Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars speaks to the crowd after being presented with the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award during round one of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena on June 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Stars are rewarding the general manager Jim Nill -- who was named the NHL's GM of the Year -- with a contract extension. Nill has agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep him in Dallas through the 2025-26 season. The 65-year-old just wrapped up his 10th season in Dallas and will reportedly try to work out a succession plan with team owner Tom Gaglardi.
“Jim has proven himself to be one of the best general managers in the NHL," Gaglardi said. "He has meticulously built a team through free agency, trades and the NHL Draft that's among the best in the League, while also ensuring that the Stars are championship contenders for years to come. He'll be able to continue his vision of working toward our goal of bringing another Stanley Cup to the state of Texas."
Nill, 65, enters his 11th season with the Stars, having served as the team’s 11th general manager and sixth GM since moving to Dallas. During Nill's tenure, the Stars have amassed a record of 403-280-98 and have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in six seasons (2013-14, 2015-16, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22 and 2022-23), including two trips to the Western Conference Final (2020, 2023) and an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final (2020). The longest serving general manager in franchise history, Nill became the first GM in team history to win the Jim Gregory General Manager of the the Year Award following the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign, which recognizes the work of the top general manager in the NHL.
"My family and I are grateful to Tom Gaglardi for his commitment to the organization and giving me every resource available to build this team," Nill said. "I'm fortunate to have an incredible team of individuals alongside me that have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help build our team into what it is today. I'm excited to continue my work in developing a winning culture and reaching our shared goal of winning the Stanley Cup."