By Kris Smith
To start off week 19 of our ‘Look Back’ series, we will be taking you back to the 2019-2020 campaign, which was the club’s 19th year in existence and their 10th season of competing in the Elite League.
Before the COVID-19 global pandemic curtailed then end of last season, the Stars had played a total of 48 Elite League games and were still in the running for a playoff spot.
In the 2019-2020 campaign, the Elite League had went from 11 teams to 10, as Milton Keynes Lightning dropped out and there would be no league champion that season, as a number of teams could still have won the title.
The Stars were sitting in ninth place when the Elite League board cancelled the rest of the season but they did have a game in hand and were only two points behind the Manchester Storm, who occupied the eighth and final playoff spot and the seventh placed, Glasgow Clan.
Dundee had won 39 points and were five points ahead of their biggest rivals, Fife Flyers, who were stuck at the bottom of the table but there was only 25 points between them and the leading side, Cardiff Devils.
After the regular seasons had ended, Dundee had a record of 18-27-3 (wins-losses-overtime losses) and they scored 146 goals and conceded 179 over the 48 fixtures.
With a cancelled post-season and no playoff champion, the only trophy handed out that season was the Challenge Cup.
The Tayside team competed in the Elite League’s Challenge Cup again and qualified for the knockout stages for the seventh straight season.
For the first time in the club’s history, the Stars won their group and in Group A, they topped; Belfast Giants, Glasgow and Fife, by winning 10 points.
Dundee had five wins and one loss in Group A and they scored 25 goals but conceded 16 times.
Although, the Stars were again eliminated at the Quarter-Finals stage and this time it was by Glasgow, who won 5-2 on aggregate, following a 1-1 draw in Dundee and a 4-1 victory for Clan in Braehead.
However, they would go on to be eliminated in the Semi-Finals by the eventual winners, Sheffield Steelers.
That season’s top point scorer was Canadian forward, Kevin Dufour, who put up 56 points in 56 games and the winger also had the most goals on the team, as he netted 32 times.
Also, the player with the most assists that season was Canadian centerman, Anthony Beauregard, who set up 32 goals in 56 appearances and the most penalised player on the team was Latvian forward, Egils Kalns, who spent 63 minutes in the sin bin across 54 matches.
In the 2018-2019 season, Pacha had two active netminders in Alex Leclerc and Brython Preece.
Also, the Stars blueline was again well defended but also possessed a lot of offensive threats in the returning; Drydn Dow, Shawn Boutin and Kris Inglis but also in new additions like; Craig Gans, Reilly O’Connor and Jagger Dirk.
In the offensive unit, Dundee were once more packed full of sharpshooters and creative playmakers with key names like; Matt Marquardt, Beauregard, Dufour, Kalns, Jordan Cownie, Brett Stovin and Craig Garrigan.
Although, forwards Matt Carter and Alex Schoenborn were added mid-season after the departures of Justin Maylan and Elgin Pearce.
Next we will be bringing you a look back at one Star Player from the 2019-2020 season and that will be released Wednesday at 12pm!
If you want to be a part of the historic 20th Dundee Stars season then you can buy your season tickets by contacting [email protected]
