All-Star Otter: How adversity helped Jake Oettinger on the path to becoming an All-Star

Jake Oettinger has had to deal with physical ailments to his ankle and groin in the past year, but maybe the biggest adjustment has affected a different part of his body – his brain.

The 25-year-old Stars goalie is representing the team at the NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto, and that’s a bit of a surprise when you consider he hasn’t posted his best numbers this season. But the honor is definitely earned, coach Pete DeBoer said, because of what Oettinger has endured.

“I’m glad he’s getting to go to the All-Star Game,” DeBoer said. “I think he’s getting rewarded for his body of work.”

His short career has already been impressive. Drafted 26th overall in 2017 out of Boston University, Oettinger prepared himself for an arduous climb to become an NHL goalie. Dallas has always leaned on veteran netminders, so the organization was in no hurry to push the kid from Lakeville, Minnesota.

Oettinger played 36 games with the Texas Stars in 2019-20, and then was given a great gift when COVID caused the NHL to put the playoffs into a “bubble”, forcing teams to hunker down in a small group and dedicate their lives to hockey. Dallas made it all the way to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, spending two months in Edmonton. Oettinger was able to practice and live with a great group of veterans that included Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin.

Oettinger played two games in the playoffs and learned a lot, and when he returned the next season, the Stars were ready to trust him as a backup goalie at age 22. Dallas missed the playoffs in the shortened season, but Oettinger was solid with an 11-8-7 record, a 2.36 GAA and a .911 save percentage. The Stars tried to go back to the veteran route in 2021-22, adding Braden Holtby with Khudobin, and Oettinger started in the AHL. Injuries and performance put a hole in the original plan, and Oettinger was called up. He took hold of the No. 1 spot, won 30 games and got the Stars into the playoffs.

Once there, he almost pulled off a miracle against the top-seeded Calgary Flames, losing in Game 7 overtime while posting a 1.81 GAA and .954 save percentage.

It was a coming out party for Oettinger's NHL career and confirmation that he was indeed the organization’s future in net.

Part of the reason for the success of the big (6-6, 224 lbs) backstop was an incredible work ethic. He was first on the ice and last off. He not only worked out a lot, he worked out hard. He had an energy about him that was intense, and that allowed a quiet confidence that was the core of his essence.

But then the hockey gremlins started to throw wrenches in his way. Oettinger started to experience nagging ankle pain early in the 2022-23 season. He battled through it, but things got worse when backup goalie Scott Wedgewood suffered an injury in March. Oettinger played a much heavier schedule than the organization would have liked. This led into a long playoff run, and while Oettinger came up big in several performances to push the Stars to Game 6 of the Western Conference Final, his numbers suffered. During this playoff run, he posted a 3.06 GAA and .895 save percentage. He looked mortal throughout the run.

Oettinger took the performance as a challenge and wanted to get back into the gym and start working. Yes, the ankle was an issue, but the team felt it could be managed without surgery. Then, in July, doctors decided going under the knife was the best option. He had the procedure, had to shelf his offseason workout plan and start rehab.

“It was unexpected,” Oettinger said. “I didn’t think I needed it, and then all of the sudden it was like we’re going to need you to come down right away. It kind of threw a wrench into the plans I had for the summer. I’m kind of glad to have it over with now, but it was tough at the time. It was a learning experience from top to bottom.”

Mostly at the top, really. Oettinger had to adjust his work and rest schedule, and that has been a challenge. The Stars have added several new trainers, including Director of Sports Performance, Dr. Troy Van Biezen, strength and conditioning coaches Mike Donaghue and Matthew Crawley, physical therapist Nick Andreas and massage therapist D.J. Almonte. That team is now a big part of Oettinger’s life, as he uses off-ice training almost as much as practice.

“He loves to practice, he does, and he loves to get out there early and do the goalie drills, but the thing is he learned a valuable lesson last year,” said goalie coach Jeff Reese, who noted that Oettinger played in 81 games last season (including playoffs). “Both of us learned a lesson: You just can’t do as much practice. So we have to make it up through the video and he’s good with that now.”

Oettinger said he understands the trade-off.

“You want to be fresh, you don’t want the nagging stuff to pile up on you,” he said. “The strength staff has been awesome. They know when to put their foot on the gas and when to chill. It’s a routine that I’ve learned and I know what I have to do to play well in the games. It’s not being on the ice every day for two hours. That’s fun and something I want to do, but you have to learn.”

This season, Oettinger was working his way back from the ankle surgery and suffered a groin injury that kept him out for a month. Oh great, more adversity. But in dealing with that, he again followed the science and worked his way back into the lineup. It was a hiccup in what everyone is hoping is a banner year for the team and its goalie.

“All of the adversity…they’re all building blocks toward winning the Stanley Cup,” said Reese. “Every goalie is going to go through it. To get to where he wants to get to, he’s going to have to fight through this. Adversity is a good thing.”

Oettinger said he knows, but it is nice to have reminders like this weekend that there are also good times. Oettinger will go to the All-Star Weekend for the first time, joining fellow 2017 Stars draft picks Miro Heiskanen (2019) and Jason Robertson (2023). Both his teammates found a different kind of satisfaction from the honor, and now it’s Oettinger’s turn. He will take his family, including younger brother Thomas. That’s just the next step in what has been an incredible hockey adventure for the Oettinger family.

“It won’t even feel real until we’re there,” Oettinger said last week. “I’m super blessed to have this opportunity. It’s a dream come true and having him there makes it even better.”

The games are kind of secondary to the experience, so Oettinger will soak up the atmosphere and just be a kid again.

“He’s put the work in and I’m very happy for him,” Reese said. “He’s very excited about going and I’m excited about seeing him.”

And when he gets back, the excitement will morph into something a little more focused and direct. The Stars are among the top teams in the NHL and in a battle for the No. 1 seed in the Central Division and possibly the Western Conference in their final 33 games. They are poised for a long playoff run, and Oettinger wants to be the guy to carry the team again. He learned a lot in the up-and-down run against Minnesota, Seattle and Vegas last season. He has learned just as much in the things he has to do off the ice.

Both he and Scott Wedgewood understand the challenges of getting ready for the playoffs. At 13-4-4 so far, Wedgewood has proved he can be a big part of making sure the team is in its best position down the stretch.

“He’s such a great teammate and we’re both ready for this,” Oettinger said.

Part of the reason Oettinger has been able to handle all of the adversity is a mindset that vacillates between joyful and angry. While he’s one of the nicest guys on the team, he said he finds joy in the heat of competition.

“I like when people are against you and you can show them,” Oettinger said. “That’s what you dream about when you’re a kid, you want that pressure.”

He said that while his two playoff experiences have been different, both have been the best part of his career. Now, with the potential to see superpowers like Vegas, Colorado, Vancouver or Edmonton in the postseason, he can’t wait.

“It’s a privilege to be given that opportunity,” he said. “Fifteen years from now, I’m going to be wishing I was putting on the pads in the conference final against Vegas. You work day in and day out…I put my whole life into what I do…and that’s when you get the chance to show the world just how much you have worked and what you have done to get yourself ready.”

Ironically, his work has been more off the ice this year than in season’s past, but it doesn’t mean it’s been any less intense.

“He wants to be on the ice every day, so It’s been a challenge to change his routine,” said teammate and good friend Ty Dellandrea. “But he shows up every day and does what he’s supposed to do. He’s one of the most committed people I know, and he is going to do whatever it takes to help us win. It’s inspiring to watch, really.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.