Stars Solve Today's Problems Today
Dallas and Robo avoid arbitration and things are pretty set for the coming season, but what kind of season might it be?
I’m gonna start with a little story from back in the day…
Craig Ludwig played in 1256 regular season games over a 17-year NHL career, with about half of those coming in a Stars uniform. On the ice, Ludwig was a tough-as-nails defender and shot-blocking savant. His trademark grotesquely wide shin pads, held together after all those years (20 total) by duct tape and bondo, were the outward manifestation of the internal ruggedness of the wearer.
“Luddy” is a character to be sure, and even that word doesn’t do him justice. I called every one of his nearly 600 regular season games with us. I worked with him on the air too.
Ludwig also played in 177 career playoff games and won two Stanley Cups with two different teams. Here’s the thing about a guy like that. A guy who knows what the deal is. A guy who made lots of deep post-season runs with very good teams. A guy who had it figured out and with others in the organization who lived it too.
Playoffs are the whole damned thing. The regular season - whatever…
The first time he did the thing for me - the thing that is the punchline of this story - was pretty early in his time with the Stars. He’d do it after every regular season game if he ran into me. He’d probably do it to others who were around too.
After the regular season opener one year on the road, I go down to the room after the game and see him sitting in his stall and making a mark on his stick. “What are you doing Luds?” I ask. He looks up at me and says -
“Ralphie - only 81 more…”
Craig Ludwig played his entire career with the goal to play and win in the playoffs. His mindset mirrored the organization’s mindset over those big years in the late 90’s and early 00’s for the Stars. Hell, we lost almost 400 man games to injury the season following the franchise’s only Cup win to date, but made it back to the Stanley Cup Final.
Because the regular season doesn’t matter - not really - not for a team with championship aspirations. Teams like that manage the regular season to be ready for the playoffs.
And I’m not sure that this current version of the Stars gets that, or is constructed that way.
Robo is back - and that’s big. His playoffs this spring were more than encouraging. I’m glad he’s back, even if it is Dallas kicking the can down the road a few months or more. The roster is pretty well set for the 2026-27 season. But where are we headed? Are we built to compete for a championship? Do we have that mindset needed to chase it?
