Dallas sports fans know all too well about suffering. One team is on the verge of potentially restoring glory. The Rangers haven’t made the playoffs since their World Series in 2023. Cowboys fans haven’t seen them in the NFC Championship game since 1996. Mavericks fans are in deep pain since the loss of Luka. Any hopes of this city returning to sports glory reside in the Dallas Stars. The Stars are priming for a run to the Stanley Cup Final, looking to become the 3rd Dallas champion since 2000. Times are tough in Dallas, and the Stars are the best shot of another parade rolling down its streets.
Going Through Hell
Dallas sports teams entered the final two teams battling for their respective titles eight times since 2000. This city threw only two championship parades this century for the Mavericks in 2011 and the Rangers in 2023. The Stars lost in the Stanley Cup Final in 2000 and 2020, both in 6 games. The Rangers lost in the World Series in 2010 and 2011, with the latter being within one strike of winning it all twice in Game 6. The Mavericks lost in 2006 and 2024. The Rangers, Mavericks, and Cowboys are not looking good this year. Many players are gone from the Rangers’ 2023 championship, missing the playoffs in both years since their World Series. The Cowboys need to win out, alongside the Eagles losing out to make the playoffs. The Mavericks traded away Luka Dončić in the most lopsided sports trade in history. A Play-In Tournament victory may send them to the playoffs if they can improve on their 10-17 record. Only one team in Dallas is doing well in 2025.
Rise of the Stars
The Stars are no strangers to hard times. Their rebuilding era occurred from 2009 to 2013. Building blocks started piling on when the Stars hired Jim Nill as their General Manager. Many trades and 12 years later built the Stars into a major NHL powerhouse. Nill exudes an unprecedented level of professional excellence in team management, winning the NHL’s GM of the Year Award over the last three years, the only man to win the award three times. Nill’s most famous trade brought superstar Mikko Rantanen to the Stars last season in exchange for draft picks and Logan Stankoven. He set off fireworks on July 4, 2013, bringing Tyler Seguin from the Boston Bruins. Seguin is in his 13th season with the Stars being a staple on the roster. Many squandered opportunities is the motto for the Stars. Their time is quickly approaching for a return to glory.
Dallas’ Next Champion
The first Dallas sports game of the decade emerged victorious for the Stars in the 2020 NHL Winter Classic. They lost in the Stanley Cup Final that season to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Only one team holds back-to-back-to-back Conference Final losses in the 16-team playoff era. The Stars lost shy of the Stanley Cup Final three straight years. That is enough to drive any fanbase crazy. The 2025-26 season is potentially different. The NHL’s 2nd-best team is firing on all cylinders lately with their 22-7-5 record. Their 14-game point streak just ended at the hands of the 3rd-best Minnesota Wild. Their championship window is wide open for the next several years. The Stars are a threat in the playoffs, eliminating nine teams since 2020. Restoring glory to Dallas sports can come from any team, but it looks like the Stars have the best chance of becoming champions for Dallas this decade.
That magical moment where a team becomes a champion eluded the Stars for 27 years. Dallas is one of those sports cities that lands near the bottom of Big-4 combined sports titles with 9, if you count the Dallas Texans (AFL Champions of 1962). Times are tough in the trophy case. The only team with a promising year are the Stars. The Stars are often overlooked, so if you’re looking for a new team, the Stars are right there. 100% is the Stars’ attendance number this season, meaning they’re selling out every game. This city is ready for another champion, and the Stars could bring it one.
Dallas Stars Nation Blogger. You can time how fast I skate with a calendar. Lifetime GAA about 12.50.
Tags: dallas stars jamie benn Mikko Rantanen nhl Roope Hintz stanley cup Stanley Cup Final Western Conference Final
Categorized: Stars