The Dallas Stars will have the toughest travel schedule with 56,700 miles in the 2024-25 NHL season, while the Pittsburgh Penguins will have the easiest travel schedule with 31,500 miles. This may or may not be an advantage for either professional hockey team. Read on for further details surrounding these two teams.
According to B/R Open Ice (@BROpenIce) via Thomas Nestico (@TJStats), the Dallas Stars have the furthest travel distance in the league this upcoming season. Typically, Dallas is one of the most-traveled teams in the league due to their location in Dallas, Texas, in the Southern United States. Also, the addition of the Utah Hockey Club adds additional miles to the Stars’ travel plans in the near future.
The Stars traveling the extra distance could contribute to a similar wear-and-tear they’ve experienced this past regular season and postseason. Dallas returned to the Western Conference Final in 2024, only to get eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in six games. However, Dallas and Edmonton traveled back and forth in the six-game series at 1,655 miles per trip, which was nowhere near the Oilers and Florida Panthers’ 2,540 mile trips between cities in the Stanley Cup Final but could cause additional fatigue, jet lag, etc.
The Florida Panthers will be the second most-traveled team in the league with 51,100 miles this upcoming season. The Panthers and their in-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, will be the only two Eastern Conference teams in the top ten list of expected miles traveled for 2024-25. Both teams’ travel schedules increased due to the updated geography of the Western Conference teams.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be the least-traveled team in the league for 2024-25. The Penguins’ expected 31,700 miles are 25,000 short of the Stars’ expected miles of 56,700 this upcoming season.
The Stars had a 52-21-9 record with 113 points last season. As a result, Dallas finished in first place in both the Central Division and the Western Conference. Stars forward Jason Robertson led all scorers with 80 points (29 goals and 51 assists) in 2023-24, but suffered a 29-point decrease from 2022-23.
The Stars should be alright this upcoming season, but let’s see if the increase in travel will affect them in the short- and long-term.
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