Dallas has been a focal point of the hockey world in recent weeks. Superstar forward Mikko Rantanen was traded to the Dallas Stars on March 7, making them an even more legitimate Stanley Cup contender and giving them hope they can host games in the Stanley Cup Final at American Airlines Center for the first time in a quarter century.
Even before that trade, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex was already scheduled to be the site of one major event this spring: USA Hockey will host the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship in Frisco and Allen, Texas, beginning April 23.
Right place. Right time.
“It’s absolutely priceless,” said Al Montoya, the Stars vice president of cultural growth and strategy. “The privilege to host an international tournament like this can’t be [overstated]. Hockey is not an old thing here in Texas. … Being able to leverage this tournament — where you have the best prospects in the world — is a fantastic touch point for us and another way for us to connect with the community.
“You get to see these top talents that will be on the NHL ice in a few years. I know through our Future Stars, our girls’ initiatives, our youth hockey programs, we want to fill those stadiums. That’s what we want to do. That’s what success looks like.
“Whether you’re a hockey player, whether you’re a fan, there are great ways to bring you into the game every day.”
The tournament will showcase many of the world’s top 2007-born players. As of that year, no player born and raised in Texas had reached the NHL.
The landscape is different now. This season alone, seven Texas-born players have appeared in the NHL, including Seth Jones and Caleb Jones, whose pro hockey success has had a far-reaching impact on their hometown. Two alumni of the Dallas Stars Elite youth hockey program will be early-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft: Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman Blake Fiddler and Arizona State forward Cullen Potter.
Projecting further ahead, the recent tryout camp for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program included three players developed in the Stars Elite system: defensemen Diego Gutierrez and Broden McArthur and goalie Mark Djomo.
“It has been an incredible experience,” Dr. Yolande Djomo, Mark’s mother, said of her son’s time with Stars Elite. “That’s because they are a true development program. They took Mark from in-house. They recognized that he had some talent and passion for playing goalie. They took him in and built him up from there.
“It’s competitive, but there’s always a lot of support from the coaches and organization to make sure kids grow and become better players and better human beings in general. They really have that as a very positive aspect.”
Yolande Djomo, a pediatrician originally from Cameroon, said she first learned about the U-18 Worlds by seeing advertisements at community rinks in the Dallas area.
“I’m going to be getting a ticket,” Djomo said. “I need to go watch some games. It’s exciting. All the boys are going to be excited to be part of this event. I love it. They all know what it means.”
Frisco and Plano, Texas, hosted the 2021 Under-18 Men’s Worlds before reduced crowds due to COVID-19; thus, the upcoming tournament is the first opportunity for many Texas hockey fans to experience a high-profile IIHF event.
The United States plays Czechia, Switzerland, Sweden, and Germany in the preliminary round. The quarterfinals begin April 30, with the gold-medal game set for May 3.
Eric Silverman, the Stars Elite 16U head coach and hockey director, has arranged practice and game schedules for Stars Elite teams to ensure that hockey families can watch The U.S. play as often as possible.
Silverman’s hockey journey helps to illustrate the sport’s advancement in the area. A New York native, Silverman moved to Dallas two decades ago after retiring as a player. Initially, he planned to stay for one season while working as a skating coach. Instead, he found a home in the youth hockey community and helped to launch the Stars Elite program in 2009.
“This town’s been unbelievable to me,” Silverman said. “To see where it’s come through the course of time that I’ve been here has been incredible. The hockey world’s going to see in the next five years: The players coming out of here are really, really, really good, which is exciting for us.”
The Under-18 Worlds are coming to Texas at a moment when hockey is more diverse than ever before. The United States had a Mexican-American captain, Auston Matthews, at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Montoya, a first-generation Cuban-American, has been a direct participant in the sport’s evolution. Before playing in nine seasons as an NHL goaltender, Montoya led the U.S. to its first gold medal at the World Junior Championships in 2004.
Montoya said some of his most gratifying moments as a Stars executive have been engaging with Spanish-speaking fans at American Airlines Arena and realizing how far — literally — some have traveled to watch their favorite sport in person.
“We’re trying to grow this game, and we do it because we believe it’s the best game on Earth and everyone should have access to it and experience it,” Montoya said. “I take myself back: Growing up in Chicago, in an Irish-Catholic neighborhood, inside my house was all Spanish and outside was all English. Not really knowing where I belonged, [but] when I got to play hockey, put on that mask . . . sport was my equalizer that allowed me to find my identity.
“What we’re doing here with our youth programs . . . seeing kids play, from different backgrounds . . . seeing women’s hockey, the level they’ve taken it to, it’s exciting. I’m going to continue to say the best hockey player hasn’t been born yet. That game is only going to continue to get better, and we’ll all be better for it.”
And next month, there will be no better place than Texas to appreciate the potential in hockey’s future.
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