Nieuwendyk Ready for Stars Turn
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The following article featuring former Cornell standout Joe Nieuwendyk appeared June 4 on the SI.com Web site.
By Darren Eliot
Talk about a trial run gone right. Joe Nieuwendyk works with
Team Canada as assistant GM at the World Championships and spends a
month with Dallas Stars coach Dave Tippett in the process. Three
weeks later, the Stars name Nieuwendyk as their new GM, thus ending
the experiment of having co-GM's (Brett Hull and Les Jackson).
As Tippett observed, "I believe he's ready for this. He is very
methodical, very thoughtful in his approach. He thinks things
through before he reacts to them. He was a hard player to play
against because he would outthink you. I would imagine it's going
to be the same as a GM."
Of course, Tippett coaching Team Canada while Nieuwendyk was part
of the management team is hardly the only tie that makes sense in
this move. Nieuwendyk was the key figure in the Stars' 1999 Stanley
Cup victory, leading the team in scoring and winning the Conn
Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. The Stars acquired him from the
Calgary Flames in 1995 for a prospect named Jarome Iginla, and
Nieuwendyk spent seven seasons with the Dallas organization. It was
a lot to give up, but the Stars knew they were getting a hard-nosed
two-way player who produced offensively. Plus, he had a Stanley Cup
on his resume with the 1989 Flames.
Complete article can be accessed via the SI.com Web site by clicking here.
