Stars sign 2023 draft pick to entry-level contract

The Dallas Stars have signed one of their selections from the 2023 NHL Draft. According to a team announcement, the Stars have signed netminder Arno Tiefensee to a two-year entry-level contract beginning in the 2025-26 season.

Dallas selected Tiefensee with the 157th overall pick in 2023, making him the 16th netminder off the board in that summer’s draft. The Weißwasser, Germany native had just played in his first year with the DEL’s Adler Mannheim, managing a 13-10-0 record with a .910 SV%, 2.43 GAA, and three shutouts in 23 games.

Germany’s highest professional league is where he’s made his way since. In the two seasons following his draft year, still with Adler Mannheim, Tiefensee brought his career record up to 51-33-0 with seven shutouts, a save percentage of .910, and a goals-against average to 2.37. Unfortunately, Tiefensee failed to bring his team beyond the semifinals of the postseason tournament, losing in his rookie year and this season.

Tiefensee will likely join the Stars’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, next year. There’s no guarantee the organization will retain third-string netminder Magnus Hellberg beyond this season, and his tandem partner, Remi Poirier, will also need a new contract as a restricted free agent. Assuming the AHL Stars give Poirier a higher share of starts next season, the team could offer Tiefensee the backup role, making his transition to professional hockey in North America easier.