By Emily Stonehouse

He’s always been a star, but now he wears it on his jersey.

Haliburton County’s Matt Duchene signed a four-contract with the Dallas Stars on June 19, valued at $18 million, with an average annual value of $4.5 million.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Duchene. “Obviously when you’re 34 years old, there’s more hockey behind you than ahead of you, so to be signed for four years shows the faith and trust the Stars have in me to maintain my level of play into my late-thirties.”

Duchene racked up 82 points in 82 regular-season games for the Stars this past season, which placed him at the top of the leaderboard for points for the team. He had six points over the Stars’ 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

He was set to have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but the Stars swooped in with the deal. “I believe this team has a big window here to achieve (the Stanley Cup), so to now get four more years to try to accomplish that, it’s exciting.”

Duchene originally joined the Stars in 2023, and has settled his family down in Dallas, which is another reason he’s thrilled to stay put a little longer. “Family wise, it’s awesome to be able to continue to put down roots in Dallas,” he said. “It’s an incredible city with similar family and Christian values to our own so it’s been awesome to be a part of and continue to be a part of.”

As a father of three, Duchene intends to take the summer off to focus on family. “As you get older, you definitely need more rest and recovery,” he said. “And that includes mental rest as well, which is probably the hardest and most important to get, especially if you’re wired like I am,” he laughed.

He plans on staying active via gym training, and will begin off-season training in the coming weeks. Duchene and his family will return to Haliburton through the summer season before returning to Dallas in the early autumn, where their eldest son, Beau, will be starting school.

Duchene is optimistic about his future with the Stars. “I want to continue my individual trajectory as long as I can, and also to keep pushing to get over the hump to win a Cup,” he said. “It’s something I don’t take lightly, and will continue to work like I always have.”