The Iowa Stars went 4-6-1-1 in January and fell to 21-23-2-2 overall, last in the AHL’s eight-team West Division. A seven-game home stand from Jan. 11 through Jan. 25 resulted in a 3-4-0-1 record, keeping Iowa’s record at home below .500 (10-14-1-1). Iowa’s losing record in January was in large part due to scoring only 26 goals for the month and having only two players score more than 2 goals for the month.

However, goaltender Tobias Stephan continued his strong play in net and generally kept the team close, as the Stars lost by no more than two goals in any of the 10 games Stephan started in January and allowed more than two goals in regulation only three times.

The team acquired two more defensemen in January to improve the depth and physicality on the blue line. Physical defenseman Brett Westgarth was added from Flint of the IHL Jan. 4 and original Iowa Star Dan Jancevski was acquired by the Dallas Stars Jan. 15 from the Tampa Bay Lightning for fellow original I-Star Junior Lessard. Iowa and Norfolk (Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate) also completed the deal with a trade that saw Paul Szczechura move to the Admirals for future considerations.

Also departing from the Iowa Stars was Vojtech Polak, who returned to the Czech Republic at the end of the month to play for Karlovy Vary and “find the passion in his game” again.

January also saw Chris Conner returned to the I-Stars, B.J. Crombeen recalled to Dallas for his first NHL games, and Aaron Gagnon and Tom Wandell return from injury and short stints in the ECHL. James Neal, however, was out the entire month due to a knee injury suffered in late December.

Injuries and call-ups continued to strike Dallas’ ECHL affiliate Idaho Steelheads, too, but the Steelheads battled through the adversity to go 9-3-0-0 for the month and 7-1-0-0 their last eight games, placing them second in the West Division with a 24-13-4-3 record and in a tight battle with the Victoria Salmon Kings for first.

Idaho lost Steve Silverthorn to Iowa when Phil Sauve left for Germany and also lost its second goaltender, Kellen Briggs, to a brief recall by the Rockford Ice Hogs. Iowa kept top Idaho rookie scorer Mark Bomersback up for the entire month and the team’s top offensive weapon, Greg Rallo, was called up to the AHL by the Albany River Rats. On the blue line, veteran defenseman Darrell Hay was recalled to the AHL by the Grand Rapids Griffins at the end of the month, fellow defenseman Travis Wight was lost for the season due to a partial tear of his ACL, and rearguard Kory Scoran was lost to a hand injury that swelled up so as to look like a sledge hammer.

Idaho’s losses to recall and injury were ameliorated some, however, by the acquisition of New York Rangers goaltending prospect Matt Zaba from the Charlotte Checkers and the return of Dallas Stars prospect John Lammers from Finland, just beating a European roster deadline. Lammers’ impact upon his return was immediate, even though he was not at the top of his game after his difficult stint in Europe.

As follows is the Dallas Stars Minor Pro Report for the month of January.

Iowa Stars

# 31 Tobias Stephan, G

In January, Stephan went from undisputed number one goaltender to, nearly, the only goaltender.

Stephan made 10 of 12 starts in January, with Phil Sauve making one start (a 5-0 loss to Houston Jan. 6), and Steve Silverthorn making one start (a 4-2 loss to Rockford Jan. 18). While neither Silverthorn nor Sauve (who left the team for the Hamburg Freezers of the German Elite League) had a save percentage above .860 for the month (or for the season), Stephan had a .907 save percentage for the month, which made it his best month of the season in terms of save percentage. His 4-5-1 record in January boosted his win total to 16 victories, eleventh overall in the AHL, and his goals-against average improved to 2.66 and his save percentage to .905. Those totals weren’t amongst the AHL leaders, but they decimated the three other goaltenders who’ve played in net for Iowa this season.

When Iowa Stars Director of Hockey Operations Scott White was asked to comment in early February on Stephan’s play, he exclaimed, “Outstanding.”

“We’ve got a legitimate top prospect in goal with Tobias,” White added. “He’s working hard, he battles.

“His game has become more in control, the rebounds, poised in net.”

One thing that has helped Stephan play so well is his improved ability to track the puck.

“We ask [our goalies] to do three things: we ask them to be assertive, square and set, and control and freeze rebounds,” Iowa Stars Head Coach Dave Allison said in an early February interview.

“One of the things with all of those is you have to follow the puck,” Allison added. “And one of the things with Tobias is he’s following the puck.”

Stephan isn’t only following the puck well, he’s handling it well, very well.

“He’s done an outstanding job of handling the puck and dealing with forechecks and he’s deserved this opportunity that’s presented to him and he’s been a workhorse for us,” Allison said of Stephan.

He’s not quite Marty Turco or Mike Smith, but he’s not too far off, although White would like to see Stephan move the puck quicker. Through his own work and puck transition drills deep in the defensive zone designed by Assistant Coach Paul Jerrard and Allison, Stephan has been able to improve his puckhandling, and the confidence with the puck has shown. He’s now at a point where he looks off forecheckers and does not panic when pressured by forecheckers.

For all of these reasons, Dallas can rest a little easier knowing they have a fully capable third-string goaltender for the rest of 2007-08 and goalie with an NHL future sooner rather than later.

#3 Trevor Byrne, D

Byrne had played every game for the Iowa Stars in 2007-08 heading into January, but that came to an end when he was a healthy scratch Jan. 9 against Chicago.

The fifth-year pro was also a healthy scratch Jan. 18 against Rockford and Jan. 26, in Rockford. Byrne lost the numbers game on Jan. 9 in part because Mark Fistric had been sent down Jan. 6, but also because of the emergence of tryout player Brett Westgarth from the Flint Generals of the IHL. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Westgarth immediately added what the I-Stars needed: a physical sixth or seventh defenseman.

