Glen Gulutzan And The Darkness - Part 4.

His first season, despite the challenges was promising, a new owner had arrived, then - a lockout - and Jaromir Jagr - and the end of the line for Gully 1.0.

A usual pose, Jagr would come sit behind me and engage me in talk about religion, the cosmos, and whatever else struck his fancy.

The NHL and NHLPA this week matter-of-factly announced ratifying an extension to the CBA, to run the agreement through the 2029-30 season.

Both the announcement and the extension got little play in the main. Ho hum. No big deal. Labor peace. Get down on your knees and thank the cosmos you’re not living through recent history.

I joke that I measure my career in management labor actions (four), bankruptcies, ownership changes, and franchise relocations. Extreme acts were everywhere during my 25 years with the Stars.

In 2012, we were just coming out of a tough transitional year, but one that hinted that better things were on the horizon. Tom Gagliardi officially took over in November of 2011, Glen Gulutzan had to work with a roster that was just above the cap floor, and he had em in it until the final couple of weeks.

We were - cautiously optimistic, but shell-shocked, over all that had taken place during the bankruptcy and the due diligence period.

This is the final installment of the series - and the other three are here on my RalphStack.

As we looked toward that 2012-13 season, there was that shoe hanging in the air, and it dropped just prior to the scheduled start of the season. Another lockout. Another management action. We would miss a good chunk of the season.

I called my old buddy Brad Richards, and went to New York for a week to hang with him. We had a great week, watching “the office” reruns in the afternoons, and going out at night. I took him to his first Broadway show - “Glengarry Glen Ross” starring Al Pacino and Bobby Cannavale.

In New York during the lockout - dinner with Brad and Jeff Halpern.

Then, after they got it sorted, I got back to “Glen Gulutzan Glen Gulutzan” and the Dallas Stars. We could all feel that the new owner was assessing all of it. We knew that he’d probably want to get lots of information, and then, likely, bring in his own people. There was this sort of limbo hanging all year. But we were back to work.

For Gully, the clock was already ticking.