Dallas Stars: Preparing Yourself For Opening Night

13 OCT 2016: Dallas Stars Right Wing Adam Cracknell (27) celebrates his goal with teammates during the NHL game between the Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. Dallas defeats Anaheim 4-2. (Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
13 OCT 2016: Dallas Stars Right Wing Adam Cracknell (27) celebrates his goal with teammates during the NHL game between the Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. Dallas defeats Anaheim 4-2. (Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

There’s only one month to go between now and opening night for the Dallas Stars. Make sure you are prepared for game one with this handy, dandy checklist.

It’s hard to believe that in just 30 days, regular season hockey will return to the AAC. The Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars will hit the ice on Oct. 6 and duke it out for their first wins of the season.

You may whine at that length of time and complain that it’s still too far away. Luckily, there’s plenty to follow in the Stars organization between now and then to keep you busy.

But once opening night arrives, will you be ready? And I’m not just talking about being prepared from an emotional and fan standpoint, but also from an objective and material position. It is just one month away, after all.

When opening night arrives, you won’t want to take it on unprepared. You would miss out on a historical game, not see the Stars play, and be truly depressed overall. That is something you don’t want or need in your life.

Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars

That being said, here is a checklist that you can begin filling out as we approach the beginning of the 2017-18 regular season. Use it at your own leisure.

1. Make sure you can watch it

Opening night is typically regarded as one of the most special nights in a team’s regular season slate. It’s the beginning of a new era with a new team and there’s no telling what you will see. In addition to that, everyone would love to say, “I went to the first game of the season the year the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup.” So you might as well go to all of them just in case.

Have you purchased tickets to opening night yet? It’s one of the biggest games on this year’s schedule, it will be the first performance for this new Dallas Stars team, and it will also be the Knights’ first game in franchise history. There’s a lot to take in.

Plus, it’s always nice to start the season off with a sellout crowd. You can currently find tickets on any number of ticket-selling sites, or call 214-GO-STARS and buy them now. Get them while they are at a decent rate and prepare your lungs for Oct. 6.

If you cannot afford the tickets at the moment or simply cannot make the trip, there is a way around it. It’s called the television. Make sure that you are either subscribed to Fox Sports Southwest or NHL.tv so you can catch the game on opening night. Both services offer both television and mobile broadcasting capabilities, so you will be set either way.

Regardless of which route you take, just make sure your eyes can catch the game. It won’t be one you want to miss.

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Update your wardrobe

This season is special for the NHL in the fact that along with starting their 101st year in action, the league is getting a new wardrobe. The league converted from Reebok to Adidas this summer as their main supplier and dealer.

That means that all 31 teams got a makeover on their jerseys, apparel, and overall merchandise. The Dallas Stars now have a new jersey that they will debut on opening night.

Are you buying a new jersey? Chances are that if you want to stay up to date with the times, you’ll be copping a new sweater. There are two versions that will be available (Adidas authentic jersey and Fanatics replica jersey).

Whichever one you decide to purchase, make sure to also pick the right player name for the back (if you don’t want it to remain blank).

If you don’t necessarily want a new jersey just yet, though, there are plenty of other new options. Adidas is releasing a line of player name & number shirts, jackets, long sleeve shirts, Climalite merchandise, and more. There will be plenty of options to choose from. So make sure you scoop up some new gear before the big night.

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Familiarize yourself with new faces

When you press your face up against the glass on opening night for warmups, you’re bound to see a few new faces skating around in Victory Green. It might be a good idea to get to know them ahead of time.

The Dallas Stars added goaltender Ben Bishop (who will likely start on opening night with his new glow-in-the-dark mask), defenseman Marc Methot (who will likely skate top line minutes) forwards Martin Hanzal (who is massive) and Alexander Radulov (who has the typical Russian smile with a few teeth missing). It would be good if you could scream at them and use the right name. For a full refresher, check this article out.

Get hyped

This one is pretty self explanatory. It’s been a long time since hockey season was in full swing, but we’re almost back. That deserves some sot of celebration, so spend the next month conserving your energy and dedication. It’s almost back.

Next: Will The Stars Make A Run At The Cup This Season?

This is bound to be a special year for the Dallas Stars. With that being said, do your job as fans and help start the 2017-18 season off with a bang.