(Frisco) Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill has signed a two-year contract extension less than a month after being named the NHL’s general manager of the year.
The deal was announced Monday, which means Nill will stay with the Stars until the end of the 2025-26 season. The 65-year-old Nill said he hoped to work out an estate plan with owner Tom Gaglardi.
Nill just wrapped up his 10th season as general manager of the Stars, who were eliminated in six games by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals.
The Stars reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020, in the protected environment in Canada, and they lost in six games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Texan team has appeared in the playoffs six times under Nill’s tutelage.
“Jim has proven himself to be one of the best general managers in the NHL,” Gaglardi said. He painstakingly built a team with the free agent market, trades and draft and it is among the best in the NHL. He also made sure the Stars were contenders for years to come. »
Nill’s highlight came in the 2017 draft, when the Stars selected star defenseman Miro Heiskanen and number one goaltender Jake Oettinger in the first round and productive forward Jason Robertson in the second round. The Stars’ 2021 first-round pick Wyatt Johnston was also a key contributor during his rookie season.
Nill’s top free agent signing was American forward Joe Pavelski in 2019. He spearheaded the offensive line on the first line and earned his 1,000th career NHL point late last season.
Nill hired Pete DeBoer as head coach a year ago and he became only the second coach in NHL history to reach the conference final with four different teams.
