The Stars open a new season Friday with a familiar opponent and a much different backdrop for the other side. Dallas gets St. Louis to start the year, and the matchup comes with a little extra history attached: it marks 40 years since the first NHL game was played in Dallas, when the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings met at Reunion Arena in September 1986.
For Dallas, the first order of business is putting last season behind it. The Stars were bounced in the opening round by the Minnesota Wild and went without a playoff series win for the first time since 2022. That finish stung for a team that has collected ten playoff rounds since 2019, and Friday offers an immediate chance to reset.
The timing also works in Dallas’ favor on paper. The Stars have handled the Blues lately, winning seven of the last eight meetings.
But St. Louis is bringing a different look into this one.
The Blues will have Dylan Holloway back and fully healthy, and they’ve added two notable names in Mason McTavish, acquired from the Anaheim Ducks, and Connor McMichael, who came over in the trade that sent top-six forward Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals. They also strengthened the supporting cast with forward Dillon Dube and defenseman Brandon Carlo, giving the roster a more complete feel than it had a year ago.
Dallas’ expected lineup for Friday has Hryckowian centering Johnston and Rantanen on the top line, with Robertson, Hintz and Seguin together on the second unit. Kiviranta, Hyry and Benn form the third line, while Back, Faksa and Steel make up the fourth.
On defense, Harley pairs with Heiskanen, Lindell skates with Lundkvist, and Bichsel lines up with Myers. Oettinger is expected in goal.
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Stars Have A Clear Preference In The NHLs Texas Expansion Fight
The NHLs Texas expansion conversation is starting to feel real enough that teams already have to think about where a new franchise would fit. For the Stars, that means watching Houston and Austin closely as the league weighs a possible 33rd team, with an announcement potentially coming as early as December and play not expected to begin until the 2029-30 season.
From Dallas perspective, Houston is the easier outcome, even if the city would bring its own complications as a crowded pro sports market and would need a new arena. An Austin club would land much closer to the Texas Stars base near Cedar Park, and that overlap is part of why Dallas is keeping a clear preference in this fight while Houston remains the leading candidate in the leagues broader expansion picture. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Open With One Big Advantage Fans Will Notice Early
The Stars are finally headed toward opening night on Oct. 2, and the calendar has given them something they have not had in a while: a long, quiet runway into the season. After being eliminated from the playoffs, Dallas went 155 days without a game, its longest offseason break in five years, and that extra time has already changed the feel around the team. For a group that has had to manage the grind of deep springs in recent years, the pause offered a chance to reset physically and mentally.
Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin were among the players able to use the layoff for rest and recovery, and the organization has been encouraged by the conditioning work it has seen ahead of camp. The benefit for Dallas is obvious even before the puck drops, because a healthier, fresher roster can matter as much in October as it does later in the year. The bigger question is how much of that advantage carries over once the games start for real. [Read more 🡒]