COLUMBUS, Ohio — The moment Dillon Heatherington got called up speak volumes about the Dallas Stars rookie defender.
It was late night in Stockton, California, the Texas Stars had just won an AHL game. Heatherington was called into the coaches office for a meeting with Stars assistant general manager Scott White.
“He’s only 22, but he’s a leader,” White said on Thursday. “After a big win on the road we brought him in and told him, and then he went back to the locker room and it was a big reaction. And our coaches and players, most of them told me it was one of the best team reactions they’ve seen (about a call-up). So I think that shows you, it validates his character and how he’s appreciated down there.”
And Heatherington is one of the newer faces in the organization. He’s only been a Stars prospect since last March, and after a strong training NHL training camp, he quickly established himself as a leader on the AHL team both in the locker room and with his play.
The Columbus Blue Jackets also know all about Heatherington’s character. He was drafted by Columbus in the second round (50th overall) in 2013 and spent three seasons playing for the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate, and won a Calder Cup in 2016, before he was traded to the Stars in exchange for Lauri Korpikoski on March 1, 2017.
(That was a trade that didn’t work out well for Columbus. Korpikoski only played nine games and didn’t have any points with Columbus after the trade. He failed to find an NHL job after that season and is now playing in Switzerland.)
Eleven months later Heatherington will make his NHL debut in Columbus when the Stars visit the Blue Jackets on Thursday.
“It’s unreal, it’s tough to put into words,” Heatherington said. “Playing against the old team that I was drafted by, you kind of have to stick it to them, I’m looking forward to it.”
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who won a Calder Cup with Heatherington, gives the now Stars defender credit for helping his transition from the University of Michigan to the AHL at the end of the 2015-16 season.
“From the second I got to the (AHL) he made me feel like I was part of the team, which was huge for me,” Werenski said. “So that’s what I remember most about him, how good he was off the ice.”
It was never planned for Heatherington to make his NHL debut against Columbus, it just worked out that way with Ken Hitchcock’s plan to have him practice three times with the NHL team before playing in a game.
“We’re excited and we’re curios,” Hitchcock said. “This is an exciting moment, not just for Heater, but also for the guys with the American League team, because he’s a popular guy there, he’s a big time player, he’s one of these guys who just worked his way up … now he’s earned the right to play some games.”
Stephen Johns, who went through a similar thing in his NHL debut — he was originally a Chicago prospect, was traded to Dallas, and played his first NHL game against the Blackhawks — is going to play with Heatherington tonight on the third pair, and already has good reviews of the rookie.
“I played against him in Lake Erie, and the time he’s been around here I’ve gotten to know him a bit,” Johns said. “He’s a real good guy, hopefully we can get him a start like I had (in my first NHL game). He can play, he knows he can play at this level, so it should be fun.”
Heatherington’s parents, Wes and Cindy, and his older brother, Matt, have flown into Columbus for his debut. His sister, Kelsey, wasn’t able to attend because of her teaching commitments back in Red Deer.
It’s an emotional day for Heatherington, but he said he’s going to try and keep it simple in his debut.
“You work so hard for so many years to get the opportunity to play in the NHL, I don’t know what it’s going to be like,” Heatherington said. “But I’m going to go out there and try to really enjoy it.”
Team No. 3
Jussi Jokinen will make his Blue Jackets debut Thursday after getting claimed on waivers from the Los Angeles Kings. It’s his third team this season after he started the year with the Edmonton Oilers and was traded to Log Angeles.
Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella wouldn’t confirm it during his press availability, but Jokinen will likely start at center for Columbus and could play a variety of roles.
“I think every time you try to find that chemistry right away,” Jokinen said. “So I think hopefully we can find that with my linemates, obviously the little tendencies of the game. Every team has their own kind of details, so just stuff like that.”
Jokinen had struggled this season in Los Angeles and Edmonton with six points (one goal, five assists) in 32 games, but it’s a low-risk pick-up for the Blue Jackets with injuries mounting to their forwards.
Jokinen spent three seasons in Dallas and had 131 points (45 goals, 86 assists) in 215 games.
Stars projected lineup
Jamie Benn — Tyler Seguin — Alexander Radulov
Mattias Janmark — Jason Spezzza — Devin Shore
Antoine Roussel — Radek Faksa — Tyler Pitlick
Remi Elie — Martin Hanzal — Brett Ritchie
Esa Lindell — John Klingerg
Dan Hamhuis — Gret Pateryn
Dillon Heatherington — Stephen Johns
Ben Bishop
Kari Lehtonen
Scratched: Julius Honka, Gemel Smith
Injured: Marc Methot
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