Unfortunately for Byrne, who has been a mobile fourth or fifth defenseman that can move the puck for most of his AHL career, that role is more than filled on the Iowa roster. What Iowa needs from the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Byrne is a mobile defenseman who can move the puck well and adds some physicality in the defensive zone, something Byrne is more likely able to add than Jussi Timonen, Bryce Lampman, Chris Lee, or Ethan Graham. Unfortunately for Byrne, and Iowa, his puck moving has been inconsistent in 2007-08.

“Having three good shifts and one bad shift, one bad shift meaning you turn the puck over when you’re in the defensive zone or at either blue line, he’s been around long enough where it shouldn’t happen any more and our expectations are a lot higher than he’s probably ever had,” White said of Byrne.

Allison said the Byrne also needed to improve on “his stick positioning and not letting one mistake bother him.” Byrne also needs to embrace the physical game more.

“It’s his choice, and once you find that out I’m going to do this and I’m going to play more, you’re pulled into that battle instead of pushed into the battle.”

The 27-year-old can do it, too. He showed a glimpse on Jan. 21 when he was skating into the corner for the puck in a race against Rochester’s Kenndal McArdle and he threw the Amerks winger to the ice and promptly moved the puck to the forwards. If he does that on a more consistent basis, he can surpass a number of I-Star defensemen who are not gifted with his size.

For January, Byrne had 1 goal and 1 assist in 9 games and finished with totals of 1 goal and 6 assists in 45 games.

#8 Jussi Timonen, D

Timonen occasionally found himself as the odd man out with the Philadelphia Phantoms before he was traded to the Dallas Stars organization Dec. 10, and now it’s happened with the Iowa Stars.

The 24-year-old was a healthy scratch Jan. 19 against Rockford, the first time he had been a scratch for the Iowa Stars, which signified his spot alongside Nolan Baumgartner wasn’t automatic. It’s not so much that Timonen has played poorly, it’s just that competition for ice time on the blue line is fierce.

“He’s a mobile d-man who’s good positionally,” White said of Timonen’s strengths. “He’s good with his stick and he gets in the way physically.”

However, the 6-foot-0, 193-pound blueliner’s effectiveness in getting in the way physically is inconsistent.

“He’s got to be tenacious in defending his space and also not letting that guy get to the net.”

Timonen is generally in the right place, but opponents have been able to fight through his checks along the half walls or in the corners too often to call him “sound” defensively. The Finn can also move the puck fairly well, be it skating the puck or passing it, but he must do it quicker. Allison said Timonen needed to work on “getting pucks through to the net, making quicker decisions because you create time and space for yourself, understanding that people forechecking here, they’re coming hard, you’ve got to maybe help the puck along instead of making a lot of plays.”

White also wanted to see Timonen’s “puck play to be a little more refined,” but he also added, “I can probably say that about most of our guys.”

All of that said, Timonen has found himself on the second power play unit with greater frequency than Bryce Lampman and he has been a regular alongside Baumgartner at even strength, so it’s fair to assert he’s ahead of Lampman on the depth chart at this point. For the month of January, Timonen had 2 assists in 11 games, which gave him 7 assists in 21 games for Iowa and 14 assists in 35 games overall.

[Note: Unfortunately for Timonen, he suffered a hand injury in early February that is keeping him out of the line-up.]

#14 Nolan Baumgartner, D

Baumgartner’s quietly gone about his business throughout 2007-08, adding a veteran presence and a right-handed shot to the I-Stars blue line, but he’s also quietly been fighting through back problems. Allison noted that Baumgartner’s “at his best when he’s skating, moving his feet,” but that hasn’t always been easy for him this season.

“I think he had a difficult [stretch], his back was sore and he couldn’t do the training that he needed, and you have to be able to skate in today’s game, and when he’s skating, he’s a competitor,” Allison said of Baumgartner.

The difficulties became more evident when he was a scratch Jan. 6, a situation where Iowa was playing their third game in three nights, and a scratch on Jan. 12. In fact, Iowa played 6 games in 9 days from Jan. 4 through Jan. 12, which certainly challenged Baumgartner’s back.

However, the 31-year-old rearguard scored 2 goals and 1 assist in 10 games for Iowa in January, including the game-winning goal in Iowa’s 3-1 victory over Houston Jan. 4. To end the month, Baumgartner had 4 goals and 11 assists in 44 games for the season.

#26 Bryce Lampman, D

Lampman led all Iowa defensemen in scoring for the month of January with 2 goals and 2 assists in 11 games, but it wasn’t enough to prevent him from being a healthy scratch Jan. 18 versus Rockford. The I-Stars are looking for even more consistency from the fifth-year pro.

“I expect him to be a leader on this team and expect him to play well and consistent every night and I think that’s what he’s battled, what the coaches have worked with him on,” White said of Lampman.

The expectations aren’t for Lampman to be a vocal leader, but to lead by example.

“I just think that he’s a guy that, when you’re consistent with those things, action, urgency, and execution, you become a leader,” Allison said. “That’s what a veteran does.”

In that regard, Lampman, Timonen, and Byrne are facing a similar battle, only Lampman and Timonen have turned the puck over less. Lampman is probably the most skilled puck mover of the three, with his ability to swivel with the puck at the point and some of his spin moves, but some of these strengths become weaknesses at times.

“He’s got to move it quicker,” White said of Lampman’s puck movement. “He likes to dust if off, gets on his backhand a little too much, but he can’t dust it off, he’s got to move it up.

