DALLAS. The Stars home opener arrives Friday night at American Airlines Center, where the Dallas Stars host the St. Louis Blues to start the 2026-27 regular season with Jason Robertson back on a one-year deal, Matt Duchene already on long-term injured reserve, and a nationally televised spotlight on TNT.
Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. Central. For North Texas fans, the Stars home opener stakes are not abstract. This is the first measuring stick after a first-round playoff exit a year ago, and the first look at how Dallas fills a middle-six hole without Duchene while Robertson starts a contract year that could still end in an extension or a trade deadline decision.
What the Stars home opener looks like at AAC
The club laid out the home-opener schedule in a Sept. 28 release. The Victory Green Carpet Walk presented by Toyota is scheduled for about 5 p.m. on PNC Plaza south of the arena, with fans able to line up from 3 p.m. The outdoor party that follows is free and open to the public, with live music from Fort Worth electro-pop duo Yokyo, a Stars 360 photo booth, and Toyota display giveaways. Outdoor pieces are weather dependent, the team said.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Early arrivals get a 2026-27 magnet schedule courtesy of Ticketmaster, and fans receive LED bracelets for an enhanced Bud Light pregame show. The club asked fans to be in their seats by 7:30 p.m. Dallas Stars Ice Girl and newly crowned Miss Texas 2026 Stephanie Wendt is set for the ceremonial puck drop. On radio, Daryl “Razor” Reaugh and Josh Bogorad call the game on Sportsradio 1310 and 96.7 FM The Ticket after a one-hour pregame show.
Robertson’s return, and the clock on a longer deal
According to Associated Press reporting carried by NBC 5 on Oct. 1, Robertson is on a one-year, $12 million contract after protracted offseason negotiations. He declined to be traded after a reported sign-and-trade path to Seattle did not produce a long-term agreement with the Kraken. General manager Jim Nill said the Stars still hope to reach a long-term extension, though the earliest such deal could be signed is Jan. 1.
Robertson led Dallas with 96 points (45 goals, 51 assists) last season and has averaged more than a point a game across six full NHL seasons, all with the Stars (490 points in 456 games), the AP package noted. His $12 million salary matches Mikko Rantanen for the highest on the roster this year. Jake Oettinger, Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Seguin also return as Dallas tries to push past last spring’s early exit.
Duchene on LTIR changes the forward depth chart
The freshest roster wrinkle broke Oct. 1. The Stars placed veteran forward Matt Duchene on LTIR retroactive to Sept. 29 and recalled Colin Blackwell and Arttu Hyry from the AHL’s Texas Stars, Pro Hockey Rumors reported, citing NHL.com’s Robert Tiffin. Duchene arrived at camp healthy, suffered a lower-body setback, and will miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 calendar days. The earliest possible return on that clock is Dallas’ Oct. 25 game against the New York Islanders.
Duchene scored 16 goals and 45 points in 56 games last season. He had been projected as the No. 3 center between Sam Steel and Jamie Benn; Steel now slides into that middle role. Blackwell brings 368 career NHL games and 15 points in 70 games for Dallas last season. Hyry, a 6-foot-3 undrafted Finnish forward, appeared in 20 NHL games for the Stars in 2025-26 after a strong AHL stretch.
Why the Blues matchup matters early
NBC 5’s AP notes put Dallas at 50-20-12 last season with a plus-51 goal differential, and 4-0 in the preseason with an 8-3 scoring edge, including two 2-1 wins over St. Louis. The Blues were 37-33-12 a year ago. Betting lines listed Friday had Dallas as a heavy home favorite (Stars -211, Blues +169, total 5.5). St. Louis is without Tyler Tucker (knee) and Logan Mailloux (hand), per the same report.
For DFW readers, the Stars home opener is both a celebration night and a roster stress test. Robertson’s presence answers the summer’s loudest question for one night. Duchene’s absence asks another: can Dallas’ depth score enough to keep the Central Division pace while the franchise cornerstone’s longer future is still being written?
How Never Late News reported this
This story draws on the Dallas Stars’ Sept. 28 home-opener schedule release, Oct. 1 Associated Press reporting via NBC 5, and Oct. 1 Duchene LTIR / recall reporting from Pro Hockey Rumors citing NHL.com. No original interviews were conducted for this piece.
About Never Late News: Never Late News is a US local and civic news site covering North Texas sports and entertainment with people-first reporting. This article carries the byline Mike Joe.