Launch of the Finnish Rocket

The Dallas Stars ‘18-’19 campaign has come and gone and the wounds remain fresh. I say as I type this waiting for the puck drop of the Stanley Cup Finals. With the end of every season comes a myriad of questions. But one no longer needs an answer. Roope Hintz is here to stay. The Finnish Rocket is ready for launch. His emergence on the ice during the Stanley Cup Playoffs was indeed inspiring but just as important, comforting. Comforting since the Stars seem to have found that missing secondary scoring piece. Which was the most glaring issue throughout the year.

Secondary Scoring Issues? What Issues?

It’s no secret that the Dallas Stars had an issue with putting the “Biscuit in the Basket” this past season. Most of the attention focused on fellow rookie countryman Miro Heiskanen until the Finnish Rocket took off. Hintz had spent the majority of his young career on I-35 between the AHL affiliate Texas Stars and Dallas. To put things into perspective, the 22-year-old Finn that emerged in the playoffs had only played in 58 regular season NHL games assessing 9 goals and 13 assists. Then Roope stepped onto Stanley Cup Playoff ice for the first time in his promising career and turned into an offensive juggernaut. In just 13 games Hintz scored 5 goals while gathering 3 assists on the sports largest stage. He set a franchise record as the first Stars rookie to record multiple multi-goal games since 1981. This impressed Stars’ coach Jim Montgomery. He told reporters, “He’s a legitimate top 6 and he’s made our team have two lines.”

Two Line Hockey

Two lines. That is something the Stars truly lacked all season long. Two lines. Something a Stanley Cup caliber team must have to hoist the Cup above their heads. Roope Hintz can be the anchor of the second line and has earned the right to be just that going forward. Now that’s not to say he won’t be shuffled in the top line as well, as we all have already become familiar with Coach Jim Montgomery’s coaching style. A style that saw a revolving door of lines, shuffling forwards and defensemen like a child shuffling their Pokémon deck furiously but with the end-game in mind. (I am a 90’s kid, forgive the reference). That’s not to say Hintz may find himself on the top line in October for opening night. At 22, Hintz’s upside is through the roof. He has speed, an NHL caliber shot, and a tremendous hockey IQ for a player of his age. And when he is on his game, he is an immediate threat to light up the lamp.

Here to Stay

While the season may not have ended the way anyone wanted it to, one thing is certain. Roope is here to stay. Oh, and if anyone were to question his toughness, Roope Hintz played 23 minutes and 35 seconds in a double overtime game 7 while blocking 3 shots. He did this while skating on a fractured foot. The kid is tough, and I think he we will be part of the Dallas Stars for years to come.

I am a retired softball legend and an unrestricted beer league hockey free agent. I swing sticks for fun on the ice and links and am constantly feeding my YouTube addiction. I am forever grateful to the state of Minnesota for their hockey team in 1994 and more grateful for the Dallas Stars Stanley Cup in 1999.