The surprises and treats for fans at the Stars’ home opener Tuesday did not include any mentions of Pete DeBoer (admittedly, that would have been awkward) or a reasonable start time (8:51 doesn’t work for everyone on a Tuesday night).
But they did include a puck drop from retired hero Joe Pavelski, a rare pre-game smile on the bench from a not-quite-retired captain Jamie Benn (he’s recovering from a collapsed lung) and, yes, a loud ovation for Glen Gulutzan. He’s back for more after an unsuccessful two-year run here more than a decade ago when the franchise was emerging from bankruptcy court and Stephane Robidas led the club in minutes played.
This run for Gulutzan will be much, much better with Exhibit A coming in the form of a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild as Dallas raised its record to 3-0. All three wins have been against Western Conference playoff teams, and I know it’s more than just a little early in the hockey season, but wins over quality teams should be worth a mention.
Wyatt Johnston scored a goal for the third straight game, a sign that he will not be haunted by a rough postseason in which he finished with just four goals in 18 games and was a minus-16. Mikko Rantanen and Thomas Harley each collected assists and Roope Hintz managed a goal and assist as all three reached five points in three games. Gulutzan is blessed with myriad scoring options that simply weren’t on the roster a dozen years back when Loui Eriksson led the team with 71 points and no one else managed 65. And fan favorite Radek Faksa, back for a 10th season in a Stars sweater after a one-year sojourn in St. Louis, deposited the empty net goal to stop the breath-holding after the Wild had surged to life with two third-period goals.
Then there’s Jake Oettinger, the player who got the loudest ovation of all when the 2025-26 squad was introduced — a notch above Rantanen and Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin. He locked up his third win in three games. The issue for Gulutzan this season isn’t likely to be Otter’s play (although DeBoer might disagree) but managing his minutes. He’s almost certain to be selected as a Team USA goalie for the Olympics after backing up Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck in the Four Nations tournament that served as last year’s All-Star break. The trip to Milan and break in the schedule will be longer, so that means a more compressed schedule to get teams to 82 games by April 15.
Fortunately for the new coach, Casey DeSmith returns as Oettinger’s backup and he’s very capable of keeping the winning formula here intact.
It has been six seasons now since Dallas went to the Cup Finals, and even that felt more like watching some kind of computer simulation or bizarre reality show with the teams playing in an empty arena in Edmonton during the 2020 pandemic. The Stars’ three straight trips to the Western Conference finals are much more tangible for the fans, and I think it’s reasonable to assume that DeBoer wasn’t just a passenger along for the ride with those teams. He may have been tough on players and assistants, but there was a genuine confidence after he got here that a Stanley Cup could be won. I don’t think it’s mere coincidence that Jim Nill won the Jim Gregory Award ( general manager of the year) all three seasons that DeBoer was here. The award is the only one that is selected after two rounds of the playoffs, and the Stars were always still standing the last three springs.
That’s the real task for Gulutzan, although it’s so far away you can’t afford to give it more than a passing thought in October. This roster won’t be quite as good or deep as last year’s playoff team. The Stars actually benefited by not having to count an injured Heiskanen or Seguin salary against the cap due to the NHL’s Long-Term Injured Reserve rules. But it’s still deep enough in scoring talent and blue-line wisdom to keep the Stars around the top of the Central Division and Western Conference. After seven years as an Edmonton assistant, Gulutzan has his own ideas about where Dallas came up short against the Oilers the last two years.
So the best sports show in town goes on with a new conductor in charge. Don’t worry too much about scary first-round opponents (Dallas always gets one) or Gulutzan’s 0-4 playoff record achieved during his similarly brief stop in Calgary. That’s six months away. If you can’t enjoy the ride when a team is winning at the Stars’ heightened level without stewing over the outcome, maybe this sports thing isn’t for you.
X: @TimCowlishaw
Dallas Stars, who still offer the best sports ride in town, roll past Wild in home opener
