CEDAR PARK, Texas – Texas Stars General Manager Scott White announced Friday that the club has hired Doug Lidster as assistant coach of Dallas’ primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).
 
Lidster, 51 (born Oct. 18, 1960), was the hockey director for the Victory Honda AAA youth program in suburban Detroit the last five years. He also served a stint as the assistant coach for Canada’s women’s national hockey team in 2009-10, where he helped guide the team to the Four Nations Cup Championship, as well as an Olympic Gold Medal and an MLP Cup Championship. Prior to his time with Victory Honda and Team Canada, he was the head coach of the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League.
 
Lidster was an assistant coach with Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League in 2002-03, the first season during which new Texas Stars head coach Willie Desjardins was the Tigers’ bench boss. With Medicine Hat, he helped guide the team to the second round of the WHL Playoffs.
 
“We are pleased to add Doug Lidster to our coaching staff,” said White. “He and Willie Desjardins have a history of working well together, and he clearly has fantastic experience as a player and as a coach. We feel he’ll be an outstanding asset to the club and we welcome him to the Texas Stars family.”
 
The native of Kamloops, British Columbia, played in the NHL from 1984-1999 with the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars. In 897 career games, he recorded 343 points (68 goals, 268 assists) and 679 penalty minutes. He played in a total of 80 Stanley Cup playoff games, including four with the Stars in the club’s Stanley Cup championship run.
 
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CEDAR PARK, Texas – Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk announced today that the club has named Willie Desjardins head coach of the Texas Stars, Dallas’ primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).
 
Desjardins will be introduced to the media at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 14, at the Cedar Park Center main lobby. Texas General Manager Scott White will be in attendance, as will former Texas and current Dallas Stars Head Coach Glen Gulutzan.
 
“We believe that Willie’s track record as a teacher of the game and his ability to develop young players is a perfect fit for the Texas Stars,” Nieuwendyk said. “His knowledge of Glen Gulutzan’s system and his familiarity with our prospects will continue to improve player development between Dallas and the Texas Stars.”
 
Desjardins, 55, spent the last two seasons as the Stars’ associate head coach, during which the club went 84-64-16.
 
“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to become head coach of the Texas Stars,” said Desjardins. “I feel one of my strengths has always been in coaching younger players and this is a fantastic opportunity to do just that. The Stars organization has a group of very talented prospects coming through the system and I look forward to helping them develop.”
 
“We saw a glimpse of the future at the end of last season with just a small number of the prospects currently in Dallas’ system,” said Texas Stars General Manager Scott White. “I look forward to getting Willie down here to Cedar Park to begin work.”
 
Previous to his stint in Dallas, Desjardins was the head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League from 2002-2010, leading the club to the WHL Championship in 2004 and 2007. He coached Medicine Hat at the Memorial Cup Tournament in those two seasons, and was runner-up at the 2007 tournament. He was awarded the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as WHL Coach of the Year for the 2005-06 season.
 
During his eight years in Medicine Hat, Desjardins compiled a regular season record of 333-182-61 and a playoff mark of 65-43. His teams qualified for the playoffs each season he coached the club, and finished in the top three in goals scored in six of those eight years.
 
The native of Climax, Saskatchewan, served as an assistant coach for gold medal-winning Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championships. He was the head coach for Canada at the 2010 World Junior Championships, earning the silver medal.
 
Desjardins was head coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades during the 1997-98 season, after working as bench boss for the Seibu Bears in Japan from 1994-96. Previously, he served as head coach at the University of Calgary from 1989-1994, leading the Dinosaurs to two Canada West University Athletic Association (CWUAA) championships. He was an assistant coach at the university from 1985-89.
 
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Texas Stars were defeated by San Antonio 4-3 in overtime in front of 11,780 fans at the AT&T Center on Friday night. Center Jonathan Matsumoto scored 1:12 into overtime, helping the Rampage move closer to its first playoff berth since 2008. San Antonio goalie Jacob Markstrom (16-12-1) stopped 39 of 42 Texas shots to preserve the victory. Texas goalie Jack Campbell (4-5-0) stopped 29 of 33 in the loss. Stars right wing Matt Fraser scored his AHL-leading 37^th goal of the year, tying the game midway through the third period and forcing overtime. Stars center Travis Morin scored a goal and added an assist, pushing his point total to a team-leading 66.  Defenseman Dan Spang also scored and defender Jordie Benn added two assist, as Texas fell to 13-22-1-1 on the road this season.
 
San Antonio opened the scoring for the evening at 12:03 of the first period. Rookie forward Drew Shore redirected the puck off his skate and into the Texas net for his first pro goal. Forwards Wacey Rabbit and Eric Selleck each had an assist on the play, as San Antonio moved in front 1-0. Texas countered to tie the game at the end of the period. Center Travis Morin snapped a shot past goale Jacob Markstrom with 4.5 seconds remaining in the period, tying the game 1-1. Defensemen Brenden Dillon and Jordie Benn each had an assist on Morin’s 13^th goal of the year.
 
