Perseverance and Family Fueled Comeback Journey for Stars Defenseman
by Dylan Pescatore
Mar 11, 2026Luke Krys wasted no time getting used to the playing speed of the AHL, suiting up for Texas in 61 regular season games and 13 of 14 playoff contests in 2024-25, his first full season of pro hockey. He was proud of his rookie season, but was even more excited to get better for his second year.
While training last summer, Krys ruptured his Achilles. There is no easy way to rehab from such a difficult injury, but he went right back to what his mom taught him during an earlier setback, to broaden the scope of things.
“It was heartbreaking in the moment, but you learn to take that macro view,” said Krys.
He got surgery the next day, and started physical therapy as soon as he could. He worked with David Hancock, a physical therapist who has helped some of the biggest names in sports overcome similar injuries, such as NBA stars Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum.
Krys hails from Ridgefield, Connecticut, located in the southwest corner of the Constitution State. It’s about 90 minutes from New York City, if you happen to make the drive on a rare day without bumper-to-bumper traffic. He started playing hockey at a young age with some of the best teachers you could have: his father, Mark, and his brother, Chad.
Mark Krys was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the eighth round of the 1988 NHL Draft. He carved out a seven-year professional career, playing over 250 games in the AHL. He retired following the 1999-2000 season and quickly went from being a hockey player to a dad.
“My dad was my idol,” said Luke. “He coached my brother and me until I left for college.”
Chad is the oldest, two years Luke’s senior. Mark put the brothers in skates and showed them how he learned to play hockey. Chad followed in his father’s footsteps and attended Boston University, before the Chicago Blackhawks drafted him in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He spent three seasons in the AHL before hanging up the skates.
“I looked up to him, I always watched him and wanted to be him when I was older.”
Luke attended Salisbury School for his junior and senior years of high school. It’s an all-boys boarding school that has a history of developing pro hockey players. During his second year at Salisbury, his teammate was Justin Hryckowian. The two of them developed a strong friendship, one that brought their careers together again a few years later.
“[Hryckowian] is one of the hardest-working guys I have ever played with,” said Krys. “He taught me a lot about the mental side of the game.”
Mark and Chad Krys both played hockey at BU, and Luke’s mom, Stacy, played Lacrosse for the Terriers. Luke took a different route. He chose to play hockey at Brown University, an Ivy League school.
“I absolutely loved Brown and am so proud of that choice,” he said. “It was the best decision for me, and I will always root for them.”
After his first season at Brown, the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. Luke was told the chance of Brown having a hockey season in 2020-21 was slim, so he went to play for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League. In just his fifth game there, he suffered an injury and had to return home to recover.
Through that adversity, Luke turned to his mom for support. His dad had always been a coach and a friend, but a mother-son relationship is special. Stacy helped Luke throughout his recovery process, but the most important lesson he learned was to stay in the moment.
“My mom always tells me to take a macroscope look at things.” he said.
Luke spent two more seasons at Brown, graduating with his bachelor’s degree, before transferring to Providence College for his final year of eligibility. After his season as a Friar concluded, Krys had an opportunity to sign with the Dallas Stars.
“If you look at Dallas and the number of guys that developed over the years that played in the AHL and played in the NHL after, I think it’s a no-brainer, right?” He said.
The Stars’ ability to develop players for the NHL was the selling point for Krys. He told his former teammate, Hryckowian, that he was signing with Dallas and was already thinking of them playing together again in the near future. The two friends put pen to paper on the same day, March 21, 2024.
Following his injury last summer, it was a long, difficult road back to feeling like himself again. He dreaded the thought of feeling like he was a step behind everyone else. He credits his coaches for keeping his mind in the right place and instilling self-confidence that was hard to muster when he was rehabbing.
“It’s about confidence in myself and truly believing you’re going to be better than you were.”
The 25-year-old made his season debut for the Stars on Jan. 7 at Grand Rapids. In just 20 games played this season, he has already surpassed his goal total from his rookie season, and he’s compiling points at a quicker pace.
Krys has proven that whatever detours may come one’s way, there is always a solution, even if they don’t see it in the moment.