Dallas, TX
Game Preview, 4/12: Utah Hockey Club vs. Dallas Stars | Utah Hockey Club
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: American Airlines Center – Dallas, Texas
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App
The Utah Hockey Club (36-30-13) matches up with the Dallas Stars (50-23-6) tonight at American Airlines Center in the Lone Star State. Tonight is the first of Utah’s final three-game road trip to conclude the 2024-25 regular season. The Mountain Blue is looking for its first win of the year against Dallas. Both of Utah’s losses to the Stars have been by a narrow 3-2 margin.
ONE-TIMERS
- Clayton Keller is two points away from passing the career high (86) he set in 2022-23.
- Jack McBain has a career best 13 goals this season.
- Ian Cole leads the NHL with 205 blocked shots this season.
- Utah is 18-15-5 on the road.
- Three of the six teams in the NHL with 100 points are in the Central Division.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Despite four consecutive losses, Dallas has been one of the NHL’s best squads all season. The Stars rank fourth in the league offensively with 3.38 goals per game and third defensively with 2.61 goals against per contest. After a 4-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, the Stars are almost cemented into second place in the Central Division and will likely face the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The last four games for the Stars have constituted their first and only four-game losing streak this season. Dallas has given up an uncharacteristic 18 goals over those four losses- the most they’ve given up in a four-game span this season. The recent downturn for the Stars comes after a seven-game win streak from Mar. 22 to Apr. 3.
Dallas is spearheaded by Matt Duchene and his team-best 81 points (30G, 51A). Jason Robertson leads the club with 34 goals and has two hat tricks since the 4 Nations Face-off.
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #17 NICK BJUGSTAD – After leading off the scoring on Thursday against Nashville, Nick Bjugstad has two goals in his last three games and is now up to seven for the season.
DALLAS: #53 WYATT JOHNSTON – In March, Johnston was one of the hottest players in the NHL. The 21-year-old scored goals in six straight games from Mar. 24 to Apr. 3 and now is up to 31 on the campaign.
LOOK BACK
Utah closed its 2024-25 home schedule with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night at Delta Center. The Mountain Blue finished with an 18-15-5 home record and points in 12 of its last 15 in Salt Lake City.
Nick Bjugstad and Josh Doan led off the scoring for Utah in the second period to put the hosts up 2-0. Nashville then tied the game at 2-2 with power-play goals from Nick Blakenburg late in the second and from Filip Forsberg 1:19 into the third. Ryan O’Reilly stashed a rebound for the Preds just 1:58 after Forsberg’s goal to give Nashville their first lead of the game.
Dylan Guenther scored his 27th goal of the season at the 5:42 mark of the third frame to knot things up at 3-3, but Utah fell in the shootout after Forsberg scored the only goal of the skills competition.
LAST MEETING
Utah earned a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Jan. 4 at American Airlines Center. After a scoreless first, the two teams erupted for a four-goal second period, including a goal from Dallas’ Jamie Benn just 16 seconds into the frame.
Utah’s Matias Maccelli responded 1:14 later with his first of two goals on the night. Maccelli’s second came three minutes after Oskar Bäck gave the Stars a 2-1 lead. After a scoreless third, Thomas Harley banged in the overtime-winner to conclude the contest. Utah outshot Dallas 33-29 in the loss.
UTAH ANNOUNCES 2024-25 HONORS
The Utah Hockey Club announced its 2024-25 honorees after Thursday’s game against Nashville at Delta Center. Below are the recipients of the team awards who were recognized for their contributions on and off the ice during this NHL season.
- Team MVP – Goaltender Karel Vejmelka: Vejmelka was selected by his teammates as the player with the most valuable contributions to the team’s success. He has had a career-best season, posting a 25-21-8 record with a 2.51 goals-against average (GAA), .906 save percentage (SV%) percentage (SV%) to win Team MVP as voted on by the players. The 28-year-old goaltender has established career highs in games played (58), starts (53), wins (25), GAA (2.51) and SV% (.906). Vejmelka has also posted a 12-6-4 record in 22 consecutive games dating back to Feb. 23, marking the longest streak of starts by any NHL goaltender since 2018-19.
