The Dallas Stars have signed Toby Petersen to a 2-year contract extension worth $1.55 million, the team announced today.
“Toby Petersen’s character and work ethic are the type of attributes we want in our players,” said Nieuwendyk. “He is a very versatile forward that can play throughout your lineup. He is a good example of the type of professional we want on the Dallas Stars hockey club.”
I don’t normally report on contract extensions for fourth line players, but Petersen is an interesting story. For one, he’s a diabetic who has to wear a special insulin device while playing. He’s never had any diabetes-related issues while playing, however, and is a model for success through adversity.
There’s also an funny anecdote surrounding his time with the Stars. He was signed as a free agent in July of 2007, after being named the team MVP of the Iowa Stars of the AHL while a member of the Edmonton Oilers franchise. He played most of the 07-08 season with Iowa, before being called up late in the season due to injuries. He played in all 16 playoff games for the Stars that year, and was a big part of the team’s success that postseason.
What’s funny about it? Many Stars fans were excited about this young, speedy prospect they were just getting a taste of. He was 28 at the time.