• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Dallas Stars

New Ownership for the Dallas Stars Breathes Life into the Franchise

By Tim McQuade November 22nd, 2011

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

After two years of unpredictability, the Dallas Stars have a new owner who is committed to winning. A bankruptcy court in Delaware approved the sale of the Stars to Tom Gaglardi, a businessmen and life-long hockey fan from Canada.

“I know that the last couple of years have been especially hard for Stars fans,” Gaglardi said. “To all of you, first let me say thank you for your patience and your support, and please know that the uncertainty is now over.”

What Got Us Here

After Tom Hicks’ volatile and disorderly ownership of the Stars came to an end two years ago, the Dallas Stars have been in an enigmatic state. Once Hicks defaulted on his loans, he was forced to dissolve his ownership of the team, and the NHL and a group of lenders took over ownership of the team during the past two years.

The provisional and weak ownership the Stars have dealt with over the past two season has caused the team to deal with a reduction in resources, as the team has had difficulties resigning or luring veteran stars. Undoubtedly, the fans have also shown their disappointment in the franchise, as average attendance has dropped markedly over the past few seasons. In the 2007-2008 season (the last time the Stars made the playoffs), Dallas ranked 12th in average attendance. Dallas saw that ranking drop to 14th, 17th,  and 23rd successively up to last season. This year, unfortunately, Dallas ranks last in average

new owner Dallas Stars

Attendance for the Dallas Stars has suffered over the past two seasons. (CameliaTWU/flickr)

attendance, pulling in just over 10,000 fans on average for a home game.

Thus, the sale to Gaglardi comes at an opportune time. If taken at his word, Gaglardi appears to be entering the ownership role committed to infusing the franchise with resources and supplying the sound foundation that has been lacking in Dallas. Also, Gaglardi has previous franchise ownership experience, as he served as part of the ownership group for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke encouraging and supportive words of Gaglardi during the recent press conference for the new owner.

“If the level of determination and perseverance that Tom Gaglardi has shown in pursuit of this franchise is any indication of the future, the future is extraordinarily bright, and people will once again be celebrating the Stanley Cup here,” said Bettman. “Watching him over the last year, we have the right owner, at the right time, for the right market, for the right franchise.”

Of course, Bettman is probably just glad to have the Stars under reliable ownership, but nevertheless, the Stars and the league took a step forward with this sale. Not only does Gaglardi’s purchase of the team signal a positive sign for this illustrious franchise, but it also provides another glimmer that the NHL is continuing to rebound nicely from the dark days of the 2004 lockout, as proof of this can be seen in the fact that individuals such as Gaglardi are willing to invest in a relatively small-market team in the Southern portion of the league. Indeed, Gaglardi’s purchase of the team is a good sign for the Stars franchise and the league in general.

Nieuwendyk and the Front Office

Gaglardi hasn’t made it well-know what his future plans for the franchise are, but it appears he views General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk in a positive light.

“I loved watching him play,” Gaglardi said. “He is certainly fast becoming one of the great general managers of the National Hockey League, and we’re fortunate to have him here in Dallas.”

Longtime Stars President Jim Lites has also been brought back under the Gaglardi ownership. Lites served as the Stars President when the franchise moved to Dallas from Minnesota in 1993, and he held the position until 2007. Lites will be the Stars President and CEO.

“Having Jim Lites at the helm of the Stars is really an owner’s dream,” Gaglardi said. “He knows the market, he loves the game and he is totally committed to putting the Stars back in the rightful position as one of the elite franchises in the National Hockey League.”

Head Coach Glen Gulutzan also had positive words about Gaglardi, pointing out that the ownership move brings credibility and reliability to the team and the franchise.

Under new ownership, the Dallas Stars hope to return to the playoffs. (Hawk Eyes/flickr)

“It’s very positive … We have somebody that can actually answer every question that the organization may have,” Gulutzan said. “And you listen to Tom and Jim Lites speak to players before we came out on the ice and the air was nice and clear. I think it picked everybody up a little bit, and now as you move forward you feel like a complete group. I know lots of people who know Tom from back in the Western Hockey League and they speak volumes of him. He’s a great guy, a hockey guy that likes to win. I think it’s going to be real good that we have a face to our franchise.”

Gaglardi brings a breath of fresh air to a franchise that has languished undeservedly over the past few years. It seems the Dallas Stars can only go up from here. With a new head coach, general manager, president, and owner, the team looks ready to turn the page to a new chapter in the history of the franchise.

“We’re here to win. This isn’t about anything other than becoming a great team and pursuing championships,” Gaglardi said.

And on a positive note, the Stars ended their five-game skid on Monday night, beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 in Dallas at the American Airlines Center.

  • Tags
  • Gary Bettman
  • Glen Gulutzan
  • Joe Nieuwendyk
  • Tom Gaglardi
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 22nd 6:25 PM
Column

Winnipeg Jets News & Rumors: Hellebuyck, Scheifele, Ehlers & Connor

Jan 22nd 5:35 PM
Advanced Stats

Kings’ Anze Kopitar Still Has Trade Value, But Big Cap Hit Hurts

Jan 22nd 5:25 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets Held Back By John Tortorella’s Stubbornness

Jan 22nd 5:15 PM
Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers Newcomers Finding Their Roles

Jan 22nd 5:05 PM
Nashville Predators

Predators’ New Third Pairing Paying Early Dividends

Jan 22nd 4:55 PM
Winnipeg Jets

Jets Could Use Heinola’s Offensive Skill & Hockey IQ for Seasons to Come

Jan 22nd 4:45 PM
Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes Must Improve After COVID-19 Pause

Jan 22nd 4:30 PM
Nashville Predators

Predators’ Power Play Lacks A Lot

Jan 22nd 4:20 PM
Women's Hockey

Meet the NWHL’s EBUG: Mariah Fujimagari

Jan 22nd 4:10 PM
Calgary Flames

Flames Rewarded Early by New Top Line of Tkachuk, Lindholm & Dube

Editor’s Picks
2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information