Dallas Stars Ownership To Buy Texas Stars

Apr 21, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi is interviewed before the game between the Stars and the Anaheim Ducks in game three of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

When Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi bought the team, he mentioned he wanted his organization to be consistent. That is why he hired Jim Nill as general manager, who’s consistency with the Detroit Red Wings organization resulted in the Wings being amongst the NHL’s elite for the last 20 years. That is why he was on board with the Lindy Ruff hire, who just ended one of the longest coaching tenures in NHL history. Gaglardi understood that consistency breeds success and Dallas wanted that success.

Today, news surfaced that Gaglardi’s company, Northland Properties announced that they will be intending to purchase the Texas Stars, Dallas’ AHL affiliate, along with multiple ice rinks in the greater Dallas area. Josh Clark covered this briefly in today’s Power Countdown, but what exactly does this mean for the Dallas Stars?

For one, it creates more organizational alignment and synergy. Nill has made everyone in Cedar Park aware that they are being watched, and this will reinforce that message further. Nill has also mentioned the importance of developing not just players, but coaches and executives from the minor system that are able to grow into NHL roles. This should make the Texas Stars a more attractive destination for people in any minor league role, knowing that the organization wants its personnel to succeed to the point of being able to land NHL jobs even if with other franchises. That should lead to better hockey people wanting to come to work in Cedar Park, which results in a better pipeline for Dallas. From the player development standpoint, this move will give Nill and Dallas more control over the prospects in the system. This means that regardless of the level of play a prospect shows on the ice, Dallas management has a voice in deciding things along the lines of ice time and growth strategies.

From a branding standpoint, the Northland Properties purchases of a few local rinks will only strengthen the Dallas Stars brand. This gives the Dallas Stars more opportunities to hold practices around the area, in turn exposing the product to more people and growing the brand. There are tens of thousands of amateur hockey players of all ages in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and for the majority, the Dr. Pepper Starcenters are the nicest rinks in town. On a personal level, it is extremely comfortable to know that regardless of which of the six Starcenters in the area I might play at, I know what the building will feel like, and that there will be a positive experience from the rink from the staff to the accommodations. Adding another Starcenter to the mix will be a positive for both the Stars and the community, as the Starcenters host everything from learning to skate programs, competitive travel hockey, high school hockey and rec leagues of all ages, not to mention the figure skating aspect.

On the big picture, this is a great, albeit rather common sense move for the organization. Gaglardi wanted consistency in his organization so he brought on a general manager who shares that point of view. That general manager hired a coach who was one of the longest tenured coaches in NHL history. Now with today’s news, that organizational consistency has strengthened even more. It may seem like a trivial move, but it will reap rewards for both organizations, Dallas and Texas, and the local communities for years to come.

As always, I welcome your comments. Thanks for reading and go Stars!