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Hockey world mourns loss of former team owner at 79


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Joshua Deeds
December 7, 2025  (7:47 PM)
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Tom Hicks
Photo credit: Donna McWilliam/AP

The hockey world mourns the loss of 79-year-old businessman and former owner of the Dallas Stars, Tom Hicks.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman issued a statement on the passing of Tom Hicks, a former team owner.
Hicks was the owner of the Dallas Stars and helped transform the team into a premier organization in the NHL during the 90s.
You could give Hicks the credit for helping to grow hockey in the Southwestern United States and turning it into a cultural phenomenon.
The team won a Stanley Cup in 1999 under his leadership, a monument to his success as an owner.
His passing, at the age of 79, gives us a great look into the past of how the Stars came to be as we know them now. Perennial contenders, with a strong fanbase.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman issues a heartfelt statement on the passing of Tom Hicks

The statement from Gary Bettman was issued today, as the former businessman and investor owned the Dallas Stars until 2011, when it was sold to Tom Gagliardi.
«Tom Hicks combined his innovative business acumen with his passions for sports and the city of Dallas to transform the Stars into one of the most successful franchises in the NHL and the catalyst for the explosive growth of hockey in Texas. In 1995-96, his second season as owner, the Stars began a remarkable stretch that saw them win seven of the next nine division titles, two Western Conference championships, and the Stanley Cup in 1999.

«Hicks was instrumental in the planning and development of American Airlines Center. And his philanthropy focused upon promoting education and helping the homeless in the Dallas area. The National Hockey League mourns his passing and sends our sincere condolences to his wife, Cinda, their six children and 11 grandchildren, and the entire Hicks family.»

His impact on hockey in Texas cannot be understated, and he helped make the sport popular in an area that, in the past, had spots for the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, and Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Stars are a watermark in NHL history and are a successful franchise thanks to the foundation Hicks left for the league to improve upon.
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Hockey world mourns loss of former team owner at 79

The hockey world mourns the passing of former owner Tom Hicks of the Dallas Stars. Rest in Peace.


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