- Three Stars Award – Forward Dylan Guenther: Guenther was recognized with the Three Stars Award for receiving the most postgame star honors throughout the season. He has been selected as one of the Three Stars16 times this season, with nine First Star recognitions. The 22-year-old forward was named First Star in each of Utah’s first two games (Oct. 8-10) and also earned three First Star selections in a six-game span from Feb. 4-23, with game-winning goals in all three contests. Guenther ranks tied for the team lead in goals (27), fourth in points (57) and first in power-play goals (12) this season. He also sits tied for third in the NHL in game-winning goals (9) and tied for sixth in overtime goals (3), and his 15 total go-ahead tallies are tied for the fifth-most of any NHL skater in 2024-25.
- Leading Scorer Award – Forward Clayton Keller: In recognition of finishing the season with the team’s highest point total, earning 27-58-85 in 78 games, Keller received the Leading Scorer Award. Utah’s first-ever captain ranks top-15 in the NHL in both assists and points, and he needs just two points over the final four games to set a new single-season career-high scoring total. Keller has already established new career highs in power-play assists (26) and power-play points (35) this season, and he leads the league with 8-22-30 on the man-advantage since Dec. 8. The 26-year-old forward has been held without a point in back-to-back games just once this season, and he posted the only five-point game (1-4-5) in franchise history against Minnesota on Feb. 27.
- Community-Obsessed Award – Forward Alexander Kerfoot: Selected as the player who is most active in the community, Kerfoot focused heavily on growing the game of hockey in the area by offering unique access and experiences to the sport, especially for young girl hockey players. Also the Club’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominee, Kerfoot has touched many aspiring players throughout the inaugural 2024-25 season by providing tickets and experiences, as well as community appearances for teams and organizations such as Ogden Lady Mustangs, Utah Olympic Oval Wildcats, Lady Grizzlies, Primary Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish, Granite Education Foundation, Utah Hockey Club Learn to Play and Utah Hockey Club Youth.
- All-In Award – Forward Barrett Hayton: Hayton has been selected by the fans as the first-ever winner of the All-In Award, given to the player who leaves it all on the ice, from the opening puck drop to the final buzzer. One of only six skaters to appear in all 79 games for Utah this season, the 24-year-old forward has matched his career highs in goals, assists and points while setting new career-best marks in power-play goals (6), power-play points (12) and game-winning goals (7). Hayton sits second on the team with a career-high 53.8% faceoff win percentage and ranks tied for sixth among Utah forwards in blocked shots (42). He also scored the first hat trick in franchise history at Los Angeles on Feb. 22.
LOOK AHEAD
Utah continues its final road trip of the season on Monday against the Nashville Predators. Utah’s final game of the 2024-25 regular season comes on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues.
Dusty May on leaving Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May sat down with FOX 4’s Mike Doocy to discuss why he left the University of Michigan for an NBA job, how his wife and family have supported his journey, his expectations for transforming the Mavs into a championship contender, and more.
DALLAS – North Texans are eager to learn all about the Dallas Mavericks’ new head coach, Dusty May, and his plan for the team.
Dallas Mavs Coach Dusty May
What we know:
May is fresh off a national title win with the Michigan Wolverines.
In his two season in Ann Arbor, May guided the Wolverines to a 64-13 record.
In his prior stint as the head coach at Florida Atlantic University, May guided the Owls to a Final Four in 2023 and multiple NCAA tournament berths.
May comes in as the replacement for Jason Kidd, who the Mavericks parted ways with in late May.
He’s the first big hire under Masai Ujiri, who was hired as the team’s new President of Basketball Operations in early May.
This will be May’s first stint as an NBA head coach.
What they’re saying:
In an interview with Mike Doocy, the 49-year-old coach said he thinks the Mavericks could become real championship contenders sooner rather than later.
He highlighted Kyrie Irving’s return, the potential of Max Christie, and, of course, the skills of star rookie Cooper Flag.
“I think it’s just his mindset, his tenacity, his ability to play every single position at a high level and play both sides of the ball. The fact that he’s always won. He hasn’t always been on the most talented teams, so he’s a competitor that’s up for the challenge. I could literally go on all day about the positive attributes that Cooper has,” he said.
In terms of adjusting from college basketball to the NBA, May said he’s excited about the coaching staff he’s putting together.
He plans to rely on the veterans on the team and in the office as he starts his professional basketball career.
The Source: Information in this article comes from an interview with Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May.
Dallas, TX
Texas took this Dallas couple’s newborn baby for 3 weeks. A judge says their rights were violated
A Travis County judge ruled the state’s child welfare agency violated the constitutional rights of a Dallas couple whose newborn daughter was temporarily taken into state custody for week after a hospital visit three years ago.
