Adobe Stock
Audio By Carbonatix
Being a Dallas sports fan in recent years has not been smooth sailing. With only two championships from local clubs to celebrate since the turn of the century, far too many seasons have ended with bitter tears instead of Champagne spray. Thus far, 2025, brought only pain to North Texas pro sports fans, except in one case.
The Dallas Stars of the NHL are the only thing keeping us locals from suffering in the basement of sports hell right now.
The Rangers can’t hit this season. The Mavericks shockingly traded away the face of the franchise in what is already being considered one of the worst trades of all time. The Cowboys, you ask? America’s Team is coming off a painful 7-10 season that didn’t even make it past January 1.
Now enter the Stars, led by General Manager Jim Nill. Since 2019, the Stars have made the playoffs six times, the Western Conference Finals thrice, and the Stanley Cup Finals once, with the third most playoff wins of any NHL team in that time frame. They’ve created this success through a mix of chiseled veterans such as Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, paired with young superstars acquired through the draft, including Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, to create a balanced and sustainable roster.
Right now, the Stars are roaring through the playoffs with as strong a roster as any team left playing. Saturday night’s come-from-behind Game 7 victory, featuring a third-period hat trick from newly acquired all-star Mikko Rantanen (then a second hat trick in as many games versus Winnipeg on Wednesday night), was arguably the most exhilarating Stars win inside the American Airlines Center ever.
Fans and media alike have taken notice of how capably the Stars have grabbed the Dallas sports spotlight.
Dallas lost a superstar when the Mavs traded Luka Doncic.
But boy, did they gain one in Mikko Rantanen.
— Lia Assimakopoulos (@Lassimak) May 4, 2025
Stars carrying the good vibes of Dallas pro sports pic.twitter.com/sRvg411cXj
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) March 30, 2025
With that dramatic Saturday result, the Stars became only the fourth team in NHL history to overcome a Game 7 multi-goal deficit in the third period. The thrilling triumph has only added fuel to the fandom’s fire.
Try not to smile watching this 🤩
2 minutes of Game 7 joy, as filmed by YOU 🎥🎊 pic.twitter.com/F6vMhO7lDD
— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) May 5, 2025
The late-season trade for Rantanen is exactly what the Stars needed for the playoff push. At the end of Round 1, he was tied for first in points and second in goals among all skaters in the league. Clearly, some folks want other Dallas teams to take note of what a good trade looks like.
So THAT is what a good trade looks like. #dallasstars pic.twitter.com/mlQTipoYXa
— Mike Doocy (@MikeDoocyFox4) May 4, 2025
Nico Harrison meet Jim Nil 😂, who’s trade for a star paid off big time for the Dallas Stars
— Kevin Morrell 🇺🇸 (@KevinMorrellDFW) May 4, 2025
This isn’t the first time North Texas has rallied around the Stars almost exclusively. If you recall, the Stars reached the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals during the infamous “bubble season” at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the games were played in Edmonton without fans and everyone was stuck watching at home, that near-magical run gave sports fans across the region something to look forward to during lockdown.
"THEY WIN THE SERIES, THEY WIN THE WEST AND THE DALLAS STARS ARE HEADED TO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL!"@ChoctawCasinos | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/WJwmr3o8qR
— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) September 15, 2020
To be sure, the vibes around Dallas hockey are rightfully high, so don’t let the other Dallas pro teams ruin it for you. How do we feel about the Stars right now? The reaction from the team’s bench after Wyatt Johnston’s game-winning goal on Saturday says it all.
Pure elation on the @DallasStars bench 💫 pic.twitter.com/hWKcTQ3BSf
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 4, 2025
