Bischel was to be evaluated on Monday, but as of now, there are no new reports on possible time missed.
As I have stated before, the Stars are no strangers to the pesky injury bug so far in this current NHL campaign. In 26 games, the Stars have lost 9 different players. (Four defenders, three of which were starters on the right side, and five different forwards.) As it stands, that makes 98 man games lost so far. It is still unclear when Matt Duchene is set to return, and the Stars’ training staff is taking Harley’s return slowly to not cause a more long-term injury. That being said, the retro-laden team from Dallas had an impressive weekend of Texas hockey with wins against the Utah Mammoth (4-3) and Ottawa Senators (6-1).
Despite the shuffling that Gulutzan has been forced to work with night in and night out, the Dallas Stars currently sit in second place in the entire league with 38 points and finished off a stellar November with an 11-2-2 record. (The third-best overall record in the NHL in November.)
A major reason for the success in Dallas has to be credited to the special teams and potent offense. Not only did Jason Robertson set a franchise record, scoring goals in seven straight games, but Robo also currently sits at 5th overall with 35 points, behind 16 goals and 19 assists. Partner Robo’s torrid pace with Wyatt Johnston’s league-leading 12 power play goals, and toss in a superstar menace like Mikko Rantanen, and it makes sense as to why the Stars continue to solidify themselves as a top team in the NHL. (Can the Avs slow down though? Good Lord.)
In other good news, the front office finally gave the fans what they wanted, what they needed, what they deserved. With the release and wearing of “The ’99” over the weekend, not only did the fans get the service they have been clamoring for, but the organization might have gotten more than they bargained for. With the release of the highly anticipated third jersey, the Dallas Stars set a new merchandise record for a single regular or playoff game, beating the previous regular season record by 24% and playoff record by 10%.
Coming straight from the fan in me, it is clear that the Stars fanbase desperately wants a full rebrand, and there is absolutely no problem with going back to what worked so well for decades. I am a die-hard Mooterus stan, and I wouldn’t be the slightest bit upset if I never see the almighty Mooterus again if it means we Star fans can proudly wear the unreal crest that was tucked under the Stanley Cup in 1999. Consider this the start of the #rebrand campaign. Not too bad for a non-hockey small market, huh?
The Morning Skate 
The ’99’ Jersey is the best Jersey ever worn by a Dallas Star. I’m from Toronto, Canada and have been a Stars fan since 1968. I think if you dress well the players will play well! Energy!!
Go back to them and never change!
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