Stars–Blackhawks

Lore & Background

The Stars moved to Dallas for the 1993–94 season and were placed in the Central Division of the Western Conference. The Blackhawks have been a division rival since then. The Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999.

In Their Own Story

The arena in Dallas hums at 7:42 p.m. on a Tuesday in February. The ice is fresh, the Zamboni has just finished its last pass, and the smell of cold rubber and pine-sol lingers in the air. A Stars forward skates the boards, tapping his stick against the ice in a rhythm that is almost a prayer. Across the rink, a Blackhawks defenseman is already in his stance, knees bent, eyes locked on the center ice circle where the puck will drop in four minutes. The crowd noise is a low, sustained drone—ten thousand voices breathing together. A kid in the third row holds a hand-painted sign: "CUP OR NOTHING, CHICAGO." Three rows back, a fan in a Stars jersey laughs and raises a foam finger. The kid scowls. The fan scowls back. Neither will move. The puck drops. The first hit is ugly, a shoulder check that echoes off the glass. Both players are on the ice for a moment, then rise. The Stars forward skates away, jaw set. The Blackhawks defenseman spits on the ice and jogs back to his zone. The game is ninety seconds old and already it is a war. It will be a war for sixty minutes. And next week, they will do it again, in Chicago, under different lights, with the same two cities staring at the same small black disc and refusing to blink.

Reader's Guide

The Stars have won nine division titles in Dallas, two Presidents' Trophies, three Western Conference championships, and the Stanley Cup in 1999.

Did You Know?

• The Stars played in Reunion Arena from 1993 to 2001 before moving to the American Airlines Center.
• The franchise originated as the Minnesota North Stars in 1967 and relocated to Dallas for the 1993–94 season.
• Joe Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1999 as playoff MVP.