Matt Fraser might have signed with the Stars, but his feet are still planted on terra firma.

The Kootenay Ice forward signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Dallas-based NHL club this week; he said that business didn't affect the other parts of his life.

"It's in the back of your mind, but my job as an athlete is to put that on the back burner and be ready to play for this organization," he said, of the Kootenay Ice. "That's where my head is right now, and that's where it will continue to be. I think we have too good of a team this year to do anything different."

The contracting process unfolded in very short order. Fraser received a call from his agent two weeks ago, informing the forward the Stars were considering putting together an offer.

The actual offer made for a Remembrance Day he won't soon forget; Fraser's agent told him about it in Calgary on the same day as Kootenay's 4-2 win over the Hitmen.

After reviewing it and contemplating the ramifications, by Sunday Fraser decided to put his signature on the contract.

"Lo and behold, it's done," said Fraser. "It was a neat experience to go through, and I hope there are many more of them down the road."

Fraser, in his final year of junior eligibility, has helped the Ice to the top of the WHL's Eastern Conference heap with a record of 15-4-0-2.

Tonight they will clash with the cream of the East Division, the 14-5-0-1 Saskatoon Blades. Tomorrow, the 6-12-2-2 Prince Albert Raiders are in town.

Fraser enters the weekend tied with Kevin King for the team lead in goals at nine. He is also second in points (19) and the only player on the team with more than two powerplay markers (five).

Fraser isn't sure exactly where or when he came to Dallas's attention; in fact, the first time he spoke to the Stars was yesterday when he had a chat with director of player personnel Les Jackson.

"With our team this year, we've been playing well and I think we've been attracting a lot of attention," said Fraser. "The nice thing about that is there are 22 other guys that are playing just as well. There are some guys in this dressing room that are, I'm sure, on the radar of many other NHL teams."

Hopefully his teammates have taken note: you never know when you might impress someone.

Fraser got a good, long look from the Vancouver Canucks at their rookie tournament and main training camp this year.

His first taste of professional hockey came last spring, playing in two games for the St. Louis Blues' affiliate Peoria Rivermen after Kootenay's playoffs ended.

"With Peoria at the end of last year, it was nice to dip my toes in the water and see what it's all about there. Now I want to be in the water, I want to be there fulltime and that's my goal for next year," he said.

At 6-foot-2, 218 pounds, Fraser certainly has the frame to play professionally, but his biggest appeal lies elsewhere according to Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch.

"When he goes to play pro, initially he's not going to be a top-six guy - later on he will be - but what really entices teams is his competitiveness," said Knoblauch. "He's willing to play very physical. He likes making the big hit but he can also score at this level."

Fraser isn't the only local connection made to the Stars this year: Cranbrook's Jace Coyle - currently patrolling the Medicine Hat Tigers' blueline - signed with Dallas over the summer.

"We've kind of developed a relationship on the ice where you can kind of say, 'Hey, I'm going to rip your head off,' but after we'll be friends," said Fraser. "I think that speaks volumes to the kind of guy (Coyle) is and how we play. When it's business it's business. When you talk to each other after then that's fine. If we happen to play with each other next year that will be neat but right now he's a Tiger and I'm an Ice, and that's the end of it."

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS

If Fraser has any questions about the hometown of Dallas's AHL affiliate Texas Stars, he has a few options for finding answers.

For one, there's fellow Red Deer native and former Lethbridge Hurricane Colton Sceviour, who's currently playing for the Austin-based club.

Closer at hand, there's Kris Knoblauch who played for the Austin Ice Bats of the Central league in 2004-05.

"Austin is a very beautiful city. I loved it there," said the coach. "The weather in the winter time is a lot nicer there than it is here in Canada."

Knoblauch was even there during a particularly chilly (for Texas) winter.

"I was really excited to play pro. The level I was at, I was disappointed that guys weren't just there to play hockey," he said. "When I was there, I wanted to take my game to another level. (Others) were just there for the lifestyle, and to play hockey. In the American league, there are so many guys with aspirations to be in the NHL that I think it would be different for him."

SICK BAY EXODUS

Drew Czerwonka, Brock Montgomery, Luke Paulsen and James Martin are all probable returns from injuries this weekend. Paulsen missed part of one game, while Czerwonka and Montgomery missed three. Martin had been shelved for seven.

Erik Benoit (knee) and Brendan Hurley (hand) will not play this weekend.