Texas Stars advance to Calder Cup Finals; first two games held in Cedar Park

Photo courtesy Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars

Texas Stars teammates Mike Hedden, left, and Justin Dowling celebrate after defeating the Toronto Marlies and advancing to the Calder Cup Finals June 3.

Cedar Park hockey team the Texas Stars has advanced to the Calder Cup Finals after defeating the Toronto Marlies June 3 during the Western Conference Finals.

The series came down to a must-win game 7. It is the second time in the Texas Stars' five-year history that the team has made it to the Calder Cup Finals. The team's first playoff run was during the inaugural 2009–10 season, when the team also reached the finals.

"I think our fans probably didn't realize how much it took or how far we came [during our first season]," said Rick McLaughlin, president of the Texas Stars and general manager of Cedar Park Center. "With missing the playoffs once in five years, and now kind of crawling our way back, the fans really want this. They are really excited about it, and I think they will appreciate it even more if we win it all."

A crowd of more than 3,400 fans attended game 7 according to the Cedar Park Center, which, as the home ice for the Texas Stars, will host the opening game in the 2014 Calder Cup Finals. With the best record in the American Hockey League, the Stars play game 1 against the St. John's IceCaps, based in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, on June 8 at 7:30 p.m. This is the IceCaps' first appearance in the Calder Cup Finals, according to the IceCaps organization.

"Playoff hockey goes to another level, and I think the finals are going to be a level higher than what the first three rounds were," McLaughlin said. "The teams are going to be playing faster, hitting harder, and I think there's going to just be more action. For anyone who has not come out here to see a live hockey game, this is going to be a treat."

With a capacity of 6,863 during Texas Stars games, the Cedar Park Center, 2100 Avenue of the Stars, Cedar Park, will host games 1 and 2 and if needed, games 6 and 7. The schedule is as follows:

Game 1: June 8 at 7:30 p.m. (Cedar Park Center)

Game 2: June 9 at 7:30 p.m. (Cedar Park Center)

Game 3: June 11th at 5 p.m. (Mile One Centre)

Game 4: June 16 at 5 p.m. (Mile One Centre)

If necessary:

Game 5: June 17 at 5 p.m. (Mile One Centre)

Game 6: June 19 at 7:30 p.m. (Cedar Park Center)

Game 7: June 23 at 7:30 p.m. (Cedar Park Center)

All times are Central and more information is available at www.cedarparkcenter.com.