With Dallas' seemingly never-ending string of injuries, the club has had to rely on a number of up-and-coming prospects from their primary development affiliate, the Iowa Stars of the American Hockey League. One of those prospects is right wing Krys Barch, 26, who made his NHL debut Monday against Los Angeles and skated against Calgary last night.

The native of Hamilton, Ontario, was signed as a free agent by Dallas on July 18, and spent the majority of the 2005-06 season with Iowa. He has appeared in 30 games for the Des Moines-based club this season, posting eight points (3-5-8) with a team-leading 110 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has appeared in 223 career AHL games over parts of seven seasons, tallying 25 goals and 41 assists for 66 points with 444 penalty minutes.

Barch was recalled from Iowa on Sunday, along with center Joel Lundqvist, and the duo has made a solid impression on Stars Head Coach Dave Tippett.

"Barch and Lundqvist have made an impact and played with so much energy and purpose the last two games," said Tippett. "They have helped build momentum in our team. They are sound players and their number-one priority is physical contact, but they do it within the team concept and have been very solid. I guarantee you the other team's defense know they're on the ice."

DallasStars.com visited with Barch today to discuss his NHL debut and his mindset heading into the club's trip to Minnesota on Saturday.

DallasStars.com: What were your emotions when you received the phone call that Dallas was calling you?

Barch: "Initially, I missed the call that Dallas had called me up, if you can believe that. Scott White, who is the Director of Hockey Ops for the Iowa Stars, had to call me about 30 times because my cell phone was turned off. My wife and I had just gone to sleep and turned our phones off, so when I finally got the message, it was a bit rushed getting everything together and getting out of Iowa. The weather here in Dallas made the trip a bit more difficult with flight delays, but I was excited and so was my family. It was definitely a long time coming and it's a day I won't soon forget."

DallasStars.com: Seeing the Dallas jersey with your name on the back, and then looking around the room and seeing some of the established NHL names, have you had to pinch yourself yet?

Barch: "Not really. If I was a little younger, maybe I would be more wide-eyed. But I've played with a lot of guys who have been in this league for several years now and I'm seeing a lot of familiar faces, so it's more about just coming in and showing up to do a job. I'm going to do what I'm capable of doing to the best of my ability and try to help the team get two points every night. I've tried to put all of the emotions aside and just focus on playing the same game I've been playing, only a different location. That's the mindset I'm keeping here going forward."

DallasStars.com: How much did it mean to you that your parents surprised you by coming down from Hamilton, Ontario, to Dallas to see you play against Calgary last night?

Barch: "It was great for me, and I think it definitely meant a lot to them too. My parents spent a lot of time taking me from rink to rink throughout Ontario growing up, so I'm sure they were really excited to share this experience. It was a great moment having them watch me play in an NHL game here in Dallas."

DallasStars.com: Having spent the season until now with the Iowa Stars, and now seeing the NHL side of things in Dallas, what can you say about this organization?

Barch: "The Stars organization has been first class all the way. It's really been unbelievable. My dad worked for a bank for 40 years and I tell him how we are treated here, and he can't believe it. From travel and facilities, to the people involved in both clubs, everything is first class. I talked to a lot of the young guys when camp was starting this year and I told them they better appreciate this because it's not going to get any better anywhere in the league."

DallasStars.com: How are you approaching each day now that you're here with the Dallas Stars?

Barch: "My mindset has been the same as it's been in Iowa all year, and that is to come to the rink day-in and day-out and work as hard as I possibly can. There are so many things in this game that you can't control, so I'm just focusing on the things I have a say in. No matter where I am, whether it is here in Dallas or back in Iowa, that is where my focus and effort will be."