DALLAS — The Dallas Stars take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, starting on Friday, May 19.
The NHL released the full schedule for the series. You can check that out here. If you want to get a ticket to the game, it'll cost you a pretty penny.
If your plan is to grab a beer and some food at a bar, or watch the game at a buddy's house, here are some facts and storylines to share so you can sport your fandom (bandwagon or otherwise).
Dallas Stars playoff history
The Dallas Stars have only raised the Stanley Cup once in 1999. Near misses came in 1981, 1991, 2000 and 2020. Since that illustrious 1999 championship, the Stars have advanced to the Western Conference Final four times:
- 2000: Lost in Stanley Cup Final
- 2008: Lost in Western Conference Final
- 2020: Lost in Stanley Cup Final (COVID-19 "bubble" playoff)
- 2023: TBD
Have the Dallas Stars gone by any other names?
Yes. The team moved to Dallas in 1994. Prior to moving to North Texas, the team was based in Minneapolis, dubbed the Minnesota North Stars.
Owner Norm Green stood at Dallas City Hall and announced he would be moving the Minnesota North Stars to the Lone Star State.
“It is the beginning of developing a winner that Dallas is going to be proud of and Dallas is used to seeing,” Green told the council.
Seven months later, the Stars played the first NHL regular season game ever held in the state of Texas at Reunion Arena before a packed crowd that included future governor and president George W. Bush. They defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 6-4, in the opener and would reach the second round of the playoffs in their inaugural year.
Who is the Dallas Stars owner?
The team's current owner is Tom Gaglardi, a businessman from Vancouver, Canada. He is the president of Northland Properties Corporation, the largest family-owned hospitality company in Canada.
Gaglardi bought the Dallas Stars for $240 million in 2011 to rescue the team from bankruptcy.
You won't see or hear much from Gaglardi, in contrast to his DFW owner counterparts Jerry Jones and Mark Cuban. As his bio on the Stars website states, Gaglardi enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family at their cottage on the shores of Kamloops Lake near Savona, B.C.
Who are the Stars breakout players?
There are a handful of names you'll want to remember when chatting with your friends about the Stars. Here are the guys making plays on the ice for Dallas this playoff run:
Jake "Otter" Oettinger: The Stars goalie has stepped up in goal. He has the second-most saves through two career Game 7 appearances of all time (86). Only Kelly Hrudey had more in his first two Game 7s with 102 saves.
Roope Hintz: Hintz has the second-most playoff points in the NHL this postseason with 19, trailing only Edmonton's Connor McDavid (20), who is eliminated from the playoffs now. His nine playoff goals is also second in the NHL, behind Edmonton's other playmaker, Leon Draisaitl (13).
Hintz could very well surpass both of those Oilers players during this playoff run.
Joe Pavelski: Pavelski has scored the second-most playoff goals for the Stars (8, behind Hintz's 9). Half of those came in a breakout performance against the Seattle Kraken in Game 1 after returning from an injury. In fact, all eight of Pavelski's goals came in the Kraken series.
Jason Robertson: Robertson was Dallas' leading scorer in the regular season (109) and the team's only All-Star. His goal production has dropped off in the postseason, but he's tied for the most assists on the team during the playoffs (10). WFAA's Jonah Javad profiled Robertson in February.
Wyatt Johnston: The newly-20-year-old (birthday was on Mother's Day) scored Stars' final goal in Game 7 against the Kraken, helping secure the Western Conference Final spot.
*Fun fact: Johnston actually lives with Pavelski. Johnston was living in a Frisco hotel for six weeks before the Stars announced the then-19-year-old made the NHL roster*
Jamie Benn: Oh captain, my captain. Benn has been a staple of the Stars for over a decade. Benn was recently honored for his 1000th career game (all with the Stars) back in March. Benn is second all-time in franchise history for goals scored (362) and third all-time in assists (485).
Miro Heiskanen: Talk about the epitome of grit and toughness. WFAA's Mike Leslie reported Heiskanen could hardly sleep or eat after suffering a "nasty gash" to his face before Game 4. Heiskanen logged a game-high 31:02 of ice time and helped lead Dallas to a crucial 6-3 victory that night to even the series at 2-2.
“He’s an amazing athlete,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “Ultracompetitive. Wants to win. Hard minutes. Hard minutes tonight. What do you say? He’s done it all year for us. He’s one of the best in the world at that position. He’s a warrior.”
Heiskanen has dished out nine assists during this playoff run.
Tyler Seguin: Another stalwart of Dallas' offense for a decade, Seguin has added nine points (five goals, four assists) to the Stars' playoff run. He's a fan favorite for not only his play on the ice, but off of it as well. A prime example is his work within the community, including before this season when Seguin invited a girl and her family to a tour after learning about her upcoming brain surgery.
Why do the Stars play Pantera after they score?
"Puck Off" by Arlington-based heavy metal band, Pantera, is the Dallas Stars "goal horn" that plays after every goal scored.
Brothers Vinnie Paul and Darrell Lance Abbott a.k.a. "Dimebag Darrell" co-founded Pantera, and wrote "Puck Off" during the team's 1999 Stanley Cup run.
Both of the brothers have since passed away, but the Stars shared Puck Off's origin story one year after Paul died on YouTube.
Be ready to chant "Dallas!" "Stars!" to the tune of Puck Off if you attend a game.
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