First Shift 🏒
Arguably the most important player on the Stars, Jake Oettinger is having arguably the most important season of his career.
Oettinger passed 200 starts this year and tallied 125 wins over that span, one of the best marks in NHL history. He’s off to a 13-5-0 start with a 2.47 GAA and .912 save percentage, also among the best in the NHL this season. And on Wednesday, he was named a member of Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
“It’s incredible,” Oettinger said after practice Thursday in Las Vegas. “I’m really happy to be a part of it. It’s a dream come true to be among that group of players and to get to represent my country again. Some of the favorite memories of my career was when I was with USA Hockey, so anytime you get to do that, it’s really exciting.”
After playing in high school for Lakeville North in Minnesota, Oettinger moved on to the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons. He then played three seasons at Boston University before starting his pro career with the Stars organization. He has played five NHL seasons and has a 126-53-23 record. He has also played in 47 playoff games and has helped the Stars to the past two Western Conference Finals.
“He’s an elite goaltender. He shows that every night,” said Stars coach Pete DeBoer.
While captain Benn added: “He’s rock solid, we have a lot of belief in him. Every night when we go on the ice, we feel we’re going to win because of him.”
Oettinger has earned this berth on Team USA, alongside Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and Boston’s Jeremy Swayman. That’s a huge deal for a kid who grew up watching the movie “Miracle,” and who used to watch Ryan Miller play for the red, white and blue.
“The movie Miracle made me fall in love with USA Hockey and all of the history that is there,” Oettinger said. “And then World Juniors and 2010 Olympics is my peak USA hockey fandom. I just remember how great Ryan Miller was in that tournament.”
Oettinger has played for Team USA in international tournaments six different times, including World Juniors in 2017 and 2018, as well as the World Championships in 2021. Still, that won’t compare to facing some of the best players in the world in action against Canada, Finland and Sweden.
“As a hockey fan, it’s going to be must-watch TV,” Oettinger said. “This is what the game needs and deserves, and what the fans deserve. It’s going to be a heck of a show. The best players in the world representing their countries…nothing better than that.”
And nothing better than being there.
