Sam's Story: My winding history with the Dallas Stars

I want to get real for a bit.

Anyone who knows me knows my history with the Dallas Stars and likely how I got here to DLLS. If you don’t know me or the whole story, this one’s for you.

I was born in Pleasanton, California, and grew up in the Bay Area for the first six years of my life. According to my Dad, my first hockey game was at the Shark Tank (San Jose Arena), but I was so young that the memory is non-existent.

To me, my first NHL game didn’t come until June 1, 2000; Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars. I had just turned eight.

Brett Hull scored twice – his 10th and 11th goals of the playoffs – to give Dallas a much-needed Game 2 win after being blown out 7-3 in Game 1 (funny enough, that was the same score as my High School state championship game at the Devils new arena – the Prudential Center – 11 years later).

I remember the towels waving, ‘The Hey Song” blasting and the wild tailgates across the parking lots of the Meadowlands and Continental Airlines Arena. I think we even bought a pretzel out of a shopping cart.

On the ice, I remember one player in particular, wearing the green and gold, who I will never forget. That player was flying around the ice, sweater fluttering in the wind behind him, making opponents look silly. No. 9. Mike Modano.

Modano assisted on both of Hull’s goals in the game, including winning a puck battle on the boards and finding Hull for a wicked wrister over the glove of Martin Brodeur to open the scoring.

From that point on, the Stars were my team. And Modano was who I mirrored my entire playing career after. I can’t think of any better memories than the long, cold days and nights re-enacting Stars goals out on the pond near my house. Sure, I turned out to be a grinder and net-front guy in high school and college. But I still watched film to see if my jersey was flying in the wind.

I loved traveling all around the Tri-State area to see Dallas play the Devils, New York Rangers and New York Islanders. I was booed relentlessly by New Yorkers. That fandom continued through some of the biggest moments in team history – Brenden Morrow winning the series in the fourth overtime, Modano’s records and final game in Dallas and plenty of heartbreak and tough seasons.

I finally made it to Dallas with my Dad in 2010 and have made many trips since.

During college in Southern California, my friends and I never missed a game when the Stars were in town playing the Anaheim Ducks or Los Angeles Kings. It became a tradition.

Then came 2020 and COVID-19. The lockdown paused the NHL season along with most other fun activities. That’s when I started writing.

I always loved writing – telling fiction stories, writing songs and keeping journals of important events. But 2020 was the first time I wrote publicly about hockey. I started my own Stars blog and continued writing until the season picked back up and Dallas made a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final in the bubble.

I got my first chance to cover the team in person during the 2021-22 season. I moved to Dallas with very little and did everything I could to get involved in all aspects of the team and its media contingent. I met some incredible people – Mike Heika, Matt DeFranks, Saad Yousuf, Josh Bogorad, Daryl Reaugh, Owen Newkirk, Bruce LeVine, Brent Severyn and many others who taught me so much – and I enjoyed two amazing seasons covering the Stars.

Then came life and a move back home to be closer to family and my girlfriend. I don’t regret that decision at all, as I was able to spend loads of time with the people I love most and take the next step in my relationship. But I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss the rink.

Finally, DLLS.

We’ve already talked about all that DLLS and ALLCITY provide, so I want to stick with why I made the decision to uproot and move back down to Big D.

My dream has always been to cover the Dallas Stars on a full-time basis. Well, first it was to play for them, but I never quite made it there.

To be around the team, part of an awesome media group, traveling to games and talking hockey all day every day. That was what I wanted. That is what I worked hard to reach. I lived part of that dream a couple of years ago. But I still needed to work a full-time job in order to live – not that it stopped me from attending every Stars event.

This time around, we are doing it right. With DLLS, I don’t just get to live my dream writing stories about my lifelong favorite NHL team. I also get to be a part of something bigger than myself. Along with Owen, Craig Ludwig, Sean Shapiro and our amazing team, I am here for the fans. And the possibilities are endless.

DLLS provides daily Stars content and a community like no other. That is special. And it is exactly why I moved back across the country – away from my loved ones – to be here.

Thank you, Katie and all of my family and friends, for supporting me through each step. I couldn’t have done any of it or made this decision without you.

Stars fans, I am so excited to be here. The first three weeks at DLLS have been incredible, and we haven’t even hit the ice for training camp. I have to admit that seeing Modano’s statue the first day I arrived in Dallas was a pretty surreal feeling.

If you have questions, ask. If you want to read about specific topics, hear from a certain player or just want to chat about hockey or life, reach out. I am here to bring you the coverage you want and deserve. Y’all give me the chance to write about and talk Dallas Stars hockey every single day. And I appreciate all of you for that.

Thanks for pushing through my emotional rant. I hope to see you in Frisco next week and throughout the season at the AAC.

Enjoy your weekend. Go Stars.