“He’s got to move it up quick and get it on the tape of the forwards, get it up the ice.”

While Lampman may put it on his backhand too much, he does deserve credit for his exceptional ability to clear the puck on his backhand high or high and off the glass. Where some of Lampman’s puck moving tendencies might be a strength is on the power play when the team is set up in the offensive zone, but Lampman has had trouble getting power play time over Toby Petersen (who plays the point), Chris Lee, Nolan Baumgartner, and Dan Jancevski, in addition to occasional power play pointmen Marius Holtet and Jussi Timonen.

Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 205 pound Lampman must continue to work on a couple of defensive nuances.

“He’s got to control his stick, he’s got to control people down low, and, with him, it’s his feet,” Allison said of Lampman. “When he moves his feet, he’s exceptional.”

Lampman found himself an occasional scratch with Norfolk before he was acquired by the Dallas organization Nov. 19, and now he’s fighting that battle again with all of the defensemen Iowa has subsequently added (Timonen, Westgarth, and Jancevski).

#27 Dan Jancevski, D

When Iowa traded original Iowa Star Junior Lessard to the Tampa Bay Lightning, they received one in return in Dan Jancevski.

Jancevski arrived from the Norfolk Admirals, Tampa’s AHL affiliate, with a -25 rating in 37 games, the worst plus/minus in the league. The 26-year-old had been pairing with younger defensemen, showing them the ropes, on a team that had the worst record in the AHL at the time (11-25-1-3). His statistics upon his arrival certainly were not what Iowa fans had grown accustomed to in 2005-06, when he was a team captain.

“In Norfolk, we had a more run-and-gun system where we were pinching everywhere and trying to create offense,” Jancevski said in an early February interview. “Sometimes it worked, most of the time it didn’t work.”

At least not with the players the Admirals had at that point. That run-and-gun system had, however, helped Jancevski to 4 goals and 16 assists prior to the trade, which put him on pace to break his old offensive marks in the AHL, set in 2005-06. Even though Jancevski put up no points in 6 games for the I-Stars in January and was a -5, further deteriorating his plus/minus, he knows Iowa’s style is more his game.

“Here, we’re a little more structured, guys know where to go and it’s a little different of a forecheck and neutral zone,” Jancevski said. “My game’s not a real finesse game, so I’ve just got to play smart defensively, move the puck up to the forwards, let them do their job, keep it simple, move your feet, and get the puck up to the forwards is basically my game.”

It’s also basically the game that Iowa wants its defensemen to be playing, which is one reason why Jancevski has already received regular ice time in all situations, including the second power play unit. The Iowa Stars also like the winning experience he brings having won the Calder Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs last season.

“I think leadership and that experience factor,” White said of the biggest things Jancevski adds to the Iowa line-up. “The experience factor he has for a 26-year-old, it’s pretty impressive.”

Jancevski, already wearing an “A,” also adds character to the team. White said Jancevski has “top rank character” and that “he has Dallas Stars qualities in that regard for sure.”

Allison is happy to have Jancevski back for what he adds to the team and for what the team can do for him.

“I really like the opportunity to have Danny allow us to help him get to the National Hockey League, because he’s got all the intangibles,” Allison said. “There’s one or two things that he’s got to improve on, and he’s got to want to improve upon those things, and if he does, I really believe he will find his way back there.”

Jancevski played two games for Dallas in 2005-06 and two games for Tampa Bay earlier this season, and he might be the first in line for recall if Dallas needs another defenseman called up, since Nolan Baumgartner has to clear re-entry waivers. As for those one or two things Jancevski needs to improve on, Allison replied, “I can’t tell you, because it’s between Danny and I.”

So, Jancevski has certainly been personally challenged by Allison to bring his game to its highest level. While Jancevski could afford to hone his skating, it’s more likely that he’s been personally challenged to help his fellow I-Star defensemen in setting the tone for protecting his space low in the zone and around the net, where the I-Stars have struggled without Nicklas Grossman and Mark Fistric.

Outside the rink, in Jancevski’s personal life, and beyond having his stuff moved from Norfolk to Iowa, “Janny” and his wife are expecting their first child during the month in February.

[Note: Jancevski was recalled by Dallas on Feb. 16]

#7 Marty Sertich, C/LW

Like most I-Stars forwards during the month of January, the offense didn’t flow for Sertich to start the year.

Sertich scored 1 goal and 3 assists in 11 games and was a scratch January 5 at San Antonio, the only game he’d missed as the team entered February. His 13 goals and 16 assists in 47 games to end January put him behind his pace of 13 goals and 20 assists in 44 games in 2006-07, but part of the reason he hasn’t surpassed that pace this season is because of the knee injury that caused him to miss 34 games last season.

“Marty, right now, is probably at 80, 85 percent,” Allison said of Sertich’s health. “And his 80, 85 percent is a battler.”

White’s observations agree with Allison’s assessment.

“One thing Marty has done is he’s really battled at both ends of the rink, more so than, I think, his first year,” White said.

Indeed, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound Sertich does not shy aware from physical contact in skating with or going for the puck. Although Sertich has fared fairly well in absorbing the rigors of the AHL schedule in 2007-08, this next summer is likely vital in determining whether Sertich has any NHL future.

“You’ve got to decide what you’re going to do and you’re going to have to get some outside help and really dig in for one summer and find out how good you can be, and I think that this is the summer,” Allison said of his advice to Sertich. “I’ve talked to him about it, talked him about it up in Rockford, and I really believe that he’s going to do that, because he doesn’t want to sit there 10, 15 years from now saying, ‘Geez, what if?’”