The Rampage gained a two-goal lead, scoring twice in the first nine minutes of the second period. San Antonio forward Bill Thomas scored his team-leading 27^th goal of the year at 3:16 of the middle frame. Thomas put a rebound past Cambell for the 2-1 lead. San Antonio forward Eric Selleck extended the lead to 3-1 at 8:53, scoring his fifth goal of the year off a backhand shot. The Stars used a power-play tally by defenseman Dan Spang to trim the San Antonio lead to 3-2. Forwards Alex Chiasson and Travis Morin each had an assist on Spang’s fourth goal of the season.
 
In the third period, rookie forward Matt Fraser tallied his AHL leading 37^th goal of the season to tie the game 3-3. Fraser’s power-play goal was also assisted by Jordie Benn and Maxime Fortunus at 9:26 of the final frame. Fraser beat goalie Jacob Markstrom with a wrist shot from the left-wing circle, tying the game and forcing overtime.
 
The Rampage capitalized off a 2-on-1 rush just over a minute into the extra session. Michal Repik centered for Jonathan Matsumoto, who redirected the puck past Jack Campbell for the 4-3 overtime win.
 
The Stars close out the 2011-12 regular season with three games in three nights from April 13-15. Texas returns home on Saturday, April 14^th at 7:00 p.m. to host Oklahoma City.
 
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CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars (31-38-2-2, 66 points) defeated the Chicago Wolves (40-27-3-3, 86 points) 5-2 in front of 4,969 fans at Cedar Park Center on Tuesday night. The Stars scored four goals in the first two periods of play, helping them cruise to a 5-2 victory. Texas goalie Jack Campbell (4-4-0) stopped 36 shots for the win. Right wing Alex Chiasson and left wing Mike Hedden each registered a goal and an assist. Forward Colton Sceviour added two assists for Texas. Forwards Angelo Esposito, Tomas Vincour and defenseman Jace Coyle also scored for the Stars. Forwards Anton Rodin and Nicklas Jensen scored for the Wolves. Chicago goalie Matt Climie (20-11-0) stopped eight shots and took the loss in 22 minutes of play.
 
The Stars captured an early 1-0 lead in the first period. Center Angelo Esposito poked in his seventh goal of the year at 3:42. Defenseman Brenden Dillon and center Scott Glennie each helped on the play. Texas struck again at 10:41. Right wing Alex Chiasson netted his first goal of the season, giving the Stars a 2-0 lead. Right wing Colton Sceviour and defenseman Jordie Benn each registered an assist.
 
Texas stepped out to a 3-0 lead early in the second period. Right wing Tomas Vincour snuck the puck past Climie at 2:48. Defenseman Maxime Fortunus and right wing Colton Sceviour each added an assist on the power-play goal. The Stars claimed a 4-0 lead as defenseman Jace Coyle slapped in his first goal of the year. Forwards Luke Gazdic and Mike Hedden each provided an assist with 6:00 remaining in the frame. Chicago got on the board with 3:16 left as forward Anton Rodin beat Texas goalie Jack Campbell for his eighth goal of the year. Defenseman Ryan Parent and left wing Antoine Roussel set up the play for the 4-1 tally.
 
Chicago cut into Texas’ lead at 4-2 with 7:26 left in the third period. Right wing Nicklas Jensen put in his first goal of the year with help from centers Kevin Doell and Taylor Matson. The Stars extended their lead to 5-2 as left wing Mike Hedden scored an empty-net goal with one second remaining. Right wing Alex Chiasson and defenseman Dan Spang each assisted on the final goal.
 
The Stars close out the 2011-12 regular season with three games in three nights from April 13-15. Texas will play in San Antonio on Friday, April 13^th at 7:00 p.m., then return home on Saturday, April 14^th at 7:00 p.m. to host Oklahoma City.
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CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Stars were defeated by Grand Rapids 4-2 in front of 8,457 fans at Van Andel Arena on Tuesday. Griffins forward Joakim Andersson registered a hat trick and helped Grand Rapids stay in the playoff hunt with a two-goal win.
 
Despite making 16 saves in the first period and finishing with 30 for the game, Texas goalie Jack Campbell (3-3-0) suffered the defeat. Stars forwards Matt Fraser and Shawn Weller each scored, as the team fell to 13-21-0-1 on the road this season. Grand Rapids forward Francis Pare set up three goals, while defenseman Logan Pyett set up two. Griffins goalie Tom McCollum (10-12-0) stopped 17 shots for the win.
 
Texas goalie Jack Campbell stopped 16 of 17 first period shots, as the Stars were outshot 17-6 in the opening frame. Grand Rapids forward Joakim Andresson jammed in a rebound, giving the Griffins the first goal of the night at 19:05. Francis Pare and Logan Pyett each had an assist on Andersson’s 19^th goal of the year.
 
