Four days ago, forward Ellis Rickwood didn’t have a spot on any American Hockey League roster. Four days ago, he called the University of North Dakota his home.
A lot can change in four days, though. After sending his college professors an email informing them that he would be leaving school to play professional hockey, Rickwood made his way to Austin.
In his AHL debut, Rickwood accumulated two goals and aided the Texas Stars in their 6-1 win against the Rockford IceHogs. His rookie talent, combined with forward Cameron Hughes’ experience at both the AHL and NHL levels, made Texas unstoppable in its first game of a two-game series against Rockford.
Seven minutes was all it took for Rickwood to make an impression on the nearly sold-out crowd at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. With forwards Curtis McKenzie and Cross Hanas assisting, Rickwood sank the first shot of the night against Rockford goaltender Drew Commesso.
“The kids were good,” head coach Toby Petersen said. “Overall, they played a really good game, not just the kids but the veterans (too) … it was a very positive game for us.”
Hughes, who was selected to the AHL Second All-Star Team earlier this week, returned to the H-E-B Center after the Dallas Stars recalled him on March 30. In three games with Dallas, Hughes scored one goal, his first at the NHL level. He was loaned back to the Texas Stars on April 12.
While fans were relieved to have the veteran back, Rickwood cashing in on two of his three shots on goal on Friday was a shock to all.
“It’s pretty crazy to think some of these guys were just in the NHL,” Rickwood said. “You can just see why some of those guys have been called up. They’re really, really good hockey players and (I’m) just trying to learn from them.”
Forward Christian Fitzgerald, a player from the University of Wisconsin, signed with the Stars a day earlier than Rickwood and also got his first minutes on AHL ice, registering three shots on goal throughout the second and third periods.
It looked like the IceHogs were going to make a late push, with forward Brett Seney scoring on Stars goaltender Rémi Poirier just over a minute into the third period and ending the hopes of a shutout. However, after conceding the one goal, Texas didn’t falter and extended its lead with seven minutes left in the game thanks to a heavy shot from forward Matthew Seminoff, with Hughes assisting.
The crowd chanted Poirier’s name every time the IceHogs encroached on the Stars’ territory. The goaltender had that crowd’s full confidence Friday night, only allowing one goal on 23 shots.
If the Stars are able to secure the series sweep tomorrow, they will clinch a spot in the Central Division Semifinals after they already secured an appearance in the postseason on April 3.
“The message is ‘Just stay with it,’” Petersen said. “We’re in a good spot. We control our destiny.”
The finale of the Texas Stars’ regular season will take place tomorrow, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m.
