The Stars have long been able to count on their captain, Curtis McKenzie.
McKenzie was the AHL’s rookie of the year in 2013-14 and helped Texas win the Calder Cup. He split the next four years between Texas and Dallas, appearing in 99 NHL games and making another trip to the Calder Cup Finals in 2018. After three seasons away, he came back to Cedar Park in 2021 and has been a fixture on and off the ice, this year winning the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award for his local community and charitable work.
So with the Stars playing for their season on Friday night, it was little surprise that McKenzie came through again. His goal 2:09 into overtime extended Texas’ season and gave McKenzie nine points (five goals, four assists) through 13 playoff games.
Head coach Neil Graham knows well what McKenzie means to his team.
“He lives for this moment,” Graham said. “You see his best hockey every year in the postseason. He’s been to the Finals three times. He understands what it takes. We need to stay in the moment, and there’s no better guy to follow than your captain.”
After another solid regular season, his 12th year pro, McKenzie seemingly has found another level this postseason.
“This is what you want playoff hockey to be, especially for these young guys with how much they’re going to develop and take this with the rest of their careers,” McKenzie said. “The intensity and physicality and the tight checking. It’s just been great hockey and a lot of fun to play in, and we want to keep it going.”
― with files from Patrick Williams