Dallas Stars fans stunned as team lands 16 national TV games this season

The NHL has revealed its national television schedule, and the Dallas Stars are suddenly among the most featured teams in the league with 16 primetime slots that put them in the same conversation as the sport's biggest markets.

For the fifth season of ESPN and TNT sharing broadcast rights, Dallas is no longer treated like an undercard team.

Instead, they are being showcased with the likes of Boston, Colorado, Pittsburgh, and the New York Rangers, markets that traditionally dominate national airwaves.

It's recognition of what the Stars have become: a consistent Western Conference contender and a team with marketable star power, most notably Mikko Rantanen, who signed his eight-year extension in March.

The networks want playoff-bound teams filling key dates in February and March, and Dallas fits that bill perfectly.

According to NHL.com, Dallas has averaged one of the league's top television ratings in the South over the past three years, and that momentum is now spilling onto the national stage.

Dallas Stars land 16 national TV games on ESPN, TNT, and ABC

Some of the top matchups on the Stars' national slate include:

Oct. 9: Home opener vs. Minnesota on ESPN.

Oct. 22: Frozen Frenzy triple-header against Washington.

April 4: A marquee ABC broadcast against the Colorado Avalanche.

Additional ESPN+ coverage will feature Dallas against the Los Angeles Kings in October and two high-profile clashes with Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. The slate also includes division rivals like St. Louis and Minnesota in January and April.

TNT's schedule starts Oct. 30 against Tampa Bay, followed by a Dec. 23 road matchup in Detroit. In January, Dallas will be featured against Washington, Anaheim, and Boston, while a late-season clash with Colorado on March 11 headlines the spring lineup.

I believe this spotlight is more than exposure, it's validation that the Dallas Stars have climbed into the NHL's elite.

For a fan base that once worried about being overlooked, 16 national games prove the league knows Dallas is must-watch hockey.