Exactly one year ago today, the Dallas Stars made the second big move of their 2018 offseason by hiring assistant coach Todd Nelson.
The hiring came just 26 days after the Stars brought Jim Montgomery on board to be the next head coach, leaving him with a high bar to meet and a new coaching staff to form using his own discretion.
One of the first people he called was Nelson, who had initially been rumored to be a candidate for the Stars’ head job. And while Nelson only had limited NHL experience (he served as an interim head coach for 51 games with the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15), his AHL resume with the Grand Rapids Griffins was extensive.