Roope Hintz

Lore & Background

Hintz grew up in Finland playing within the Ilves organization. He spent the 2012–13 season with the Tampa Bay Juniors in the Empire Junior Hockey League and also played early that season with the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League before returning to Finland to play professionally for Ilves. He made his Liiga debut during the 2013–14 season, playing seven games while spending most of the season with Finland's U20 team.

As the youngest player on Ilves in the 2014–15 Liiga season, he recorded five goals and 12 assists for 17 points through 42 games. Hintz transferred to fellow Liiga club HIFK on a two-year contract in April 2015. After missing the start of the 2015–16 season due to injury, he returned as HIFK's second-line center and finished the season with 19 goals and 11 assists for 30 points through 44 games, then led the Liiga in postseason scoring with three goals and 11 assists for 14 points through 14 games.

Early Life & Multi-Sport Roots

Roope Hintz was born on November 17, 1996, in Nokia, Finland, to Marika and Kai Hintz. His first steps onto the ice came at just three years old at the Pyry Skating School, where he began his journey with the Nokia Pyry youth program. What makes his early sporting life distinctive is that he was not a single-sport child; he played organized basketball, soccer, and hockey simultaneously. Both of his parents had played basketball in their own youth, so the family's athletic DNA leaned toward the hardwood.

Yet Hintz ultimately followed the path of his older brother Miiko into ice hockey, a choice that would define the rest of his life. Growing up within the Ilves organization, he absorbed the Finnish development system before a formative stint abroad would reshape his game. The combination of a small-town Finnish upbringing, multi-sport versatility, and a family culture of competition gave him a foundation that few young players possess.

Liiga Forging: Ilves and HIFK

Hintz's professional development in Finland was marked by rapid growth and pivotal transitions. After a brief North American junior experience with the Tampa Bay Juniors and Bismarck Bobcats during the 2012-13 season, he returned to Ilves for his Liiga debut in 2013-14, splitting time between the senior roster and Finland's U20 squad. The following year, as the youngest player on the Ilves roster, he posted 17 points in 42 games, finishing eighth in team scoring.

In April 2015, he moved to HIFK on a two-year deal, and the NHL Central Scouting Bureau had already flagged him among the top eligible European skaters, leading to his 49th overall selection by Dallas in the 2015 entry draft. The 2015-16 season tested him: an injury cost him the first eleven games, but upon returning as HIFK's second-line center he averaged nearly 18 minutes of ice per game. He finished with 30 points in 44 games and then led the entire Liiga in postseason scoring with 14 points in 14 playoff games before HIFK was eliminated.

The 2018 Calder Cup Run

The 2017-18 season in the American Hockey League was the proving ground that launched Hintz's North American career. After scoring in his Texas Stars debut against the Chicago Wolves, he led all AHL rookies in scoring by December with 17 points in 31 games and was briefly recalled to the NHL on March 5, 2018. Though he returned to the AHL the next day without making his NHL debut, his final ten regular-season games produced five goals, tying for eleventh among rookies. Then came the Calder Cup playoffs, where Hintz became a central figure.

In the first round against the Ontario Reign, he set up two game-winning goals, including Brian Flynn's overtime winner and Denis Gurianov's series-clinching strike in Game 4. In the Conference Finals against the Rockford IceHogs, he recorded three goals and three assists, the most memorable being his overtime winner in Game 6 with just 8.5 seconds remaining to seal a 2-1 victory. Dallas ultimately fell to the Toronto Marlies in a seven-game Finals, but Hintz's playoff performance announced him as a player to watch.

NHL Arrival & Rise to Top Player

Hintz's path to becoming a cornerstone of the Dallas Stars unfolded over several seasons. He made his NHL debut on October 4, 2018, in a 3-0 win over Arizona, logging nearly ten minutes and four hits. After a brief stint back in the AHL, his strong 2018-19 campaign earned him a full-time NHL role for 2019-20. By the 2021-22 season, Hintz had cemented himself as the top-line center and the franchise's most important player, a role that carried the weight of leading the Stars' offense.

He also assumed the alternate captaincy, a mark of trust from both coaching staff and teammates. His nickname, the "Ace of Spades," reflects his role as the team's primary offensive catalyst. What distinguishes his rise is the steady, methodical progression: from a 17-year-old splitting time with Finland's U20 team, to a rookie AHL scorer, to a Calder Cup playoff hero, and finally to the player around whom Dallas builds its top unit. Each step was earned through consistent production rather than a single flash of brilliance.

Did You Know?

• Hintz scored an overtime game-winner with 8.5 seconds left in Game 6 of the 2018 Calder Cup Conference Finals.
• He played through a fractured foot during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.