Dallas Stars name Neil Graham as assistant coach

FRISCO, Texas – Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has named Neil Graham as assistant coach. Graham joins Glen Gulutzan's coaching staff, which includes Alain Nasreddine (assistant coach), Jeff Reese (goaltending coach), Patrick Dolan (head video coach) and Chris Demczuk (assistant video coach).

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to add Neil to our coaching staff in Dallas,” Nill said. “Neil has spent over a decade as part of the Dallas Stars organization behind the bench in Texas and Idaho proving at every level his ability to coach. His hockey acumen has made him one of the most sought-after young coaches in professional hockey."

Graham, 40, spent the last six seasons as the head coach of the Texas Stars, Dallas’ affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), posting an 183-140-40 record in 363 regular-season games. Texas reached the Calder Cup Playoffs in all four of his seasons as head coach in which the AHL postseason was played, most recently guiding the team to the 2025 Western Conference Final. Graham is responsible for developing core pieces of Dallas’ current roster including Jake Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Thomas Harley, Lian Bichsel, Oskar Bäck and Mavrik Bourque. During his tenure, he has coached three AHL Rookie of the Year winners (Riley Damiani, 2020-21, Logan Stankoven, 2023-24 and Justin Hryckowian, 2024-25) as well as the league’s scoring champion and MVP (Bourque, 2023-24), and leading goal-scorer (Matěj Blümel, 2024-25). He began his time with Texas during the 2019-20 campaign as an assistant coach before being appointed to the head coach position on Dec. 10, 2019.

Before making the move to the Texas Stars, he was the head coach of the Idaho Steelheads, the ECHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, from 2015 to 2019. Over that span, he amassed a 166-91-31 record in 288 regular-season contests and led Idaho to three consecutive 40-win seasons, guiding the Steelheads to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in all four seasons at the helm. Prior to being appointed head coach on Aug. 7, 2015, Graham served as Steelheads assistant coach for two seasons, after a role as a player/coach during the 2012-13 campaign.

The Calgary, Alberta native is a graduate of Mercyhurst University where he played four seasons before turning pro. Graham recorded 60 points (23-37—60) and 128 penalty minutes over 137 NCAA games. He turned pro in 2010 and split three seasons between the ECHL and Southern Professional Hockey League, accruing 98 points (42-56—98) in 113 professional games.