The Dallas Stars have put together an interesting mix on their strongest team in years. And the young leaders and the rookie sensations, the experienced Cup winners and the gritty depth players all bring something different and valuable to the brew.
In Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza, the team also has players who are intimately familiar with how it feels to have long, distinguished NHL careers yet suffer extended, empty playoff droughts. Mark Spector talked with both of them about their past Stanley Cup chases and what this new one means:
"When you're younger you don't think about it: ‘I'm in the playoffs, it'll happen all the time.