With some luck, Sertich will close out the season healthy and be able to concentrate on adding size this summer. To close the month, he was toiling with a kindred spirit on his wing, 5-8, 180-pound Chris Conner, who knows what it’s like to have to overcome concerns over size. In the meantime, Sertich is one of a number of I-Stars that have to find ways to fill the net.

#10 Marius Holtet, RW

One of two I-Stars that did not have so much trouble finding the back of the net in January was Marius Holtet, who scored 5 goals in 11 games.

The fourth-year pro scored goals in three straight games Jan. 18 and 19 against Rockford and Jan. 21 against Rochester, which was a game-winning goal, and improved his numbers to 9 goals and 4 assists in 43 games for the season. Holtet’s head coach has been pleased with the Norwegian since coming back from being a healthy scratch Jan. 4 in Houston to start the New Year.

“He sat out the game in Houston and from there he’s been physical, he’s been reliable, he kills penalties, he plays on the power play, he’s just been solid and dependable,” Allison said of Holtet.

Holtet’s resurgence also coincided with a move from the fourth line to the third line mid-month, skating with long-time teammate Janos Vas or center Aaron Gagnon, or both. Having coached Holtet for three seasons, Allison knows what the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Holtet is capable of.

“With his skill set in terms of the way he shoots, the way he skates, his physical stature, if he continues to improve, he’s going to find his just rewards,” said Allison.

If one asks White what Holtet needs to work on, it’s consistently demonstrating his hockey sense.

“He skates well and he does things that really catch your eye, [I] just want consistency out of him, making good decisions on a regular basis,” White said. “He’s got to demonstrate better hockey sense, I think, on a regular basis.

“He has it. I know he has it. He’s just got to execute it more.”

#11 Aaron Gagnon, C

After ending December out of the line-up with a shoulder injury, January ended on a slightly higher note (healthy, for the most part), but he still was without a point after 14 AHL games.

Gagnon missed the first three games of January injured and then was re-assigned to Idaho Jan. 8 to sharpen his game coming off of the injury. As he proved the first time around in Idaho, he’s a top-six forward at the ECHL level, scoring 1 goal and 4 assists in 3 games for the Steelheads before being re-assigned back to Iowa Jan. 19. However, the struggle to score in Iowa showed a little bit in Idaho.

“I thought he looked a lot better going up (to Iowa) the first time when he spent a couple months here (in Idaho) and got some confidence and had some success here,” Idaho Steelheads head coach Derek Laxdal said in a telephone interview in early February.

Even with that, Gagnon had totals of 6 goals and 9 assists in 15 games in ECHL action, which placed him third in points per game on Idaho behind Greg Rallo (1.13) and Mark Bomersback (1.03). Considering how most of Gagnon’s games in the ECHL have been coming off of injury in training camp or with Iowa, that’s encouraging. The I-Stars are also confident his offense will come at the AHL level.

“He’d like to chip in more offensively, but right now he’s in a shut-down role,” White said of Gagnon. “He’s a smart player and that offense will come, he’ll find it.

“I know he’s a little frustrated here, now, offensively, but he’ll be fine.”

In that role of shut-down center, Gagnon has performed well.

“He’s been excellent,” Allison said of Gagnon’s defensive game. “We’re playing Rockford and he’s out there in the last minute taking draws because he deserved to take them, and he did a great job winning them.”

As far as scoring is concerned, Allison has some advice.

“He’s got to get determined and he’s got to do things that’ll give him puck luck: driving the net wit his stick on the ice, shooting instead of looking to get a better shot, and things will fall in place for him lickity split.”

Laxdal has notice an additional area of improvement that could also help Gagnon.

“I think the biggest thing, he’s got to develop a real distinct, another gear,” Laxdal said. “Like, he’s fast in the long haul, but I think that first three strides and the next three strides, he’ got to find that gear a little bit quicker instead of the long strides.”

Down the stretch this season, Dallas may have to face the tough choice of what’s better for Gagnon to end the season: fourth-line center on Iowa, or top-six ice time with Idaho down the stretch and into the playoffs, as Idaho looks likely to make the Kelly Cup Playoffs and Iowa is on the outside looking in.

#13 Konstantin Pushkarev, RW

When it was mentioned that Marius Holtet was one of two Iowa Stars who did not have as much trouble finding the back of the net, the other was Konstantin Pushkarev, who scored just under a fourth of team’s goals in January.

The I-Stars scored 26 goals in 12 games in January (ouch), and Konstantin Pushkarev scored 6 and assisted on 4 more, giving him 10 points for the month and leading the team in scoring for the month. His +2 rating also led the I-Stars for the month of January, one of three I-Stars to have a rating higher than even (Chris Lee and B.J. Crombeen being the other two). Pushkarev also led the I-Stars with 30 shots for the month, but Allison wants Pushkarev to drive the net even more.

“I still believe that this is a kid that can be dynamic like, maybe not like an [Alexander] Ovechkin, but when he realizes that that’s the way to go, play with that shoot-the-puck-and-no-prisoners attack, because he’s physical, he can shoot, and if he just sort of gets that little fluff out of his game, that fancy-dancy stuff that is good at certain times, this kid can be a power forward,” Allison said of Pushkarev.

“He can truly be a power forward and just shoot the puck with more reckless abandon,” Allison added. “Instead of a little slash and dash, just more salt and pepper, baby, and just bring it to the net, which is like Ovechkin.”

