Quick Hits: Kyle Looft Signs, Prospect Tourney Dates, Season Schedule and League Awards

(Credit: Ross Bonander/Texas Stars)

Texas and Dallas clogged up the inbox at the end of the week here with a few notable stories. We'll put them all together here for some quick hits.

As a programming note, I've got a chance to have my first conversation with Toby Petersen in his new role as head coach of the Stars this afternoon, and I'm looking to publish that this weekend.

Kyle Looft Inks an AHL Deal

First up, Texas signed a good piece on the backend with the return of Kyle Looft on an AHL deal for next year. The defenseman skated in 57 games as a rookie with Texas and all 14 playoff contests. With the signing of Michael Karow earlier in the week, Texas now has solid options in the second and third pairing for their coming season.

Schedule Release

The AHL released the 2025-26 season schedule yesterday, and it's pretty much what you would expect. The Stars play 72 games with 36 on the road and 36 at home. It's mostly a Friday/Saturday affair (43/72 games on those two dates), and the opponents aren't really much of a surprise with every Central Division team getting four at home and four on the road.

Texas will round out the calendar with five other teams playing two-and-two: Bakersfield, Coachella Valley, Henderson, San Diego and San Jose. The Stars will not get a rematch with Abbotsford and will not play anyone from the Eastern Conference.

Texas does not play any 3-in-3s this season. The season starts on October 10 and concludes on April 18, 2026.

Prospect Tournament Dates Announced

The Dallas/Detroit prospect showdown will be held in Frisco this year on September 13 at 7 PM and September 14 at 6 PM. Tickets for these games will require fans to reserve free general admission tickets. Sales will start with Victory Club members in late August.

Texas Takes Home League Hardware

The Stars had their highest average attendance in team history this year and, even despite having 13 sellouts in 2023-24, still managed to grow their ticket sales year over year. This achievement earned them the Western Conference award from the league for overall ticket sales growth. The Stars were also selected as a winner for immersive game operations experience for Fallout Night. We wrote a story here about how that promotion came together with an unexpected Texas Stars history twist.