Stephen Johns spent his Thanksgiving in Austin this year. Due to a stretch of uneven play at the NHL level, the Dallas Stars decided the hard-hitting defender would benefit from an AHL sojourn.
It’s easy to see the reasoning. Two games in two nights would be an excellent way to recalibrate for the big club’s post-holiday push. The logistics were also perfect. The Texas Stars were in the midst of a home-and-home against the San Antonio Rampage, which meant Johns only needed to take a short hop down I-35 to avoid a third consecutive healthy scratch.
To say the young Star made an impact would be something of an understatement.