Ovechkin, it might be added, was averaging nearly 6 shots per game to end January (283 shots in 52 games). Pushkarev finished January with 7 goals and 10 assists in 21 games, second only to Toby Petersen in points per game, as well as 45 shots.

Perhaps the Iowa Stars most dynamic offensive player, with his combination of speed, shooting, passing, playmaking, and stickhandling (probably the softest hands on the team), Pushkarev does need to work on the subtleties of his game.

“The effort’s always there, he’s just got to tidy up the details of his game in terms of looking to get to that next level on a full-time basis, because those are the areas that NHL coaches will look – minimizing turnovers at the offensive blue line, defensive blue line, if there’s nothing, make sure the puck gets out, things like that,” White said of Pushkarev.

White also said, “I’d like to see him take the puck to the net more, because I think he can beat most defensemen in our league.”

All of the talk of Pushkarev playing as more of a power forward and driving the net more comes even though the 6-foot-0 right winger is only cruising at 172 and has fought through a broken finger, the remnant of a shoulder injury suffered in Russia, and new bumps and bruises every game. Staying around 180 pounds might help the sinewy Pushkarev, but weight is not the only answer.

“Yeah he can add some more (weight), but the thing is, he’s compact, he goes into those areas, and he’s a durable young man,” Allison said, “He’s a tough sonnuva ‘b’ and I think he can alleviate a lot of those hits by shooting the puck more and not being the hunted but being the hunter more.”

#15 Perttu Lindgren, C

The player who probably benefited the most from Pushkarev’s return was Perttu Lindgren.

Lindgren centered “Pushy” for most of the month and put up 1 goal and 6 assists in 11 games, missing the Jan. 21 contest against Rochester for personal reasons. Despite missing one game, Lindgren finished second in I-Stars scoring for the month of January with 7 points. The 20-year-old Finn’s production was a jump from his six points in 13 games in December, but he’d already laid some of the groundwork for a strong second half.

“Perttu’s a guy that really has a lot of upside, and he’s had a lot on his plate coming over here, both on and off the ice,” Allison said. “I think that he’s progressed now to the second half that he’s going to take off.”

As both Allison White further noted, Lindgren’s transition to North America was not just getting used to North American hockey.

“I think a lot of people aren’t aware of the cultural changes that he had to go through,” White said of Lindgren. “He is expecting his first child, there’s a lot of off-ice issues.

“You don’t get your social security card right away when you come, anymore, so there’s a lot of details.”

Hammering out such details having grown up in the United States can be difficult, let alone if you’re in a foreign country and looking to stay a while (playing in the NHL). With all of that, Lindgren has cemented his place as a top-nine forward for Iowa and is now a fixture on the power play. After all, Lindgren’s offensive vision is amongst the top on the team.

“He’s got an uncanny knack for finding guys,” White said of Lindgren’s playmaking. “He’s got a good presence in the offensive zone.”

The 6-foot-0, 185-pound Lindgren could still use additional strength, acceleration, and top speed, and his physical game is nearly non-existent. Iowa is cognizant of this, but they do not expect him to emulate Holtet, Crombeen, or Rich Clune.

“He’s not going to knock somebody over, that’s not his game, and we don’t expect him to do that,” White said of Lindgren. “But it’s an area where he could certainly improve, a little bit, to be able to get through guys.”

Lindgren’s already shown, at times, a Gretzky-like ability to evade or stickhandle through checks high in the offensive zone, but battling through checks down low is still an area for improvement. Defensively, Iowa hopes Lindgren can follow in the footsteps of Dallas All-Star center Mike Ribeiro.

“I think that Perttu does a real nice job of keeping his body between the net and his check,” Allison noted. “We’ve got clips of Ribeiro and as time goes on we’re going to show them, because Ribeiro is a similar player in that he’s highly skilled but he does get involved, and that’s going to come with Perttu.”

Lindgren ended the month with 3 goals and 13 assists in 41 games and ninth in team scoring, but with a strong February, he should easily be fifth or sixth.

#17 Rich Clune, LW

Clune may have been a scratch for four games in January, but he did score a couple goals in the eight games that he did play and he has been a solid addition to Iowa’s fourth line and the team in general.

“Richie Clune adds a degree of enthusiasm, and enthusiasm to get better,” Allison said. “Sometimes he gets caught up in the moment, but I’d rather have that than a dead, soggy old fish.”

Dead, soggy old fish Clune is not. He plays a physical game, forechecking hard and finishing his checks, fights now and again (he had two fighting majors in January), and is also is a pest around the net. Effort is rarely a problem with Clune, but he does have to work on his hockey sense a bit. When asked what Clune needed to improve on, Allison said, “Understanding the game.”

Allison added, “It’s more structure, it’s more execution, it’s proving yourself every night because people don’t know who you are and it’s making sure that whatever you do is in the best interest of the team.”

Allison knows, though, that the agitator role that Clune plays is a difficult one.

“With guys like that, it’s tough, because it’s almost like a switch you turn on and off,” Allison said of Clune. “But, he’s a physical guy, he’s going to find his way, and I’d liken him to maybe Jordin Tootoo as time goes on.”

Clune himself has said he’d like to follow in the footsteps of Dan Carcillo of Phoenix and David Clarkson of New Jersey, both former OHLers, like Clune, who are also roughly the same size as Clune (especially Carcillo).

The 20-year-old winger got his first AHL goal behind him on Jan. 18 against Rockford and finished January with 2 goals and 3 assists in 20 game, a fair pace for a player that’s played primarily on the fourth line.

#18 James Neal, LW

Not much of an update on James Neal, as he missed the entire month due to the knee injury he suffered Dec. 30 in Peoria.

