Well, that “U.S. backup” has Dallas on the verge of its third consecutive trip to the Western Conference Final. Oettinger mostly has outplayed Hellebuyck throughout these NHL playoffs and in the second-round Western Conference series that the Stars lead 3-1 over the top-seeded Jets.

The refereeing in the Jets-Stars series has not been great, and two anonymous NHL officials put them on blast for favoring Dallas in Round 2. A heated playoff series between the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets has created immense controversy after two altercation-filled instances in Game 3 on Sunday: a stick swipe at a referee and a disputed goal.

Since retiring as a player, Montoya has found new why's as a husband, father, Dallas Stars Elite youth hockey coach, and Stars executive. He's excited by the growth of women's hockey, youth hockey, and overall participation numbers of players from diverse backgrounds.