Temecia and Rodney Jackson sued the Department of Family and Protective Services, the agency that houses Child Protective Services, last year. The parents say the department put them on the Central Registry — a public abuse and neglect database — without a clear way to appeal and get themselves removed.
Travis County District Judge Catherine Mauzy ruled late last month two sections of the state administrative code used in the Jacksons’ case impair or interfere with the family’s constitutional due process rights.
One section states DFPS can label an investigation into alleged abuse as “unable to determine,” which means investigators could not rule out abuse or neglect, but the subject of investigation isn’t completely cleared of wrongdoing.
The Jacksons argued the Central Registry process and the “unable to determine” label didn’t give the parents an opportunity to appeal the determinations and defend themselves.
“That is a denial of procedural due process,” said Charelle Lett with the ACLU of Texas, which is helping represent the Jacksons in court. “And this court agreed that the Jacksons are entitled to that, and so is every other Texan that comes through this system.”
KERA News reached out to DFPS for comment and will update this story with any response.
CPS took baby Mila into custody after Baylor Scott and White Doctor Anand Bhatt reported the Jacksons for alleged medical neglect in 2023. Bhatt diagnosed 3-day-old Mila with jaundice during a routine postpartum checkup and believed she needed treatment in the hospital.
The Jacksons opted to pursue an alternative treatment plan at home with their midwife to avoid being separated from Mila. Texas law gives parents the right to consent to their child’s health care.
Bhatt named a different woman as Mila’s mother, according to the lawsuit. That woman’s name, criminal and family history were later written on the affidavit authorities used to take Mila into CPS custody. DFPS corrected the mistake days later but said CPS would still keep Mila.
At the time, DFPS found “reason to believe” there was medical neglect in Mila’s home — a label indicating abuse or neglect has likely occurred — and, without notice, put the Jacksons on the department’s Central Registry for perpetrators of abuse or neglect.
DFPS said the Texas Family Code requires the department to make these kinds of findings, according to court records. The parents requested an administrative review of those findings and provided DFPS with records to make their appeal, according to the suit.
DFPS ultimately dismissed the case and returned Mila to her parents after three weeks in CPS custody. The label on their case was changed to “unable to determine” nearly a year later, after an informal review by a DFPS specialist.
That removed the Jacksons’ case from the Central Registry. According to the suit, DFPS did not rule out the allegations because there was “significant concern for risk.”
But the Jacksons sued, arguing the DFPS process gives them no options to entirely clear their name from the department’s systems.
Temecia Jackson told KERA News last year that following Mila’s return, the family resettled in Dallas with Mila and their two older sons to get away from the traumatic memories of Mila being taken from their DeSoto home.
In their suit, Rodney Jackson says he felt his reputation has been jeopardized by the DFPS investigation, and he’s uncomfortable volunteering in the community or coaching his kids’ sports teams.
DFPS says its rules are consistent with what state law requires for child safety, and the Jacksons already used the existing process to successfully challenge their “reason to believe” finding. DFPS argued the Jacksons have already been removed from the registry, their case records are not public, and state law does not allow the family to get agency decisions changed or erased.
And DFPS says the family’s alleged reputational harms are hypothetical.
Unless the state appeals, Lett said, Mauzy’s ruling brings an end to the Jacksons’ case. While the future for the Jacksons and their case is uncertain, Lett called the decision a win for all parents.
“We are not trying to keep the DFPS from taking children out of dangerous situations,” Lett said. “There is value to what they do, but they could do it in a way that does not infringe on people’s rights.”
Toluwani Osibamowo is KERA’s law and justice reporter. Got a tip? Email Toluwani at tosibamowo@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
DALLAS – The U.S. has a big opportunity on its hands in the World Cup Round of 16 against Belgium.
You can watch the live stream of the crowd at FIFA Fan Festival Dallas in the video player above.
USA vs. Belgium watch party at FIFA Fan Festival Dallas
What we know:
Many fans have already gathered in Fair Park to watch tonight’s U.S. vs. Belgium match.
Past watch parties for U.S. games have drawn massive crowds as fans of the Red, White and Blue hope to see their team advance to the World Cup quarterfinals.
The U.S. is playing Belgium, who knocked the USMNT out of the 2014 World Cup in the Round of 16.
If the USA gets a little revenge, they would play Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday, July 10, in Los Angeles.
The Source: Information in this story comes from FIFA Fan Festival Dallas.
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