“We’ve missed him, but we look forward to his return,” Allison said of Neal. “He’s a rambunctious, all-around good hockey player, and he’ll find his way.”

Indeed, the I-Stars have missed Neal. Prior to his injury, Neal had established himself as Iowa’s most effective player in doing dirty work in front of the net. White expected the 6-foot-2, 190-pound power forward to return in the second weekend of February, though, which should help Iowa’s anemic offense.

Neal entered February with 5 goals and 7 assists in 32 games.

[Note: White’s expectation proved to be correct, as Neal re-joined the line-up Feb. 8 against the Chicago Wolves.]

#19 Toby Petersen, C

Although Petersen’s month with the I-Stars wasn’t one of his most memorable, it was still a month to remember.

Petersen represented the Iowa Stars at the AHL All-Star Game in Binghamton, New York, Jan. 27 and 28 and made memories both nights. In the Skills Competition, Petersen took the Fastest Skater Competition by skating a lap of 14.001, edging out San Antonio Rampage forward Joey Tenute’s time of 14.072. As with a race at Daytona, Texas Motor Speedway, or the Iowa Speedway, handling in the turns proved key.

“A lot of the players had trouble with the corners a little bit, they all slipped a little bit,” said White, who was in Binghamton for the festivities.

Petersen was fairly confident going into the event.

“I’d gone previously in that event, so I knew what my measuring stick was, so I knew what I was capable of,” Petersen said of his previous appearance at the AHL All-Star Game in Wilkes-Barre in 2001.

Petersen also knew it came down to the corners.

“Obviously, when you’re going into the corners, you have to set your feet a little bit, otherwise you start crossing over and you end up going too wide and you lose your line, kind of like speed skaters,” Petersen said. “It’s all about the line.

“But, once you feel steady again, once you feel stable, when you’re in the corner, you want to start moving your feet again as quick as you can, because that’s going to help you build your speed back up.”

In the All-Star Game itself, Petersen made history when he was awarded the first penalty shot in AHL All-Star Game history, which he scored on Nolan Schaefer by making a move to his backhand and going five hole.

“I was just looking to make a good solid move and keep it exciting for the fans,” Petersen said. “The only thing I didn’t want to do was go in and just shoot, I tried to do something at least a little bit creative.”

Mission accomplished.

Petersen also added two assists for PlanetUSA, but the Canadian All-Stars came back to win 9-8 in a shootout.

With Iowa in January, Petersen only tallied 1 goal and 5 assists in 12 games, putting him at 17 goals and 24 assists in 48 games for the season. His 41 points placed him 18th in AHL scoring, but he was falling down the scoring leaders quickly. It’s not without circumstances, though.

“One thing is, he has moved from the middle to the wing,” White said of Petersen’s drop in production. “So, that might not be the most ideal position for him in terms of scoring on a regular basis.”

Petersen started the month centering a line with Janos Vas and Chris Conner, but from Jan. 18 on froth he played left wing on a line centered by Perttu Lindgren and with Konstantin Pushkarev on the right. After a four-game pointless streak Jan. 12 through 19, Petersen closed the month with points in three straight games.

With or without a big month offensively, Allison gives his captain a ringing endorsement.

“As far as I’m concerned, Toby Petersen is the best player in the American Hockey League not playing in the National Hockey League,” Allison said. “He’s played defense for us, he plays the point on the power play, he plays wing, he plays center, he plays every situation, and he does it with passion and professionalism.

“There’s not much more you can say.”

#21 Janos Vas, LW/RW

If December was lean for Vas offensively, then January might have approached Nicole Richie proportions.

It wasn’t for a lack of opportunity, as Vas tied for the I-Stars lead in shots on goal for the month with 30, but he didn’t tally on a single one. Vas did have 5 assists for Iowa during the month, but he has to find the net again.

“That’s too long,” White said of the 13-game goalless drought Vas held to end January. “I mean, for a guy that his production has to improve, and it did for the first little bit, he’s got to find a way to find the back of the net.”

White added that, in regards to all players, they have to go to the hard areas to score when things aren’t going in the back of the net, such as driving the net and absorbing punishment up front.

“He is a guy that you’ve got to get to the net,” Allison said of Vas. “He can skate, he can forecheck, he’s an excellent defensive player, and he’s got speed.

“He’s just got to execute now. It’s a question of execution with him.”

Vas can also fire some fairly hard shots from in close when he has the time. Now, it’s all about executing around the net when there isn’t much time and the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Hungarian is having to battle for his space.

Even with no tallies for January, Vas finished the month third in Iowa team scoring with 12 goals and 17 assists in 48 games, one of two I-Stars to have played in every game in 2007-08.

#23 Tom Wandell, RW/C

Wandell returned from the rib cage injury that kept him out for part of November and all of December, but where he finishes the season is still up in the air.

The 21-year-old Swede (he turned 21 on Jan. 29) was re-assigned to Idaho Jan. 8 for a “conditioning stint,” as reasonably termed by White, and played three games for the Steelheads before be called back up to Iowa Jan. 16 when B.J. Crombeen was recalled by Dallas. Wandell had 3 goals in 3 games with Idaho, thanks to set-ups by veteran teammates Lance Galbraith and Marty Flichel.

Upon his return to Iowa, Wandell tallied 2 assists in 5 games for Iowa. That said, with James Neal due to return to the line-up in February and Francis Wathier also a possibility to return in February, one must wonder how long it is until Wandell is a semi-regular scratch with a healthy I-Stars line-up.

It’s not a question of skill with Wandell, though.

