Seguin relishing Cup chase after long stretch of injuries

Dallas Stars veteran Tyler Seguin is making the most of his club's pursuit of the Stanley Cup this spring after changing his perspective as a veteran player who's had his share of ups and downs.

"I think it takes time to get to this point," Seguin told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "I think there was a period of time where you are fighting your ego, thinking of what you deserve. And at a certain point, you have to understand what is more important: What you think you deserve or what you think makes the team better.

"I had to look at myself and say: 'What do I want?' I mean, I've made money. I have a great home life. I'm married now. In the end, what I really want is to share the experiences that I had back when I was a kid, with this group of guys."

Seguin said his mindset shifted during the 2020-21 season when he was limited to only three games as he rehabbed significant knee and hip injuries.

"Those were dark times," Seguin said. "I'm not sure if retirement was a real possibility but you have different thoughts. 'Can I play again? If so, at what level?' I think a lot of athletes go through that with surgeries and setbacks.

He continued, "That was a pinpoint of my career and life. I'd just gone through back-to-back surgeries and had six months of sitting on my butt, not really having a good support system. It was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Seguin has been mostly healthy over the last three campaigns and has been one of Dallas' most productive players this postseason. He has 12 points in 16 games as the Stars sit two wins from reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

Dallas acquired Seguin from the Boston Bruins - with whom he won a championship in 2011 - prior to the 2013-14 campaign. He's racked up 667 points in 766 games over 11 seasons with the Stars, and he has three years left on his current contract.