Dallas, TX
Game Day Guide: Stars vs Golden Knights | Dallas Stars
First Shift 🏒
The Vegas Golden Knights are probably the Stars’ most intense rival right now.
Dallas lost in six games to Vegas in the 2023 Western Conference Final, and the Golden Knights went on to win the Stanley Cup. Last season, Dallas drew Vegas in the First Round and rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Golden Knights in seven games. So, as the lads in Victory Green prepare for two games against Vegas sandwiched around one game at St. Louis over the next five days, it’s easy to think about the history of these two teams.
“They’re a really good rival, a really good team,” said Stars head coach Pete DeBoer, who used to coach the Golden Knights, along with assistant coaches Steve Spott and Misha Donskov. “There’s not a lot of separation between the two teams over the years. They got us the first time around, we got them last year. It’s great hockey when we get together with them.”
Dallas is 4-2-2 in the past eight regular-season games against Vegas, including a 3-0-0 sweep in 2022-23 and an 0-1-2 run last season. There’s also a chance the two teams could collide in the playoffs once again. Vegas sits second in the West at 29-14-4 (.660). Dallas is 29-17-1 (.628). Dallas is second in the West in goal differential at plus-32. Vegas is third at plus-28. Vegas is fourth overall in scoring at 3.38. Dallas is fourth in goals against at 2.49.
It has all the makings of a great matchup.
“We know them really well,” said center Hintz. “They don’t give much.”
Hintz returned from an upper body injury last game and played 19 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Carolina. His return allows DeBoer to shuffle his lines and try some new combinations on Friday. The Stars also called up defenseman Lian Bichsel, one of the team’s largest players at 6-7, 231. Bichsel, 20, has played eight NHL games this season and has two goals and 26 hits. He has 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) in 28 AHL games, and said he feels he is learning a lot in his rookie year.
“It’s a good feeling,” he said of being called up. “When I was going back, I knew what I needed to work on and I think I did a good job in the three or four weeks I was down there. I had a lot of ice time and a good role with the team and now I’m happy to be back.”
DeBoer said the organization has been impressed with Bichsel, who was taken 18th overall in 2022.
“When you look at his path, he had a great camp. We sent him down, he handled that the right way, and when we brought him back, I thought he played really well and showed he can play here. When he went back down, I think we all talked and said this guy is really close, and the next opportunity we get, we want to have him experiencing this to see how quickly he can develop and maybe help us sooner than later.”
The fact Bichsel is playing against Vegas is part of the challenges of becoming a full-time NHL player.
“You’re jumping into the deep end of the pool when you come in and play a game like this, but that’s the test,” DeBoer said. “Let’s be honest, come playoff time, those are the types of teams you’re going to be getting starting in Round One.”
Jeff Kolb and Sam Gannon welcome Cowboys insiders Clarence Hill (All City Dallas) and Calvin Watkins (Dallas Morning News) for a hilarious breakdown of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Giving insight, arguments, and plenty of laughs as two of the best Dallas Cowboys writers in the business go head-to-head on what Dallas should do next.
Dallas, TX
New video of Lake Dallas explosion draws focus on order decades ago to remove old plastic pipes
The search for the next general manager or president of basketball operations of the Dallas Mavericks has begun. They terminated Nico Harrison in November, which was about nine months too late, and gave any available candidates clear notice that they were open for business.
The plan was always to wait until after the season to start the search. While names popped up as the season reached an end, they didn’t begin turning over the staff until the Monday after the season ended. However, Dallas Mavericks fans are not going to like how the team is going about the search.
Patrick Dumont Leading Search for General Manager
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Mavericks are not hiring a search firm in their hunt for a new lead executive. Instead, team governor Patrick Dumont is “acting as his own point person.”
This is an… interesting decision, to say the least. Dumont is not a basketball person whatsoever, and most organizations usually hire a search firm. The Chicago Bulls hired one as they look for their replacement for Arturas Karnisovas. Just because a firm is hired doesn’t mean a team will listen, though.
The Mavericks hired a firm in their last search for a GM. They let Donnie Nelson go in 2021 after a long tenure with the Mavs. Instead of listening to the firm, though, Mark Cuban ignored it to hire Nico Harrison, who had no previous NBA front office experience. Harrison had been an executive with Nike, which gave him connections with players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and plenty of others.
For a while, that seemed to be working out okay. While he still had some questionable transactions, such as trading for Christian Wood and letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency, they were still able to make a run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Then, he blew it all up, trading away Luka Doncic for an older and injured Anthony Davis, and the team hasn’t been the same since.
It’s imperative that the Mavericks get this hire correct. The interim Co-GM setup with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley has performed admirably, but the 2026 NBA Draft is important for the Mavs to get right. It’s their best chance to pair Cooper Flagg with another young star, as they don’t own their first-round pick again until 2031 after this.
Hiring the right GM could help bring in more draft capital by bringing in bad contracts or flipping veterans into picks.
Dumont was able to convince Rick Welts, a Hall of Famer, to come out of retirement to be the CEO and lead the charge for a new arena. Maybe Dumont pulls another rabbit out of his hat for the GM.
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