DALLAS – Stephen Johns headed into last summer thinking about his potential shot at making the Blackhawks roster.
The defenseman suffered a broken forearm at the end of the Rockford IceHogs’ playoff run last spring, but he was ready for the fall. Then in July came the surprise: he was traded to the Dallas Stars as part of the Patrick Sharp deal.
“All of a sudden my life changed on a dime,” said Johns. “It was a little bit of a whirlwind at first, didn’t know what to think or what to feel. I let it settle in for a few days, came to Dallas for a couple of days and I honestly couldn’t be more excited to be part of this organization.