Per Defending Big D.com
The is no relocation looming around the corner.
This is perhaps the biggest point I want to make and something we've had to reiterate several times over the past year. Yes, Tom Gaglardi is a Canadian businessman from the Vancouver area. Yes, there has been a push in recent years to move struggling franchises back to Canada. The Dallas Stars, however, are not under any such threat.
For one, the NHL must approve of any move. The Dallas Stars, prior to the financial collapse of Tom Hicks' empire, were one of the best teams in the NHL in generating revenue. The sale of the franchise includes ownership of half of the American Airlines Center, one of the most potentially profitable arenas in the NHL. The Stars are a shining example of how hockey can work in non-traditional markets -- and let's not forget that the Dallas-Fort Worth market is one of the largest in North America.
The Stars have been money making machines in Dallas before and they can be again. Unfortunately, the collapse of the financial backing for the Stars coincided with the struggles on the ice; players getting older, failed systems and coaching changes. Not making the postseasn has hurt the fanbase at a time when money available for marketing, public relations and the ability to add quality free agents was just not available. It's been the perfect storm for the Dallas Stars the past three years and it all adds up to what looks like a horrible situation.
The fact remains the team is not heading to bankruptcy because of a lack of support in the area; this is about how the former owner failed to meet his financial obligations while overextending his wallet. The NHL is not going to allow the Stars to move from Dallas, that is a fact.
Plus the Stars have a lease with the AAC through the 2030's.