The two teams traded goals in the second period, with Grand Rapids pushing in front 2-0 just 2:07 into the middle period. Joakim Andersson blasted a one-timer past Stars goalie Jack Campbell for his second goal of the night and 20^th of the season. Griffins forwards Tomas Tatar set it up with help from Francis Pare. Texas countered at 3:23 with Shawn Weller’s 12^th goal of the year, his second as a Star. Texas forwards Michael Forney and Angelo Esposito picked up the assist on the goal, as the Stars trimmed the Grand Rapids lead to 2-1.
 
In the third period, the Griffins expanded their lead to 3-2 at 7:34 as defenseman Garnet Exelby scored his sixth goal fo the year. Exelby put in his own rebound with assists coming from Chris Conner and Jamie Johnson. Texas countered less than a minute later, rookie Matt Fraser scored his team-leading 34^th goal of the year at 7:34. Fraser cut the lead to 3-2 with a goal right off a faceoff in the Griffins zone. Center Travis Morin and winger Austin Smith each had an assist on the play. Joakim Andersson completed the hat trick and finished the scoring with his third goal of the night and 21^st of the season at 14:59. Logan Pyett and Francis Pare added to their assist total for the game, helping the Griffins to a 4-2 lead.
 
Texas travels to Peoria for a meeting with the Rivermen on Thursday, April 5^th at 7:00 p.m. The Stars return home on Tuesday, April 10^th for a 7:30 p.m. faceoff against the Chicago Wolves.
 
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CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Stars were defeated by Lake Erie Monsters 8-4 in front of 5,416 fans at Cedar Park Center on Sunday. Lake Erie scored four goals in the first period, en route to a four-goal win over the Stars. Monsters center Peter MacArthur led the charge with a goal and three assists. Four other Lake Erie skaters posted a multi-point game, including Ryan Stoa, who scored twice and set up another.
 
In his first pro start, Lake Erie goalie Calvin Pickard (1-0-0) stopped 25 shots for the win.
 
Stars’ right wing Colton Sceviour registered two goals on the night and left wing Mike Hedden had a goal and an assist. Left wing Francis Wathier also added two assists. Center Travis Morin and left wing Luke Gazdic both scored for Texas. Stars’ goalie Tyler Beskorowany (10-19-0) suffered the loss in a relief effort, stopped 12 of 16 in the final two periods.
 
The Monsters scored just 36 seconds into the first period with a goal from center Mike Connolly. Left wing Patrick Rissmiller and right wing David van der Gulik each had an assist on the play for the 1-0 lead. Lake Erie stepped out to a 2-0 lead less than a minute later at 1:23 of the period. Center Evan Brophey tapped in his 18^th goal of the season with help from center Ryan Stoa. The Monsters struck again with 4:46 remaining in the frame. Left wing Justin Mercier slipped the puck in, generating a 3-0 lead.
 
Forward Peter MacArthur and defenseman Cameron Gaunce each registered an assist. Lake Erie extended its lead to 4-0 with 2:16 left in the period. Gaunce fired a shot past Campbell with assists from MacArthur and center Eric Hunter.
 
Texas opened the second period with a goal from right wing Colton Sceviour at 1:31. Forwards Francis Wathier and Mike Hedden each provided an assist on Sceviour’s 20^th goal of the year and the 4-1 tally. The Monsters responded 29 seconds later as center Eric Hunter tipped a shot in at 2:00.
 
Forward Peter MacArthur supplied the assist on the 5-1 lead. The Stars answered as Colton Sceviour netted his second goal of the night at 5:35 on the power play. Wathier and defenseman Brad Lukowich each put up an assist for the 5-2 score. Texas trimmed the Monsters’ lead to 5-3 with 1:20 remaining in the period.
 
Center Travis Morin scored on the power play with help from right wing Alex Chiasson and left wing Matt Fraser. Lake Erie jumped out to a 6-3 lead with a goal from center Ryan Stoa with 40 seconds remaining. Left wing Patrick Rissmiller and defenseman Barry Goers each had an assist.
 
Lake Erie continued the scoring into the third period. Forward Peter MacArthur helped pushed the Monsters to a 7-3 lead with a goal at 2:37. MacArthur’s fourth goal of the year was set up by defenseman Karl Stollery and left wing Patrick Bordeleau.
 
The Monsters extended their lead to 8-3 as center Ryan Stoa beat Beskorowany. Center Mike Connolly provided the assist at 3:24. Texas scored the final goal of the night as left wing Mike Hedden snuck the puck past Pickard with 3:01 remaining. Left wing Luke Gazdic had the assist on the 8-4 final.
 
Texas travels to Grand Rapids on Wednesday, April 4^th at 6:00 p.m. and then to Peoria on Thursday, April 5^th at 7:00 p.m. The Stars return home on Tuesday, April 10^th for a 7:30 p.m. faceoff against the Chicago Wolves.
 
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