Stars Place Matt Duchene On LTIR, Recall Two

The Dallas Stars announced today that forwards Colin Blackwell and Arttu Hyry have been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. In a corresponding move, the Stars placed veteran forward Matt Duchene on LTIR, retroactive to Sept. 29.

Per NHL.com’s Robert Tiffin, Duchene arrived at training camp healthy, but encountered a lower-body injury. The Stars hoped to manage that injury through maintenance days, and were hopeful he would be able to play in the team’s final preseason game. That did not happen, as Duchene suffered a setback a few days ago that has prompted this LTIR placement.

By rule, Duchene will miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 calendar days. That means the soonest Duchene can return is for Dallas’ Oct. 25 game against the New York Islanders. If he returns at that point, Duchene will have missed the first 10 games of the Stars’ season.

Duchene’s absence will be felt in the Stars’ lineup, as he is one of the team’s most accomplished offensive players. The 35-year-old scored 16 goals and 45 points in 56 games last season, and the year before led the team in scoring with 30 goals and 82 points.

Duchene was set to begin the season as Dallas’ No. 3 center, skating between linemates Sam Steel and Jamie Benn. Steel will now take on the third-line center role.

Of the two players recalled today, Blackwell is the more experienced one, as he has played in 368 career NHL games. Stars GM Jim Nill told the media today (via Tiffin) that Blackwell’s placement on season-opening waivers was mostly related to salary cap management, and not a reflection of Blackwell’s play or value. The 33-year-old is a veteran bottom-six forward who scored 15 points in 70 games for the Stars last season.

Hyry, the other forward the Stars called up today, does not boast the same level of experience as Blackwell, though he does provide a level of youth and size that Blackwell does not. The 6’3″ undrafted Finnish forward scored 24 goals and 59 points as an AHL rookie in 2024-25 before becoming a top call-up option for Dallas last season.

In 2025-26, he scored 19 points in 27 AHL games while skating in 20 total NHL games for the Stars. Recalling Hyry, alongside Blackwell, helps shore up Dallas’ forward depth in the face of Duchene’s injury.