“He can skate, he’s a physical guy, but it’s consistency, and taking that puck to a point that if you’re not sure if there’s anything there, making sure that you put the puck, that it doesn’t put us in a precarious situation,” Allison said of Wandell. “Puck management with Tommy is as much as anything, and just not watching the puck defensively.”

Allison doesn’t believe that Wandell is automatically destined to Idaho to close the season.

“It’s his choice,” Allison said. “He could pass anybody.”

Allison also noted that Chris Conner went from undrafted to the National Hockey League and that Krys Barch sat out for a year and made it to the NHL, so there are not low expectations for Wandell.

However, given how Neal is set to return, how Gagnon and Clune excel for Iowa in fourth-line roles, how Francis Wathier could also return, and the presence of Mark Bomersback, the odds would favor Wandell finishing the year in Idaho unless he finds a way to pass established players on the depth chart.

#25 Chris Conner, LW

After 22 games with the Dallas Stars since being recalled November 1, Chris Conner was returned on loan to Iowa again on January 4, which allowed him to play all 12 games for the I-Stars.

Conner scored 2 goals and 4 assists for Iowa in January, tying him with Toby Petersen for third in points for the month. Although his production was not prolific, he ended the month with three points in the final four games and continued to skate with the speed and effort he always has.

“Chris leaves everything on the ice,” White said of Conner. “There’s no question with his effort.”

Where the questions lie, however, are in his ability to finish the offensive chances he creates with his speed, quickness, and agility. As White said, “He lacks polish around the net, and that’s what kept him out of the NHL or getting back up there.”

Conner’s 28 shots on goal tied him for fourth on the team for the month, again with Petersen, and his two goals for the month put him behind only Pushkarev and Holtet for the month. For the season, in the AHL, Conner ended January with 5 goals and 10 assists in 23 games. If he’s going to stick in the NHL, he’ll need more.

“He’s the type of player that will have to get into a top-nine setting in the NHL if he’s going to stick, and if you’re going to do that, you’re going to have to chip in 15 goals,” White said. “In order to do that, you’re going to have to probably score 20 or 30 down here.”

The only I-Stars whose goal-scoring pace puts them over 20 goals for an 80-game season are Petersen (28 goals in 80 games), Pushkarev (27), Sertich (22), and Vas (20); Conner’s pace projects to 17 goals in 80 games. However, his points per game of 0.65 was third of all active Iowa Stars players.

#44 B.J. Crombeen, RW

Crombeen had a month to remember, not because of his nine games in Iowa, but his three games in Dallas.

Crombeen was recalled on loan by Dallas Jan. 16 and played his first game Jan. 19 in Dallas, against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Dallas organization treated their rookie winger well, as well as his family.

“They put us up in a hotel,” Crombeen said of his accommodations in Dallas. “I was lucky enough to have my mom and dad, brother, and fiancée all come down.

“They treat you unbelievably up there. Once you get a taste, you definitely want to get back up there.”

Crombeen fought physical Blue Jacket winger Jared Boll in his first game and generally played his game on the fourth line, skating primarily with Stu Barnes and former I-Stars teammate Krys Barch.

Crombeen was returned to Iowa Jan. 23 with fairly encouraging words from the Dallas organization.

“They said, ‘We thought you played how we wanted you to and just keep working,’” Crombeen said. “They just said don’t go down there and try to be a different player.’

“‘Just go down there and work on the board play, getting the pucks deep, and finishing your checks, playing the same way you would up here.’”

By performing well in his three games in Dallas, and generally playing well in Iowa, Crombeen has put himself in contention for potential NHL duty in 2008-09.

“We’ve got a lot of guys whose contracts are up and with the new salary cap era, you never know what’s going to happen,” White said. “But I think he’s (Crombeen) put himself in competition for the old, I guess, the fourteenth forward.”

Back in Iowa, Crombeen scored only 1 goal and 1 assist in 9 games for the I-Stars in January, a far cry from the numbers he put up in December.

Prior to his recall, he was skating on the hot line with Pushkarev and Lindgren, providing some size and a physical presence around the net and down low in the offensive zone. Upon his return, he was generally playing on an energy line with various linemates but did put up a +1 rating for the month, higher than any I-Star not named Pushkarev or Lee.

Idaho Steelheads

John Lammers, LW

Less than three months after the experiment began, the plug was pulled on the John Lammers in Finland campaign.

Lammers was assigned to Assat Pori of the Sm-Liiga on October 25, but he was returned to Idaho less than three months later, on Jan. 16, after putting up only 4 assists in 23 games, including assists in each of his final two games.

He wasn’t an impact player with Assat, but he is with Idaho.

“It’s been a good boost for our hockey club because we’ve had so many guys up in the American League,” Laxdal said of adding Lammers to the roster. “He’s starting to really find himself a little bit now and getting back to the North American style game.”

In 6 games with Idaho for the month of January, Lammers had 4 goals and 1 assist and fired 26 shots on net. Even though he averaged over four shots per game, Laxdal has noticed some negatives Lammers picked up in Europe.

“I think he brought back some bad habits from Finland where he likes to handle the puck a little too much,” Laxdal said. “Alex Ovechkin can handle the puck and get away with it, but John Lammers has to find a way to get the puck on net quicker.”

The expectations for Lammers are high. He put up 7 goals and 12 assists in 22 games to help Idaho to the Kelly Cup in 2007, and Laxdal thinks he can do even better.

“I expect him to be a point-a-game guy, point-and-a-half-a-game guy, like we saw in the playoffs,” Laxdal said.

