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After Long Wait, Hockey is Back in Dallas

taylor newby
·3 min read

At long last, hockey is back.

The first night of preseason games in the NHL feature three games, including the Dallas Stars opening up their exhibition slate at home against the St. Louis Blues.

Fresh off of training camp in Frisco, Stars fans will have their first look at the team since a disappointing Western Conference Finals loss to Edmonton in June. The Stars and head coach Pete DeBoer said the experience losing to the Oilers is a motivation for this season to accomplish what each team always sets out to do - win the Stanley Cup.

While there are still a couple more weeks until the regular season starts, Dallas will trot out promising youngsters alongside some veterans for each game throughout the preseason, trying to mix and match the right chemistry in preparation for the games that matter.

Even though final rosters haven't been established yet, this is technically the first meeting of the season for former Dallas players Radek Faksa and Ryan Suter. Faksa was traded in the offseason, while Suter was bought out of the final year of his contract in Dallas but wanted to continue playing elsewhere, eventually signing with the Blues.

Faksa was interviewed about being traded to St. Louis on Friday at training camp.

"I kind of told [Stars GM Jim Nill] I'm not happy with my ice time and stuff like that. I'm looking forward to a new challenge... I'm happy in St Louis." Faksa said.

Though it is just a pre-season game, these two teams are division rivals and both teams are surely eager to hit the ice for their first real competition of the season. This is the chance for young players to make an impression and fight for a scarce spot on each team's roster.

In an interview, head coach Pete DeBoer talked about how he can't get every roster spot figured out by the end of training camp, but the team also can't start the season slow. DeBoer said the team will have to make decisions that he believes will give them the chance to put their best foot forward when opening night comes around and a valuable two points are up for grabs.

Related: Stars Unveil Training Camp Schedule And Roster -- And Fans Can Get Free Tickets To Watch Them

Puck drop at the American Airlines Center is at 6 p.m. CDT. The game against the Blues will be aired on new streaming service Victory+, marking the first Dallas Stars broadcast on the app. Victory+ is available for free download on most streaming devices.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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