By Will Martin
The Stars recent win over the St. Louis was bittersweet in some ways. The Dallas Stars of 2013 continue to determine what and where their strengths lie within post-lockout constraints and the like. They also continue to play on the nostalgia of what is being termed their 20th season in Dallas.
Quite a few familiar faces in the crowd for this 4-1 Dallas victory. Former Missouri prodigy and current Saint Chase Daniels was one of them.
It was announced that current St. Louis Bluesman and former Dallas Star Jamie Langenbrunner was being honored as a member of the 20th anniversary team.
When his face was shown on the big screen the applause was heartfelt and lengthy. It certainly caught me by surprise. It also caught Jamie by surprise. Jamie Langenbrunner was kind enough to grace the Blitz Nation for a quick visit during the second intermission to discuss a few things in regards to hockey, his health, and the future…
Can you talk a little bit about the hip injury you sustained?
Yeah it was a labrum tear that I had surgery on about two weeks ago.
How is the recovery coming along?
Coming along well. Close to coming off the crutches hopefully and beginning rehab which could take up to 4-6 months. Hopefully it will be quicker.
Was this injury something of a progressive one over time that lead to a tear?
It had been over time and they can’t pinpoint it by any means. I got to the point where the hip was so aggravated that I couldn’t push off anymore so I had to get it (surgery) done.
Will this possibly put an end to your career?
Not if I have anything to say about it. I mean you never know what’s going to happen. It’s not perfect timing for me. If I can get through this and get to feeling good and get back to training I’ll feel ready to go and ready to get back to training again.
How does it feel to be honored, to be a part of the All-Time (Dallas Stars) 20th Anniversary team?
It was a neat honor for me. I played with pretty much everybody on that team. Those are some pretty special guys and to be in that group is definitely an honor for me. I always love coming back to this city, I enjoy the people here and it was a great honor for me.
To say nothing of the ovation the fans gave you this day?
It was really nice (laughing) you know you’re never really sure what to expect sometimes but obviously the fans here are fantastic. I loved my time playing here.
Having been on many great teams in your career, have you ever looked back on the great championship teams that were (1998-2000)?
That’s a team you look back at, with the depth we had and the closeness of the group. We had a lot of fun both on and off the ice. Those are friends you keep for life. Having had dinner with Hully, Carbo, Marty, and Brendan last night it’s nice to have those friendships. Great teams build those bonds. That closeness was probably the reason we had such a good team.
In terms of the acknowledgement you received from the fans today-2013-and you look back to 1993 how tough was it to sell the game to the fans?
Initially that’s what it was was…you had to grow the brand. Our team had success and as you know people in Dallas like to cheer for a winner and we were able to build one for a lot of years. Consistent, hard nosed, good hockey that people can buy into and it was fun to be a part of that.
Across the way we see people like Coach Hitchcock, Doug Armstrong, yourself, at one point names like Brad Winchester, BJ Crombeen. I joke about the Blues being like a North Dallas squad which speaks to the traditions that began here back in the day.
Oh, definitely and you see Stars guys all over the place and that’s great. When you have those ties and those groups you are definitely going to want to keep them together. Having Doug Armstrong and Hitch there you’re going to definitely have a Dallas connection. They’re going to go with what they know and being comfortable with guys who came through here and feel comfortable with them.
Jamie on behalf of Blitz Weekly and ‘Hanging With Mr. Will’ we thank you for your time. Enjoy your stay in North Texas.
Thanks for having me.