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 News & Notes: Stars re-sign Petersen

Monday, June 09, 2008

Center Toby Petersen, who had a big impact during the Stars' postseason run, earned himself a new two-year contract worth $1.1 million.

"We are very pleased to have Toby under contract the next two seasons," co-GM Les Jackson said in a release on Monday. "Toby is a consummate professional on and off the ice, and he played a key role for us during our playoff run this spring. We look forward to his continued contributions to our club."

Petersen, 29, was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His new contract is a one-way deal, meaning that he will get paid the same amount whether he is in the NHL or in the AHL. Last season, Petersen made $500,000 at the NHL level and $200,000 in the AHL.

The versatile Petersen, who was signed as a free agent last summer, spent most of this past season with Iowa of the AHL, where he had 21 goals and 30 assists in 63 games, and was named the team's MVP.

He played in eight regular season games with the Dallas Stars, picking up three assists. He made his mark in the playoffs, where he played 16 of the Stars' 18 games. He didn't register any points but was an effective player, especially in the Western Conference Final when at times he went head-to-head with Detroit's top line that featured Conn Smythe Trophy winner Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.

"He's been a good player, he just hasn't gotten an opportunity," coach Dave Tippett said last month as the Stars packed up for the summer. "He got into a series where the pace was fast and he's a fast, intelligent player. He got thrust into a situation where he played very well and when you are playing against real good players who are playing well, you are going to get noticed.

"He's a guy who fits in very well with our team just because he embraces a lot of the characteristics we like in our players - intelligent, hardworking, unselfish. And he proved he could do it in a very crucial time for us."

Stars re-sign Jancevski to two-year contract

The Stars announced Monday that they have signed veteran minor league defenseman Dan Jancevski to a two-year, two way contract.

Jancevski 's NHL level salaries will be $525,000 in 2008-09 and $550,000 in 2009-10. He will get $225,000 and $250,000 at the AHL level during the term of the contract.

Jancevski, originally drafted by the Stars in the 2nd round (66th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, was acquired from Tampa Bay in exchange for Junior Lessard in January. He played two games with the Stars and spent the rest of the time in Iowa, where he had three goals and seven assists in 33 games. He also played two games with Tampa Bay and 37 games with Norfolk of the AHL, where he had four goals and 16 assists.

2008-09 cap status

With the signing of center Toby Petersen, the Stars now have just under $46 million committed to 15 players with one-way contracts for next season. The Stars are just under $47.6 million if you include defensemen Mark Fistric and Matt Niskanen, who are both under two-way deals for next season.

Notes: Ground break for Cedar Park arena

• There will a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for the $55 million Cedar Park Events Center, which will be the home of the Stars' new AHL affiliate. The 6800-seat arena, which is located near Austin, is expected to be finished in the fall of 2009 and be ready for the Texas Stars to begin play for the 2009-10 season.