Early Tuesday morning, Tyler Seguin stood on the ice with Wyatt Johnston practicing faceoffs. Seguin won some, then Johnston took a few. The pair scooted off to the side when the next duo of Stars took center ice for their turn.
Seguin immediately grabbed a puck and began to give Johnston some pointers. The 33-year-old forward demonstrated leg positioning and stick maneuvers for the 22-year-old to try. Johnston began to win a few more faceoffs, and the two were laughing by the end of it.
For Seguin, moments like these happen all the time now. But as he approaches 1,000 NHL games, they are what he is most grateful for.
Drafted No. 2 overall in 2010 by the Boston Bruins, an 18-year-old Seguin entered a star-studded team that would go on to win the Stanley Cup at the end of the season. He would spend two more years in Boston before getting traded to Dallas in 2013. Over the years, he has racked up 363 goals and 814 points.
The forward was originally projected to cross the 1000-goal threshold much earlier than how it has happened. But injuries got in the way, and for the first time since 2022, Seguin entered the season fully healthy after hip surgery in Dec. 2024.
Over the past 12 years as a Star, Seguin has experienced some ups and downs. Hot scoring streaks and sold out arenas. Playoff runs ending in disappointment and season-ending injuries.
Now, he cherishes all of these moments.
“There’s just a real appreciation for even (the) tough times, you know, just to be a part of the tough times instead of being an outsider… You have an appreciation for the little things like that: a tough travel day where you have to sit there and play six hours of cards in an airport,” Seguin said. “Those are negative things that I will miss.”
Seguin has also had an impact on the his teammates over the years. Forward Radek Faksa, who is in his tenth total year as a Star, has witnessed Seguin change, both on and off the ice, as he has gotten older.
“He’s (an) amazing player, amazing guy in the dressing room and it’s (a) pleasure to play with him for such a long time,” Faksa said. “…He changed when he found his wife. He’s more settled, more chill… I think it’s changed him a lot, he’s more mature now.”
Johnston, who similarly entered the league at 19, has leaned on Seguin for the past four years.
In his first year, Seguin gave Johnston advice on how to avoid feeling intimidated when facing seasoned league veterans, like Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby. Stare at them in warmups and be as starstruck as you want, so when the puck drops you are ready to go.
Johnston also said that as experienced players such as Joe Pavelski or Ryan Suter have moved on, Seguin has stepped up as a leader. And with captain Jamie Benn currently out after suffering a collapsed lung, this has become especially important.
“Huge leader for us, helping everyone out, being someone that can be good on the ice for us, but then also really good off the ice…He just plays the game the right way, does all the right things and is a guy that you can watch,” Johnston said. “…He’s stepped in and been a lot more vocal and been that voice for us.”
When asked how approaching this milestone makes him feel, Seguin smiled and said, “Old.” He had grown accustomed to feeling like the youngest guy on the team and the one in charge of entertaining the older players for so many years, but he embraced the change in pace and is confident in his role as a leader.
And although his desire to hoist the Cup as a Star is as strong as ever, he realizes the importance of not getting too ahead of himself. There is still a lot of season to go, and each game presents a learning opportunity.
In the meantime, he is just enjoying himself.
“There’s never been a more special time in my career. Just where my career is, and off the ice and having a kid and being married, things I’ve always dreamed about,” Seguin said. “Now I’m really living it and having it all at once.”