Laxdal also noted that he thought Lammers “looked a lot better at training camp this year in Traverse City than he did when he came back,” so the hope is that Lammers can return to full form in February and become one of Idaho’s top scorers.

To end January Lammers had 4 goals and 1 assist in 8 games for the Steelheads, including the two games he played for the team in October before being moved to Finland.

Alexander Naurov, F

January was more of the same for Naurov: unrealized potential.

Naurov skated in 10 of Idaho’s 12 games in January, but he only put up 3 assists, giving him 1 goal and 6 assists in 34 games. The Russian’s points-per-game ratio of 0.21 was ahead of only fighter Bill Kinkel amongst Idaho forwards. It’s not for lack of skill, though.

“He’s got skills,” Laxdal said of Naurov. “He shows flashes of brilliance, but then he makes a lot of mistakes sometimes.”

Call-ups and injuries have helped keep Naurov in the line-up, and Laxdal tries to keep his affiliate happy by playing the 21-year-old. In many regards, Naurov is the proverbial player with many of the tools but who lacks the tool box.

“You want to be honest, but he’s probably got the best skill set in the league and probably the best shot on our team, but just getting him trying to put that together is the hard part.”

Up to the NHL

#5 Mark Fistric, D

Actually, the subhead for this section should probably be “Down to the AHL for a Short Stint,” as Fistric only played two games for the I-Stars during January.

Fistric was returned on loan from Dallas on Jan. 6 (when Sergei Zubov returned from a hand injury) and played that night in Houston against the Aeros and Jan. 9 against the Chicago Wolves before being recalled again Jan. 11 (when Zubov went down with a bruised foot and a groin strain). Unfortunately for Fistric, he was a -4 those two games, which moved him to 1 goal and 4 assists in 30 games for Iowa and a -9 rating, which is not reflective of the fact he has been the second most effective defensive defenseman (behind Nicklas Grossman) in 2007-08.

Whether Fistric returns to Iowa again will be determined by the health of Dallas’ blue line (especially Zubov and Philippe Boucher) and whether Dallas makes any moves at the trade deadline and what players any move might involve.

Off to Europe

#24 Vojtech Polak, W

The announcement on Jan. 31 was a surprise, and it wasn’t.

The Iowa Stars announced on Jan. 31 that Polak had been “reassigned” to Karlovy Vary of the Czech Extraleague, although the reality of it was that Polak left the team to, as White put it, “get the passion back in his game.”

Polak was not playing lifeless hockey before he left the team, but he had had trouble all season consistently establishing himself as a top-six forward, which was further complicated by the return of Konstantin Pushkarev from Russia and Chris Conner from Dallas and the emergence of Perttu Lindgren. A scratch Jan. 4, the first game of the month, and Jan. 26, the final game of the month, Polak finished the month with 1 goal and 3 assists in 10 games and 6 goals and 10 assists for the season.

In his three seasons with Iowa, Polak scored 35 goals and 60 assists in 162 games. He also appeared in 5 games for Dallas between his first two seasons in North America. With his entry level contract expiring, Polak’s future with the organization appears to be cloudy. White hopes to see him again, though.

“I just hope he finishes strong and we very much want him to return to North America next year, and hopefully that’ll occur.”

It also must be considered if there’s any real purpose to bringing Polak back, especially depending on what other players are signed or re-signed. If Pushkarev cannot crack the NHL by the end of the season or early next season, then Polak has no prayer, given how the Kazakh is as good or better than the Czech in every skill, especially speed, intensity, physicality, and toughness.

Traded

#22 Junior Lessard, RW

January 2008 marked the end of the Junior Lessard odyssey for the Dallas Stars after nearly four seasons with the organization.

The former Hobey Baker Award winner played his final game for the I-Stars on Jan. 9 in Chicago, after being scratched the previous game in Houston, Jan. 6, and ended his Iowa career on a nine-game pointless streak. Lessard was also a mysterious scratch Jan. 11 and 12 before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Dan Jancevski in a deal that also saw Paul Szczechura traded to the Norfolk Admirals, Tampa’s AHL affiliate. The Lessard-Jancevski deal marked the second trade between Dallas and Tampa for the season, the first being the Lampman-Scalzo deal Nov. 19.

In discussing the Lessard-Jancevski trade, White said, “In terms of Junior, he got his chances a couple times with Dallas and there wasn’t a fit.

“I think sometimes in guys’ careers you need a change, you need a different opportunity,” White added. “Junior left here positively and we wish him nothing but the best.”

Allison thought the trade was a good opportunity for Junior and for the team.

“[Junior] was a great asset to our organization and our team, as was Paul Szczechura, but each team has different goals and one of our goals is to try and nurture guys who are going to play in the National Hockey League, and if they didn’t believe that Junior was going to be that way, we’re better off playing the young kids and giving Junior an opportunity and also getting a guy back that can add to our depth within the organization and also give us an unbelievably quality person in Danny Jancevski and a great player.”

Before moving to Norfolk, Lessard had 10 goals and 11 assists in 36 games with Iowa, putting him well behind the scoring pace he had established in 2005-06 and 2006-07. He finished his Iowa Stars career with 63 goals and 68 assists in 167 regular-season games and 7 goals and 9 assists in 19 playoff games. Lessard had also scored 2 goals in 8 games for Dallas over the past three seasons and 11 goals and 11 assists in 71 regular-season games and 1 goal in 5 playoff games with the Houston Aeros in 2004-05, his rookie pro season.

Of some note, Lessard finished with 3 goals and 2 assists in 6 games for Norfolk in January and Szczechura finished with 4 goals and 3 assists in 6 games, bringing both players new life in Norfolk’s more offensive system.