From the Big Green to Victory Green
By Dylan Pescatore
Apr 15, 2026Rookie center Sean Chisholm grew up in Caledonia, Ontario, an hour south of Toronto. He admits that the stereotype about growing up in Canada is true: Hockey is in your blood.
“I remember when I was super young, we would go to my grandfather’s house, and the only thing that would make me stop running around was watching hockey,” he said.
Chisholm was around hockey his entire childhood. As a young Toronto Maple Leafs fan, he grew up playing in Hamilton, Ontario about 25 minutes from home. When he turned 18, he decided to fly across the country to play for the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Chisholm gives a lot of credit to his years in Brooks, which was his first time away from home. It was an experience that first taught him the habits needed to be a professional.
“You don't come to the rink and hide in a practice.” he said. “You have to be out there and work your butt off every time around the ice. I think that helped my career.”
After two seasons in Brooks, Chisholm returned east and attended Dartmouth University, an Ivy League school in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dartmouth requires as big of a commitment to the classroom as it does at the rink.
“When you're at Dartmouth, it's school first, to be honest with you,” he said. “You're doing homework every day for a couple of hours, which is a lot on top of going to class, going to practice, going to the gym. You live a really regimented life, but it was incredible.”
Chisholm spent four seasons with the Big Green before being recruited by the Stars in his senior season. Rich Peverley, who has worked in player development for the Stars since retiring from playing, was one of the first people Chisholm met from the organization.
“We went in to see some other players, and I really liked him,” said Peverley, who recently was promoted to Dallas Stars Assistant General Manager/Player Personnel. “He played a two-way game, was a captain at Dartmouth, and had a great work ethic.”
After finishing his senior season, Chisholm signed an Amateur Tryout with the Stars on March 25th and started one of the crazier weeks of his life.
“That Saturday we played in Lake Placid against Clarkson, they beat us out, and then we drove back to Dartmouth on Sunday,” said Chisholm. “I signed on Sunday night, was on my flight to Grand Rapids on Monday, and then played on Wednesday.”
Talk about a quick transition, and one that didn’t faze Chisholm when he suited up for his pro debut against the Griffins. With his dad in the stands, fresh off a five-hour drive from Caledonia, Chisholm started an odd-man rush with Cameron Hughes to his left. He snapped a shot off the pad of Grand Rapids’ Jan Bednar and backhanded his own rebound into the net.
Chisholm played seven games for Texas last season, staying ready if he was needed during the team’s playoff run. His work on the ice, however, wasn’t the only thing on his mind.
“The whole-time last spring, I was doing schoolwork,” he said. “I had two classes left to finish my degree. I was lucky enough to find two teachers who would let me take their classes from afar.”
After the Stars were eliminated by Abbotsford in the Western Conference Finals, he flew back to New Hampshire and received his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth.
Now in his first full season in Cedar Park, Chisholm realized he had to change the type of player he was in college to something that better translates to the professional game.
“It's a really big switch. In school you're the guy that they relied on to get points and put the puck in the net, and then here, it's all about finding your role,” he said. “My role here has been to grind it out, get the puck deep, and finish hits.”
Chisholm is not only a fan favorite, but also a well-liked teammate in the Stars locker room. He has earned a consistent spot on the Stars fourth line and is continuing to play the type of role the team needs as they prepare for a return to the Calder Cup Playoffs.