DALLAS — Veteran winger Jamie Langenbrunner is returning to Dallas after the last-place New Jersey Devils traded their captain to the Pacific Division-leading Stars.
“I’m excited to come back to Dallas. I have a lot of great memories of playing in that organization, that city,” Langenbrunner said Friday. “I’m excited about where the team is headed and ready to come be a part of it.”
Langenbrunner was drafted by the Stars in 1993 and was part of their only Stanley Cup championship in 1999, then another Western Conference title the following season. He was traded to New Jersey in 2002 and on the Devils’ Stanley Cup-winning team in 2003.
New Jersey gets a conditional third- round 2011 draft pick. That could become a second-round pick if the Stars win a first- round playoff series or they re-sign Langenbrunner, who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Langenbrunner, 35, was expected to be in North Texas by Friday night, but the Stars said he wouldn’t play when they open the second half of their season against the New York Rangers. He was a healthy scratch for the Devils on Thursday night amid trade rumors.
“He fits the mold of the type of players we want on this roster — strong work ethic, tough, passionate and hard to play against,” said Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk, who was Langenbrunner’s teammate in Dallas and New Jersey. “We are thrilled to be able to bring him back to Dallas.”
Because owner Tom Hicks is looking for a buyer for the Stars and the NHL is helping run the financially strapped organization, the league had to approve the deal. Hicks Sports Group sold the AL champion Texas Rangers last year.
“Lenders and the league realize our situation,” Nieuwendyk said. “They know the situation we’re facing. They’ve given us the go-ahead to do what we think is right for the hockey club.”
Langenbrunner has four goals and 10 assists through 31 games.
