Texas Stars Alumni Well-Represented at 2026 Winter Olympics

Feb 10, 2026

Seven former Texas Stars are heading to Milan to compete in the Winter Olympics, representing four different countries. Jake Oettinger will wear the red, white and blue for the United States. Thomas Harley will suit up for Canada. Three different players will compete for Finland, including Esa Lindell, Roope Hintz, and Joel Kiviranta; while Radek Faksa and Matej Stransky are set to represent Czechia.

The only goaltender of the group, Oettinger appeared in 54 games during his time in Cedar Park, earning a 2.57 goals-against average, .914 save percentage and three shutouts. Upon making his NHL debut on Sept. 8, 2020 in the Western Conference Finals for Dallas, the Lakeville, Minnesota native has been a permanent fixture in the Dallas Stars crease since November 2021.

Oettinger has represented Team USA before, both in the junior ranks and as a pro. He helped the Americans win the Gold Medal at the 2015 U18 World Junior Championship and followed that up with a Bronze Medal the next year. He also took home hardware at the U20 World Junior Championship, leading the U.S. to Bronze in 2017 and Gold in 2018, respectively. Most recently, Oettinger suited up against Sweden in the 2025 Four Nations Face-Off, where the Americans finished runner up.

North of the border, Thomas Harley will lace up his skates for Team Canada. The Dallas blueliner was born in Syracuse, New York, but has dual-citizenship and elected to represent Canada on the world's stage after doing so previously in the World Junior Championship.

Harley had a non-traditional path to the NHL, due to the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he has quickly become a vital part of the Stars defensive corps. He made his NHL debut in the COVID bubble during the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Aug. 5, 2020, and spent the next two seasons in Cedar Park developing his game. Harley played 131 games with Texas, scoring 18 goals and adding 52 assists, and was named an AHL All-Star in 2023.

The defenseman earned a permanent call-up back to Dallas at the end of the 2022-23 season and skated in all 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Stars, cementing his status as an NHL player. Last year, Harley was originally left off Canada's roster for the Four Nations Face-Off, but was called in as an injury replacement and proved his worth on the international stage.

The Finnish mafia is officially setting up shop in Milan. The Dallas organization is known for its Finnish pipeline, and it has paid off for the country's Olympic team, with three different Texas Stars alumni heading to Italy. Additionally, while they never suited up for Texas, Miro Heiskanen and Mikko Rantanen will also make sure Dallas is well-represented on Team Finland.

Kiviranta spent half of a season with Texas, where he gathered 23 points in 48 games. He made his NHL debut on Jan. 3, 2020 against the Detroit Red Wings and put together a performance for the history books later that year when he scored a hat trick in Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round, sending Dallas to their first Western Conference Finals appearance in 12 years. Kiviranta now plays for the Colorado Avalanche.

Like Kirivanta, Lindell moved from Finland to Texas to make his North American debut in the Lone Star State. Lindell tallied 34 points (14-30—44) in 80 games. He made his NHL debut with Dallas on Jan. 19, 2016 against the Los Angeles Kings. Last year, Lindell was selected to Finland’s roster for the Four Nations Face-Off, and he notched a goal in the tournament.

Hintz also represented Finland at the Four Nations event. Of all the Finns, he spent the most time with Texas, before graduating to the NHL. He totaled 57 points in 91 games during his time in Cedar Park and he scored the overtime winner against Rockford in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals to send the Stars to the Calder Cup Finals in 2018.

Hintz made his NHL debut on Oct. 4, 2018 against Arizona and scored his first NHL goal the very next game. Since arriving in Dallas, he’s consistently been one of the best players in the NHL, especially in the playoffs. The Finn has 69 points (27-42—69) over 95 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

While the trio of Finns never joined forces at the AHL level, Faksa and Stransky were teammates for a season in Cedar Park and now will reconnect at the Olympics for Czechia.

Faksa played in 68 games and had 40 points (20-20—40) in Cedar Park. He was drafted by Dallas in 2012 and came to Texas at the perfect time, right before the Stars went on their 2014 Calder Cup run. Faksa made his NHL debut a year later, on Oct. 17, 2015 against Florida.

The Vitkov native has spent nearly his entire career in the Stars organization, and returned to Dallas as a free agent last summer after a short time away. Faksa is one of only 13 players in Dallas Stars history who have skated in 300 or more games for the franchise.

Stransky spent the most time with Texas of all the Olympians. He racked up 128 points (66-62—128) in 285 contests with the Stars. Stransky ranks ninth in team history for games played across four seasons in Cedar Park, and also played a role on the 2014 Calder Cup championship team.

After his time with the Stars, Stransky moved to Europe and has played for HC Davos since 2021 in the National League in Switzerland. HC Davos also competes in the famed Spengler Cup, Europe's oldest hockey tournament, and Stransky captained the team to a gold medal in 2025.

The Milan Olympics will be some of the most exciting international hockey we've seen in recent years, thanks to the NHL allowing players to represent their home countries on the world's biggest stage. These Texas Stars alumni may have a shared history in Cedar Park, but they'll all be competing against each other for the gold in Milan.