Joel Hofer opened the St. Louis Blues’ season by locking down the Dallas Stars, turning aside 25 shots in a 4-0 road win at American Airlines Center on Friday. It was the first NHL season-opening start of Hofer’s career and the ninth shutout on his résumé.
Key takeaways
- Hofer recorded his ninth NHL shutout after finishing second in the League with six last season.
- Mason McTavish scored 1:34 into his Blues debut after arriving from the Anaheim Ducks in June.
- Dalibor Dvorsky supplied the decisive second-period goal, finishing into an open net after a Dallas turnover behind the goal line.
- Jimmy Snuggerud and Pius Suter each posted a goal and an assist, scoring empty-netters 15 seconds apart late in the third.
- Tyler Seguin returned for Dallas after a torn right ACL and played his first game since Dec. 2, 2025.
Blues jump early and Hofer holds the crease
St. Louis needed only one shift to get on the board. Colton Parayko’s shot was stopped by Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, but the rebound slipped loose as Parayko pursued it. McTavish arrived at the edge of the crease and pushed the puck home for a 1-0 lead.
The goal was McTavish’s first for the Blues following his June 26 trade from Anaheim. St. Louis sent the Ducks two first-round selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, picks No. 15 and No. 29, to bring in the forward.
Hofer did the rest at the other end. Dallas could not solve the Blues netminder despite 25 shots, while Oettinger finished with 20 saves in the Stars’ own season opener.
The Blues added separation at 13:05 of the second period on a sequence Dallas will want back. Oettinger moved behind his net to leave the puck for Nils Lundkvist, but Suter got there first and sent it toward Philip Broberg. As Oettinger scrambled back into position, he collided with Roope Hintz and fell, leaving the net exposed. Broberg found Dvorsky, who buried the chance to make it 2-0.
Late goals finish the Dallas opener
St. Louis briefly thought it had a third goal early in the final period. Adam Jiricek beat Oettinger on the power play at 1:06, which would have been his first NHL goal, but Dallas challenged the entry and the play was ruled offside.
That reversal did not change the final outcome. With the Stars net empty in the closing minutes, Snuggerud scored at 17:37 before Suter followed at 17:52. The two empty-net markers came 15 seconds apart, with both players completing goal-and-assist nights.
For Dallas, Seguin’s return was one of the few encouraging notes. The veteran forward made his first appearance since Dec. 2, 2025, after recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee. He logged 14:55, was a minus-2 and picked up six penalty minutes in the loss.
